How Does Shakespeare Use Minor Characters In Macbeth

In Macbeth, by William Shakespeare, the author has the ability to use minor characters to show the qualities of major characters. In Act Four Scene Two, Shakespeare presents two characters that will affect the reader’s response to other characters in the play. Lady Macduff and her son are used to raise emotions in the reader and assist the reader to make connections between others in the play. Shakespeare also presents minor characters to contrast the nature of major characters. For example, Lady Macduff can be used as a foil for Lady Macbeth. Through his poetry, Shakespeare describes human nature how he perceives it. He reflects on the different sides of human nature: good and evil. Shakespeare uses Lady Macduff and her son to provoke emotions in the reader, contrast the opposing personalities of the two wives, and show the two

sides of human nature.
In Act Four Scene Two, Shakespeare opens with Macduff’s wife, her son, and Ross discussing the matter of Macduff. After they finish their discussion Lady Macduff tells her son that his father is dead. Immediately the reader takes pity on the young boy. His mother, rather coldly, states that the boy’s father is dead: “Sirrah, your father’s dead,” (4.2 30). That alone for a child is much to bear, but the revelation of his father as a traitor makes the reader feel truly sorry for the boy. One can also sympathize for the son since he defends that his father is not a traitor. When murders come to the Macduff residence in search of Macduff, one murder calls him a traitor. The young boy defends his father, saying “Thou liest, thou shag-haired villain!” (4.2 79) This ultimately leads to the boy’s death, because the murder stabs him. This provokes many emotions in the reader because the death of the boy was unjustified and deeply saddening seeing as the boy was only trying to defend his father. Shakespeare uses this scene to create an emotional response in the reader.
Moreover, in Scene Two of Act Four, Shakespeare uses Lady Macduff as a foil for Lady Macbeth.

Lady Macduff retains qualities Lady Macbeth does not possess: innocence, femininity, and honesty. Lady Macduff is innocent in that she has never done anything horrible. She herself states, “I have done no harm,” (4.2 71), whereas Lady Macbeth is deceiving and has caused ambition and ruthlessness in her husband. Similarly, Lady Macduff exemplifies femininity. She is a feminine mother figure in Macbeth, in contrast to Lady Macbeth who does not want to be associated with her gender. Lady Macbeth even proclaims “unsex me here,” (1.5 39) during a powerful soliloquy. A final difference is the contrast of good and evil in the characters of Lady Macduff and Lady Macbeth. Lady Macduff is honest unlike her counterpart Lady Macbeth. Lady Macduff answers her son’s questions honestly, without refraining any information, even if it means hurting her son. Lady Macbeth on the other hand, is very dishonest. She hides the secret that her husband killed King Duncan, and deceives Macbeth into getting what she wants. The two characters contrast each other

abundantly.
Finally, Shakespeare uses the characters in this scene to reflect human nature. Lady Macduff and her son exemplify the good side of human nature. They are cordial people who have never done harm. When they exchange words they act playfully and charmingly. They contrast to the evil side of human nature. The evil side is represented in the murderers of this scene. The murderers are disreputable characters that kill for reasons unknown. Their motive for killing could be a multitude of options: financial gain, reputation, or purely for fun. The murderers exhibit the horrible side of human nature when they go hunting for Macduff. Since they cannot find him, they kill Macduff’s son and follow Lady Macduff to her demise. These characters sincerely reflect the two sides of human nature.
In conclusion, Shakespeare has master control over his characters. In Act Four Scene Two Shakespeare utilizes every character to his advantage. The author uses characters to create emotion in the reader by making them act a certain way or say certain things. Moreover, the characters can act as foils for each other. Lady Macduff and Lady Macbeth contrast in such a profound way in this scene. Lastly, Shakespeare explains human nature in Scene Two of Act Four, because he presents the good and evil all people possess. Every person introduced has a purpose, whether it is to provoke emotion in the reader, contrast two characters, or explain human nature.