The Behaivor of Male Characters in Macbeth

828 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Analysis of the novel Macbeth by William Shakespeare

In Shakespeare’s tragedy, Macbeth, the male characters, Macbeth, Macduff, and Banquo, each revealed their similar and differential behaviors toward each other in the duration of the play. Macbeth’s lust for power, Macduff’s willingness and determination, and Banquo’s honesty and motivation were all key factors for this. This play opens up in Scotland where the King of Scotland, Duncan, receives news about Macbeth’s bravery in defeating MacDonawald. At the same time, the Thane of Cawdor is arrested, so, Duncan decides to give this title to Macbeth. Macbeth, and his friend, Banquo are walking back home from the battle when three mysterious witches come upon on them and give each of them prophecies. They said that Macbeth shall be the Thane of Glamis and Cawdor and he will be King. They tell Banquo that his sons shall be King. Then, two noblemen, Ross and Angus come to tell Macbeth that he has been given the title of the Thane of Cawdor. Macbeth, from this point on tries to twist and turn his fate to fulfill these prophecies, and very soon his lust for power turns him against all of his family and friends.

Macbeth, the protagonist of the story, was sort of similar, yet very different than the other male characters in Macbeth. Macbeth, unlike Macduff and Banquo, transitioned his attitude and emotions throughout the play. In the beginning, Macbeth was a kind and cautious person, not seeking for anything, and not having any desire for power. This was hinted when Macbeth had second thoughts of murdering Duncan. Macbeth: “We will proceed no further in this business. He hath honored me of late, and I have bought golden opinions from all sorts of people, which would be worn now in their newest gloss, not cast aside so soon” (Act I, sc. 7...

... middle of paper ...

... was true to his honesty and his motivation as a Scottish General. In Act III, Banquo hints to Macbeth in honesty that he knows that he killed Duncan to become king. Banquo: “…and I fear thou playd’st most foully for ‘t” (Act III, sc. 1, lines 2-3).

In Shakespeare’s tragedy, Macbeth, Macbeth’s lust for power, Macduff’s willingness and determination, and Banquo’s honesty and motivation all revealed their similar and different qualities toward each other. Macbeth, throughout the play transitioned his attitude, from being a caring and caution person, to a person with no emotions at all. Macduff started to mature in nobility and virtue, showing his great determination as a nobleman, and willingness for respect. Banquo, stayed true to himself, and left those ambitious thoughts about the prophecy aside. This play sends an important message; you cannot change your fate.

Show More
Related

  • Lady Macbeth's Deception

    880 Words  | 2 Pages

    The play Macbeth by William Shakespeare starts off with a noble warrior Named Macbeth that is titled thane of Glamis by his own uncle, King Duncan. Macbeth is awarded thane of Cawdor due to the switching sides of the original title holder who is hanged for treason. Macbeth who is deceived by his wife kills the king in a plot for power and they put the blame on the guards by laying bloody daggers next to them. Macbeth begins to lose himself as the play goes on. He kills his best friend Banquo and Macduff’s wife and kids. Lady Macbeth kills herself as she goes crazy from all the killings and then that is when Macbeth completely loses himself. Macbeth is told by the witches that he cannot be killed by any one of women born. Macduff and Malcolm, heir to the throne who fled Scotland think of a plan to kill Macbeth. Macbeth faces Macduff and Malcolm’s army alone as he is labeled a tyrant and is abandoned by everyone. He faces the army fearlessly as he cannot killed by any one of woman born but fails to realize that Macduff was born of C-section leading to his downfall and Macbeth is Beheaded. Malcolm becomes the new king. Lady Macbeth's deception had a dramatic effect on the play leading to a dramatic change in many lives. The three main points that will be discussed are how Lady Macbeth becomes deceived; how Lady Macbeth deceives others and the results from Lady Macbeth deceiving others. Lady Macbeth, was simply minded and became easily deceived.

