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Historical context during macbeth
Historical context during macbeth
Two characters that change in macbeth
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Loyalty is extremely important for the human race to possess since selfish creatures like us would create chaos if we were to not have an attachment to anything. In Macbeth by William Shakespeare, the main character's, Macbeth's, story is a prime example of the chaos that could ensue with the absence of loyalty amongst the humankind. Loyalty to one's parents, friends, morals, country and so much more is what keeps one performing and living live realistically for the good of everyone and not just for one's self. In Macbeth, Macbeth threw off his loyalty to his King and kin to fully surrender himself to his desire for power. That instant where he commits to his own selfish wants, chaos began. People get murdered left and right, the lies and treason never stop and everything goes wrong for everyone, the natural order of things was disturbed. Shakespeares himself hints at this chaos by including a change of setting, usually slipping into a chaotic storm or a dark foreboding night to symbolize the absolute wrongness of the things happening.
Some outcomes of strong loyalty are not always positive. For example, a battered wife that is loyal to her husband and will not leave him. Or a gambler that is loyal and dedicated to a slot machine. Shakespeare understood this negative loyalty and demonstrated it in Macbeth. He proved that loyalty isn’t always a good thing. In most cases loyalty to one thing means a lack to something else. For instance, a mother that is dedicated to her children could mean a slack at her job or at her relationship with her husband for the lack of attention they receive. The loyalty or lack thereof is the cause of Scotland’s downfall under Macbeth’s rule.
Duncan is the King of Scotland and he has great loyalty and respect for his land. This is positive loyalty. Duncan says, “So well thy wounds. /They smack of honor both. Go get him surgeons.” (I. ii. 43-44) Duncan is talking about the honor that he feels for Macbeth for his victory in fighting for his land. Duncan later says to Macbeth, “True, worthy Banquo: he is full so valiant.” (I. iv. 54) Duncan is complimenting Macbeth for his loyalty, which proves his respect for his country and people who fight for it.
Macbeth is loyal to his wife, which ends up costing lives.
Throughout Macbeth, the question of loyalty was on everyone's minds. Macbeth is more for power than loyalty. His fate told by the three witches
Power can transform even the most loyal of men. In Shakespeare’s gloomy and morbid Macbeth, nothing is as it seems. Even the most loyal characters are duplicitous in their nature, exemplified by Macbeth. The greatest Scottish warrior becomes power hungry in his quest to re-kindle his relationship with his wife, Lady Macbeth, and is thrown over the edge when he is not appointed the Prince of Cumberland, an honor he feels he deserves. This same hunger for power ultimately destroys Macbeth, leading him to betray all those he loves, including king Duncan, his friend Banquo, and his wife.
Through the chronicles of history there have always been heroes. Men and women that stand up and take charge and are moral leaders of countries. Joan of Arc, Napoleon, Genghis Khan and Churchill are only a few examples of people that are remember eternally for what they have done. There are also other leaders that people would like to forget because they are moral cowards killing their subject and causing evil. Stalin, Fidel Castro, and the Character of Macbeth are all examples of this. Macbeth is a moral coward. During the play Macbeth often shows that he is morale coward. For instance, when he is planning Duncan’s murder. Likewise he also shows cowardice by killing Banquo. Lastly he shows how spineless he is when he orders Macduffs family to be murdered.
Macbeth by William Shakespeare has three characters that appear to be the best developed. The first is Macbeth, the main character of the story. The second most developed character is Lady Macbeth, Macbeth’s wife. The third most well developed is Banquo, Macbeth’s friend. Banquo and Lady Macbeth play very important roles in Macbeth’s life.
The songs that I will be dedicating in this play are for the character Macbeth. He is the most unique entity who is constantly changing his personality and developing more evil traits. These songs will represent all of the Macbeth’s major characteristics and the events that led to demonstrating and revealing what kind of person he is. Every crime he committed had a big consequence on his conscience. The lyrics or the mood of the song will, in some way, describe Macbeth and his behavior in this play.
Shakespeare conveys the fact that this may not necessarily be the best setup for a successful relationship as is seen in the end of the play because both Macbeth and Lady Macbeth experience defeat. Shakespeare says through this that those who lead may be too fueled by ambition to make proper decisions and therefore may face fates similar to those that Lady Macbeth faced. Additionally, since Macbeth followed in his wife's footsteps too closely and did not think for himself the consequences of his actions, he also experiences defeat. Shakespeare’s theme is the fact that those who follow in a relationship may not take appropriate time to think for themselves and can face similar fates to the leaders whom they follow. As a result, while there is both a leader and a follow in any given relationship, it is important that both parties in said relationship are able to exhibit both leader and follower qualities in order to make the best, most thought- out
The character Macbeth in the story of Shakespeare’s Macbeth faces decisions that affect his morals. He begins as an innocent soul, dedicated to serve his kingdom and its king, Duncan. As time passes and opportunities present themselves combined with the deception of the evil witches, Macbeth begins his descent into madness. Macbeth’s innocence and loyalty are completely corrupted due to his over confidence, guilty conscience, and the inevitability of human nature. Macbeth looses sight of what is morally right to do in life because his logical choices are changed by these factors.
