The Tragedy of Macbeth evaluates many plot points that are both provocative and thought-provoking A frequent topic throughout Macbeth is humanism, and through it, he can tell an engrossing story. Not only is humanism reflected in the whole play as well as in the characters and the plot. Macbeth demonstrates humanism through its plot and character development.
The plot of Macbeth is humanistic because religion is not shown or spoken much by the main characters. Although religion and God are mentioned in the play, Macbeth and Lady Macbeth do not appear to have much if any religious beliefs. The play is a shift in doctrine to humanism because the story is based on Macbeth’s decision to commit murder, a wicked deed that is consistently against
…show more content…
The sins of murdering and stealing seem not to be an issue for the main characters as they commit them willing and with a clear mind. They do, however, know what they are doing is wrong because Macbeth even describes one as an “A deed of dreadful note” (Shakespeare 3.3.44). As the play progresses, Macbeth and Lady Macbeth become less and less synthesized by killing and being all around immoral. Macbeth is seen to turn against Banquo, become ruthless and a killer throughout the play. All of which came from his goal of wanting to be king brought forth by the witches. He comments that “If chance has me, king, why, chance may crown me,/ Without my stir” (Shakespeare.1.3.143-144). The witches, however, did not make Macbeth into a murdering traitor but rather himself. This is showing how Macbeth and Lady Macbeth use their reasoning to accomplish what they wanted to do instead of what is right and just. Lady Macbeth becomes more of the devil’s advocate and persuades Macbeth to go through with murdering Duncan. She questions Macbeth if he is a man when he does not want to go through with the murder, “When you durst do it, then you were a man” (Shakespeare 1.7.49). Towards the end, Lady Macbeth’s guilt eats at her conscience until she is driven mad and kills herself. This shows that even in a subconscious state, she knows what she had done was wrong. Her suicide means nothing to Macbeth at the end of the play because he has lost all respect and empathy for human life. Macbeth says that “She would have died hereafter,” (Shakespeare 5.5.17). Both Macbeth and Lady Macbeth lose their humanity towards the end of the play and inevitably is the cause of their
Lady Macbeth begins with an unrecognizable conscience. She explains to Macbeth that if she said she would kill her own child, she would rather do the deed than break her word to do so. Soon she begins to develop a conscience. After placing the daggers for Duncan's murder, she makes an excuse for not killing Duncan herself: "Had he not resembled my father as he slept, I had done't" (2.2.12-13). These words introduce her conscience. Towards the end of the play, Lady Macbeth falls into a sleepless state, and this sleeplessness represents her guilt for her role in Duncan's death, as well as all the murders Macbeth has committed.
After the death of King Duncan, Macbeth becomes the more controlling one, and Lady Macbeth’s guilt eventually becomes too much for her to handle which leads to her death. Lady Macbeth is in fact the one that performs the preparations for the murder of King Duncan, but still shows some signs of humanity by not committing the murder herself because he resembles "My father as he slept". After the murder has been committed, she also shows signs of being a strong person because she calms Macbeth down in order to keep him from going insane.
“The Tragedy of Macbeth” goes into the darkest and deepest morals of any Shakespearean play. Each character in the play portrays a very important role and each character gives off their own form of sincerities towards the advancing plot. Macbeth
Macbeth thinks that if she had died at a more convenient time, he would have been able to mourn her death. Because he is so consumed with himself and winning the war, he claims that he has to focus on the matter at hand, and does not have time for this. When he hears of her death, he is completely emotionless and shows no signs of sadness. This is the ultimate act of self involvement from Macbeth, because it shows that Macbeth lacks basic human emotion unless it concerns himself. Earlier in the play, the death of Lady Macbeth would have crushed Macbeth. Without her help, he would not have accomplished all that he did, and he repays her with absolutely nothing. At this point, the only thing on Macbeth’s mind is power, and it has completely consumed him, causing him to sever all ties with anyone he cares about. Each evil action he has committed has been with his own selfish desires in mind. With each crime, he loses sight of his morals and allows his own ambition to control
After being told that her husband could potentially be the next king, Lady Macbeth was quick to say that Macbeth should kill King Duncan. Lady Macbeth was the one that came up with the whole plan to kill Duncan and intoxicate the guards, that way it will look like they were the ones who did it. Macbeth killed Duncan, but after doing so he is extremely troubled and stressed out. He comes walking out from the room with the daggers in his hands. Lady Macbeth orders him to go put the daggers back, to which Macbeth refuses. Lady Macbeth grabs the daggers from his hands and goes back to the king’s room to leave the daggers (Act II, scene II). She then proceeds to tell Macbeth to return to bed and if woken up, pretend like they have been sleeping this whole time. Lady Macbeth, even though she should not be in this time period, is the emotionally strong one in her relationship with Macbeth. She keeps her fasade up and we only see her actual feelings a couple times. Despite that, Lady Macbeth is a dynamic character and change quite drastically throughout the play. Lady Macbeth becomes less white-hearted. However, due to the guilt after the murder and the stress from constantly looking after her husband, Lady Macbeth takes her own life (Act V, scene
The passage shows that Macbeth does not know whether getting the kingship is good or bad. He says it is neither, but Macbeth also hints that he desires the kingship. The violence of murder against the king, Duncan, in his mind is what hints his desire. Macbeth’s desire will lead him to violence. To prove the desire, Macbeth wrote a letter to Lady Macbeth, and in it said, “When...