    Read More

  • The Duplicitous Nature of Macbeth by Shakespeare

    711 Words  | 2 Pages

    When Macbeth seizes power, he disposes of Banquo to solidify his throne. Before his search for power, Macbeth and Banquo, the two valiant soldiers, were always at each other’s side. But then Macbeth offers Banquo an opportunity to raise his status by helping to commit regicide. Banquo refuses to help and Macbeth realizes he then must kill his best friend to preserve his power. Banquo suggests he won’t harm Duncan when he reveals, “So I lose none/ In seeking to augment it, but still keep/ My bosom franc...

    Read More

  • Is Macbeth Becoming A Bystander To Evil

    1663 Words  | 4 Pages

    In the beginning of the book, the main character Macbeth is a honorable man that stumbles upon 3 wicked witches that corrupt his mind. When Macbeth and the witches first meet, the witches tell him that he will be Thane of Cawdor, Thane of Glamis, and king, “All hail, Macbeth! Hail to thee, Thane of Glamis.”(17) The witch’s corrupt Macbeth’s mind with the fact that he can obtain these titles by doing certain things like killing Banquo to progress farther in his ranks. Toward the end of the book, Macbeth isn’t a bystander anymore, but an enemy to many to where he will be slain by a man who was not of woman born. During a battle, a man named Macduff comes and kills Macbeth, “And let the angel whom thou still hast served tell thee Macduff was from his mother’s womb untimely ripped.”(185) Macbeth became the evil that he stood by from in the beginning.

    Read More

  • Macbeth's Corruption

    1293 Words  | 3 Pages

    After murdering Duncan, Macbeth feels that he needs to kill Banquo. He is afraid that Banquo is going to be a problem for him. He is suspicious that Banquo believes Macbeth had something to do with Duncan's murder, "Our fears in Banquo/ Stick deep; and in his royalty of nature/ Reigns that which would be feared" (3.1.47-49). He plans to kill him, though Banquo has made no direct threat against Macbeth. He speaks of feeling inferior to Banquo, even though he is king. "There is none but he/ Whose being I do fear; and under him/ My genius is rebuked" (3.1.53-55). Banquo is Macbeth's closest friend, he is starting to lose trust in everyone around him.

    Read More

  • Manhood in The Tragedy of Macbeth

    1126 Words  | 3 Pages

    Macbeth tells himself to act like a man in the following lines: “Prithee, peace! / I dare do all that may become a man; / Who dares do more is none” (I, vii, 45-47). This quote by Macbeth shows how he wants to be a man by killing King Duncan, but he does not think this would be an act of righteousness. Macbeth is in a controversy with himself in this situation. If he does not kill the king then his wife, Lady Macbeth, will not think he is a man, but if he does kill the king then he will betray his leader’s trust in him. Betrayal would not be seen as an act of manliness. Jarold Ramsey explains the situation in the following sentence: “And, striking more ruthlessly at him, she scornfully implies that his very sexuality will be called into question in her eyes if he refuses the regicide” (288). This quote by Jarold Ramsey explains how Macbeth’s manliness will be determined in the eyes of Lady Macbeth when he makes his decision on whether or not he will kill the king. Lady Macbeth shows her desire of being queen in the following lines: “What beast was’t then / That made you break this enterprise to me? /When you durst do it, then you were a man” (I, vii, 47-49). This quote shows how she wants Macbeth to kill the king. In this situation Macbeth tells himself to be a man and kill the king to please Lady Macbeth. Maria Howell exp...

    Read More

  • How Does Lady Macbeth Obsession With Power

    902 Words  | 2 Pages

    Humans are always fascinated by power. Sadly, they do not realize the danger of it until it is too late. In the play Macbeth, William Shakespeare's underscores how Macbeth and Lady Macbeth are both consumed by power. In the beginning, Lady Macbeth dominates Macbeth, manipulating him to kill Duncan. After the death of Duncan, Macbeth becomes ambitious, and hires murderers to kill Banquo without notifying Lady Macbeth. Even though he is a decorated soldier, when Macbeth rises to power, he becomes ruthless. On the other hand, Lady Macbeth becomes weak, and insane. Shakespeare illustrates how Macbeth’s obsession with power undermines his moral judgement, leads to his mental deterioration, and ultimately results in his death.