It is in human nature that the more power one desires the more corrupt actions one must do to attain it. In Shakespeare’s tragedy of Macbeth, a Scottish noble's craving for power leads him to do terrible deeds that leads to his demise. Shakespeare shows that power corrupts by using Macbeth who corrupts under the thought of have power over others. Macbeth becomes corrupt under the thought of becoming king and gaining almost complete control over the people that he rules. Macbeth wants the power badly enough to do horrible deeds such as commit regicide. Lady Macbeth becomes very ambitious and allows herself to become seduced to the idea of becoming Queen. Her ruthlessness urges Macbeth to commit regicide by questioning his love for her and his own manhood.
Within the pages of the play Macbeth, one can find the five distinct literary devices of symbolism, allusion, alliteration, personification, and repetition used throughout. These three devices aid the story along and help develop the plot and characters each in a different way.
Perhaps the most fundamental theme of Shakespeare’s Macbeth is the inherent corruptibility of even a seemingly good man when ambition turns to greed, and Macbeth himself exemplifies this concept throughout the play. While at the outset he is seen to be loyal to his king, generally considered trustworthy, and displaying numerous other laudable qualities, Macbeth ultimately succumbs to the influence of those around him and becomes unequivocally evil, setting aside all his previously held morals and coming to be driven only by his lust for power. This transition is brought about by a wide variety of factors and plays an integral role in the development of the plot. In his tragedy Macbeth, William Shakespeare employs
William Shakespeare’s Macbeth, first published in 1606, is an endearing tale outlining the dangers of unchecked ambition and moral betrayal. In the subsequent centuries after first being performed, Macbeth's critics have been divided upon whether Macbeth himself was irrevocably evil, or if he was guided by the manipulation and actions of the women in the play to his ultimate demise. Although Lady Macbeth and the witches were influential with their provocations in the opening acts, it is ultimately Macbeth’s inherent immorality and his vaulting ambition, that resulted in the tragic downfall. It was Macbeth’s desire for power that abolished his loyalty and trustworthiness and led him down a path of murder. It is evident through his actions and words throughout the play as to how he led himself through a path of betrayal leading to his inescapable demise.
The heroic loyal character of Macbeth is forced into a internal battle to decide between ambition and loyalty to his king. Macbeth overcomes the evil within him, though Lady Macbeth crushes his thoughts of loyalty to the king by calling him a coward or threatening his manliness. Macbeth allows the evilness to grow within him, which allows ambition to take control of his life. Due to the evilness that has started to control his life he prepares to kill the man who has given him everything to his credit, to fulfil his ambition, and to become King.
Betraying the foundation of what defines a person- values, beliefs and morals is the starting point of a long dark path of anguish and sorrow illustrating the role of a classic Shakespearean tragic hero. To begin with, influential forces urge Macbeth into making decisions that go against his beliefs. Furthermore, the respect and love of the citizens whom Macbeth ruled over was lost as a result of a lack of nobility and peace within him. Lastly, with pride and ambition overwhelming his noble traits, a long streak of crimes and murder cases entail Macbeth and his crown. All in all, Shakespeare’s portrayal of a tragic hero in Macbeth signifies the importance of staying true to ones beliefs no matter how much people or other “forces” say otherwise.
Political ambition undermines man’s loyalty. In the play, Macbeth decides to kill his king because of his ambition for position. At the beginning of the play, he portrays himself as a noble person. He fights in the battle against Norway and proves his loyalty; however, as soon as the witches prophesize that Macbeth “shall be king hereafter'; (1.3.53), he is not longer trustworthy. Ambition for power starts creeping into his head. After Macbeth’s internal conflict over whether or not to kill Duncan, he decides to do it quickly (1.7.3) in order to hasten the predictions. He decides to kill the king because he wants to extend his power all over the country by becoming the new monarch. He desires to be more wealthy and respected by the nobility as well as by the common people. Becoming king represents the highest rang in the political pyramid. The act of murdering is the only way to make his dreams come true because Duncan’s fair and prosperous rule over Scotland experience the support of the whole population. As Malcom and Donalbain fly to England, he automatically takes possession of the throne. Macbeth displays political ambition first of all because of his wife. After she reads her husband’s letter about his meeting with the witches, she suggests for Macbeth to kill Duncan so she could be queen. At the beginning Macbeth hesitates to talk about such a thing and even lists the reason not to kill: he is his king, his uncle and his guest. Not completely sure about it and victim of his own desires for power he finally accepts Lady Macbeth’s plan for murdering the ruler of Scotland. This decision portrays Macbeth’s dirty morality and easily manageable personality.
Macbeth has a self-loving nature, and he wishes to be recognised for his greatness. Despite this, Macbeth is very modest as we encounter in scene 4: “The service and the loyalty I owe I’m doing it pays itself. Your Highness’s part is to receive our duties.” Macbeth is passionate and takes his job very seriously.