Shakespeare incorporates precise details which overlay one another to form the magnificent tragedy, Macbeth. Shakespeare’s details hardly escape the keen eyes of Harold Bloom, who dedicated The Invention of The Human to analyze all of Shakespeare’s work. Bloom understandably claims, “Macbeth is a uncanny unity of setting, plot, and characters…” (518). Through Bloom’s initial claim and analyzing his speculations on Macbeth’s setting, King Duncan’s death, and Macbeth’s murderous personality, readers delve into meta-analysis and expand their understanding of the tragedy, Macbeth. Thesis is needed
In the play Macbeth by William Shakespeare, the author tries to show the true nature of man by using the play’s main character, Macbeth, as an example. He is overly ambitious, courageous, and self-doubting. Throughout the play, Shakespeare displays these characteristics to the audience through Macbeth to show the true nature of man. At the end of the play, these characteristics ultimately lead to Macbeth’s downfall.
Duncan is the most unlikely character to be killed because of his personality, but his title as King of Scotland, causes for Macbeth to loathe Duncan. In the play there is very little interaction between Macbeth and Duncan, showing the little time in which Macbeth gets more power. Prior to the witches’ prophecies Macbeth is loyal to Duncan, and would never imagine killing him. After the one of the witches’ prophecies comes to be true, the thought of killing Duncan, Macbeth "yield[s] to that suggestion / whose horrid image doth unfix my hair / and make my seated heart knock at my ribs" (1.3.146-148). Partly because of Lady Macbeth’s suggestion his "vaulting ambition" is starting to take over, and he begins to take into consideration killing Duncan, to become king. Macbeth however, does not feel comfortable in killing Macbeth, giving himself reasons why not to kill Duncan: “First, as I am his kinsman and his subject, Strong both against the deed; then, as his host, Who should against his murderer shut the door, Not bear the knife myself,” (I, vii, 13-16) Lady Macbeth, convinces Macbeth, that killing Duncan is the right thing to do until right before he performs the murder. We learn from this murder that Macbeth truly had faith in the king and was very loyal, but knowing that one day he would become king, his ambition and the persuasion of Lady Macbeth, causes him to perform the act, that he will regret. This murder changes Macbeth as a person, however, and he soon feels little regret for killing King Duncan, but this act will soon aid in his downfall.
instill in him the need to be King. Still, desire is not enough for Macbeth and he is thus driven "to seek certainty as his one objective. He wants certainty from the witches . . . at whatever cost" (Campbell 228). Macbeth, however, is not completely lost yet; honour and justice remain in him, and although it takes him some time to fully consider the consequences of the witches' words on him, he rejects his horrible thoughts of murder and postpones all action: "If chance will have me king, why,chance may crown me, / Without my stir" (I. iii.143-144). For the time being, Macbeth's true essence is in control, that of loyalty and honour.
In today’s world, people are often judged not only by their deeds, but also by the motives behind these deeds. A ‘good’ deed can be performed, but it is only truly good if the intentions are well-meaning. Humanism is an example of these deeds for which the intentions are vital for the effects of such actions. In Macbeth, humanism is a clear theme that Shakespeare uses through his characters. He provides many examples of humanism and its effects to clearly illustrate his purpose towards humanism in writing the play. Shakespeare emphasizes the importance of good intentions in humanism by portraying the effects of immoral use through Macbeth and Lady Macbeth, the regrets made by Macbeth after such immoral use, and the results of benevolent use through Macduff and Malcolm.
One of the main questions that comes up when thinking about Macbeth is do the characters occupy the play to tell a historical story, or does the drama exist as a prop to explore the physiological nuances of the character Macbeth. It could be argued that the character of Macbeth, his complex physiological states, his weakness of character, the part that people around him and his wife play in the development of character, and destiny are truly the central themes of the play.
When the three witches had met with Macbeth, and then he had told his wife, he did not feel sure that murdering the King was right, although he was the King’s savior. When Lady Macbeth hears about the news, she awakens, starts to plot Duncan’s murder and backstabbs Macbeth to kill him. She tells him to ‘be a man and go get what he wants’. At this point, Macbeth doesn’t have a choice. When she thinks that she can kill the King, she cries, “Come, you spirits that tend on mortal thoughts, unsex
Macbeth is a very complex character whom reflects man's thirst for power through the drastic changes of his personality; thus being one of the slightest reasons in which make this intriguing character, greatest of all Shakespearean’s well-known works.
Lady Macbeth, one of the main characters in the play Macbeth, is an example of a character that throughout the course of the play has had a change of heart of some sorts. Lady Macbeth's conscience, which seems to have never appeared or mattered to her before, suddenly becomes an uncontrollable part of her psychological state of being. Murder, which she deemed as such a small inconsequential act, later causes her to lose sleep and finally to take her own life. In the beginning of the play, when Lady Macbeth is first introduced she is already plotting Duncan's murder. She even wishes that she were not a woman so that she could do it herself saying in Act I, Scene 5, "Come, you spirits that tend on mortal thoughts, unsex me here."