    Read More

  • Macduff's Masculinity In Macbeth

    621 Words  | 2 Pages

    In Shakespeare’s Macbeth, “Fair is foul, foul is fair”, sets the paradoxical tone of the play (I.I.12). The paradox between loyalty and cowardice dissimulates the true nature of masculinity in the play. Macduff proves his masculinity during Malcom’s test of loyalty to state rather than the tyranny of Macbeth. Though he is not the protagonist, Macduff’s integral role in the murder of Macbeth proves his sense of ambition in the play. Despite Macduff's responsibility for his family's murder, his loyalty to both family and country conveys his valiant nature.

    Read More

  • Macbeth: The True Nature of Man

    827 Words  | 2 Pages

    In the beginning of the play, Macbeth is described as being “valiant”. He is a skilled warrior, who is loyal to his king and his country. Almost single-handedly, he wins the war for Scotland. He defeats many of the enemy soldiers, including a traitor, all in the name of his king. But, when three witches encounter Macbeth and his friend Banquo, Macbeth’s ambition begins to grow. They tell Macbeth that he will be Thane of Cawdor and King. Soon after, Macbeth meets with King Duncan. He informs Macbeth that he is the new Thane of Cawdor. Macbeth is astonished, and from then on he is obsessed with being king. His ambition begins to become ruthless when Duncan proclaims that his son Malcolm is the Prince of Cumberland, and therefore, the heir to the throne: “The Prince of Cumberland! That is a step/On which I must fall down, or else o’erleap, /For in my way it lies. Stars, hide your fires;/Let not light see my black and deep desires:/The eye wink at the hand; yet let that be/Which the eye fears, when it is done, to see.” (I,iv,48-53) At this moment, Macbeth, realizing that they stand in the way of the witches’ prophecies, decides that both Duncan and Malcolm need to die for him to be king. As soon as Macbeth kills Duncan, he enters into a world of evil. Later in the play, Macbeth’s ambition becomes increasingly ruthless. He kills his best friend Banquo, and almost kills Banquo’s son, Fleance, because he believes they would stand in the way of his reign. The witches told Banquo “Thou shall get kings, though thou be none.” (I,iii,67) This means that Banquo himself would not be a king, but that his successors would be. Macbeth tries to prevent this by killing Banquo and his son Fleance.

    Read More

  • Macbeth’s Tragic Flaw

    826 Words  | 2 Pages

    The Tragedy of Macbeth written by William Shakespeare is a tale of a man and his un-bridled ambition, set in ancient Scotland. Macbeth is a nobleman of the king of Scotland, Duncan, who is in mid-war with Norway. Macbeth and his fellow general Banquo encounter three witches. The witches tell the pair that Macbeth will be king, and Banquo’s children will also be kings. Any person in their right mind would question information given to them by strangers, let alone witches, but for some reason these statements intrigue Macbeth. They temp Macbeth to do evil things such as treason, and worse, to kill. Although un-bridled ambition is his main tragic flaw, there is one more that plays a big role in his decisions and the outcome of the story; Macbeth is far too impressionable.

    Read More

  • Essay On Macbeth Is A Victim Of Fate In Macbeth

    736 Words  | 2 Pages

    Macbeth knows from even before he kills Duncan that Banquo’s loyalty lies with Duncan (2.1.26-28). Banquo suspects that Macbeth killed Duncan. (3. 1.1-4). Banquo suspicions of Macbeth seem to show later in the scene in lines 15-18. He says he is bound to serve the king, but this line in much colder than the interactions between Macbeth and Banquo in Acts One and Two. This possibly tipped Macbeth off to the fact that Banquo was doubting his loyalties. Also, Macbeth knows of the witches’ prophecy to Banquo that his descendants will be kings. (1.3.65-68). Macbeth fears that everything he has done will go to Banquo’s heirs even due to the fact Macbeth does not have children and the possibility of what the witches said coming true (3.1.63-64). Macbeth fears for his throne due to this prophecy and Banquo’s questionable loyalties. He decides he needs kill Banquo to ensure that he has absolute security in his throne and not allow Banquo’s heirs to inherit the throne without any

    Read More

  • Essay Comparing Macbeth and Lady Macbeth

    1040 Words  | 3 Pages

    Before Macbeth enters the stage his reputation as a prestigious general is established. In the second scene of the play men who have fought with Macbeth rant about his courage in battle. The first account of Macbeth’s bravery comes from an injured captain. He says: “ But all’s too weak/for brave Macbeth (Well he deserves that name)/ Disdaining fortune, with his brandish steel/. (1.2.17) The rest of the scene consists of other recounts of Macbeth’s success; the thane of Ross informs the king that Macbeth has successfully suppressed the joint efforts of the thane of Cawdor, and the king of Norway. Furthermore, in this scene the king announces that Macbeth is to be promoted as the new thane of Cawdor. In this scene Macbeth is portrayed as a mighty, patriotic, warrior and a loyal subject to the king. However as the play progresses Macbeth deviates from these traits. Macbeth’s encounter with the three witches confuses him. He begins to decide on a course ...

    Read More

  • Being a Man in Macbeth by William Shakespeare

    559 Words  | 2 Pages

    Although Macbeth's character greatly changes throughout the play, in the beginning, he is seen as a good model of what a man should be like. Known as a "valiant cousin [and a] worthy gentlemen", Macbeth wins the great respect and admiration from his king, Duncan, and his soldiers through his actions on the battlefields. His views on manhood are that one must be loyal to his king, honorable to his friends and honest and loving to his wife. He shows his belief in loyalty to his king by "dar[ing] to do all that may become a man", by fighting seemingly losing battles for the safety of Duncan. Also, the idea of murdering Duncan makes him feel that he would lose his manhood. This is because he feels that if he "dares to be more" that what he is then he is not humble but instead greedy and therefore not a man. Macbeth, as well, shows that although he is cold-hearted on the battlefield, he is not with his wife. Deeply in love with his wife, Macbeth shares everything with her example here. Although this leads him to his eventual doom, his powerful affection towards Lady Macbeth makes him feel complete in his definition of a man.

    Read More

  • Manipulation Of Lady Macbeth

    932 Words  | 2 Pages

    Macbeth doesn't seem to be anything but a scared coward who cannot stand for himself. He couldn’t even tell Lady Macbeth that he had killed Banquo.

    Read More

  • Macbeth's Relationships and the Impact of Power

    1286 Words  | 3 Pages

    Throughout the play we are able to see the change Macbeth has encountered. He started out as a noble thane, content with his life. But as soon as the Three Sisters' have gotten the notion of Power in his head, we see his thrive for power ultimately corrupting him. By studying the impact power has on relationships in Macbeth, it is obvious that Banquo and Macbeth's relationship best represents the impact which the need for power can have on a relationship. This conclusively demonstrates that lust of power can drive people to doing the cruelest things in order to capture it.

    Read More

  • Macbeth’s Tragic Flaw

    517 Words  | 2 Pages

    In the play, Macbeth possesses many strengths such as honor, respect, and he was viewed as being courageous. Macbeth was given the title “Thane of Cawdor " because he used his strengths to his advantage and was recognized for them. “For brave Macbeth—well he deserves that name--Disdaining fortune, with his brandish'd steel, Which smoked with bloody execution, Like valour's minion carv'd out his passage, Till he fac'd the slave" (Act 1, Scene 2, Lines 16-20). This is the king speaking highly of Macbeth and the qualities he has and praising him for them. The one major event that changes Macbeth forever is when he murders Banquo. After the murder of Duncan, Macbeth slowly lo...

    Read More

More about The Behaivor of Male Characters in Macbeth

Open Document