The Change of Macbeth's Character in William Shakespeare's Macbeth
In the play Macbeth, Shakespeare uses a lot of dramatic devices in
order for the audience to see Macbeth's descent into evil. There are
many different influences on Macbeth throughout the play. There is his
wife, Lady Macbeth, The Witches and their prophecies, his own fear and
insecurities as well as his own ambitious drive. These are the factors
I will explore in my essay.
The first impression we get of Macbeth is given by the Sergeant in Act
1 Scene 2. He is portrayed as a 'brave' and 'worthy' gentleman.
'O Valiant cousin, worthy gentleman'
Act 1 Scene 2 Line 24
This shows that the King himself thinks very highly of Macbeth.
Despite his value to the King, Macbeth yearns to be more than just a
warrior. In Act 1 Scene 3 Macbeth is greeted by three weird sisters
who name him Thane of Cawdor and King hereafter. Their prediction
strikes an idea in his head.
'To be King / Stands not within the prospect of belief'
Act 1 Scene 3 Lines 71 - 72
His eagerness to believe the witches shows that he is ambitious to be
more than what he is and that it is not the first time this thought
has crossed his mind. Macbeth's loyal and trustworthy friend Banquo is
more suspicious of the Witches and warns him that they will only lead
to bad things.
'Things that do sound so fair'
Act 1 Scene 5 Line 50
This means Banquo has the ability to see the Witches for what they
are, which is contrasted by Macbeth's clouded thoughts caused by his
ambition.
Shakespeare makes a reference to clothing in Act 1 Scene 3, where
Banquo says to Macbeth that he is 'rapt'. T...
... middle of paper ...
...wn ambition and the echoing sound of the Witches prophecy's, Macbeth
goes through a journey from good to evil.
It's hard to point out one direct cause of Macbeth's downfall, If he
had never of met the Witches his ambition may have not have been
boosted to such a point where he would kill or his wife wouldn't have
got the idea to kill Duncan. However it is hard to say whether his
wife would have thought of Macbeth being King even without the
Witches.
I think that if Macbeth had not mentioned the Witches to his wife, he
would have thought about killing Duncan for a bit, then, due to his
good nature, decide that he couldn't, and get on with his life. This
makes his wife a very strong key factor to his downfall, but not a
single reason. It seems he just got caught in a fast flow of events
that he could not control.
. . is freer and better than I. . . But here am I, a man,-yes, a man!-with thoughts and
needs to forget about the wrong things that he did in life and repent to God,
Lady Macbeth is an extremely ambitious woman and wants more than anything for her husband, Macbeth, to be the next King of Scotland. When King Duncan announces that his son, Malcolm, is to be the next King, Duncan’s murder is planned. Lady Macbeth’s crucial role in the play is to persuade Macbeth to carry out the murder of Duncan. In the beginning she is ambitious, controlling and strong. However as the plot concludes there is an extreme change in her character and personality which surprises the audience. Lady Macbeth’s guilt eventually becomes too much for her to handle which leads to her death.
of his extreme intelligence. I am going to leave you a question to think about.
To metamorphose ones character through years of experience and age is salutary. To deteriorate ones character through a short period of fast decisions and unsure actions is perilous. Lady Macbeth proves the truth to this theory. The impulsive mistakes and power-hungry tactics littered the journey Lady MacBeth paves throughout this play that ultimately ends in her death. She feels overwhelmed by all that is happening, both physically and mentally, and decides to end her own life.
being just a war hero and may be tempted by the thought of being more,
see that when we first meet her in Act I, Scene v, where she is
Character Changes in Macbeth & nbsp; & nbsp; & nbsp; Macbeth is the main character in William Shakespeare's play Macbeth. Macbeth goes through drastic changes throughout the play. He changes from good to evil. Many different things cause these changes. & nbsp; In the beginning, Macbeth was such a nice guy.
The Character of Macbeth in William Shakespeare's Play The Witches ----------- The fantastical and grotesque witches are among the most memorable figures in the play. * How does Shakespeare characterize the witches? *
There can be no play without characters to tell the story. In Shakespeare's plays, though he borrowed many of his stories, the characters are his own inventions based on various sources. Although there is no mention anywhere in the text of the play of any of Macbeth's physical characteristics, such as height or hair and eye colour, we do see a psychological progression from 'brave Macbeth' (1.1.16) to 'dead butcher' (5.9.36). The playwright, through the actor playing the role, gives us an almost diagrammatic study in the destruction of a man and his reputation, as well as the rebirth of Scotland.
William Shakespeare is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the history of English literature as well as the world’s paramount playwright. Possibly the most superlative writing attribute he possessed was his unmatched ability of characterization. Shakespeare created unique, opaque, and eminent characters who related to almost everyone. When one thinks of these famous characters, Shakespeare’s tragedy of Macbeth comes into consideration. Macbeth is possibly Shakespearian Theatre’s densest and most disturbed character, and this prestigious title can be credited to his obvious psychological problems. The troubled mind of Macbeth can be related to several modern day psychological problems.
The transformations do not end there though. During 4.1, Macbeth makes a decision that is integral to his character development and acts as one of the final changes that he makes. In his anger from hearing of Macduff’s allegiance to Malcolm, Macbeth declares, “The very firstlings of my heart shall be / The firstlings of my hand.” (4.1 162-63) Although this quote can appear to be non-essential to the transformation of Macbeth’s character, it is in fact, quite the contrary. This one particular quote marks one of the final departures from his initial character from act 1. Previously, Lady Macbeth had to relentlessly coerce her husband into action, and then had to continuously reaffirm her efforts because Macbeth’s conscious would cause him to
Macbeth, the main character in the tragedy of Macbeth, undergoes a series of character changes throughout the play. His transformation occurs in three major stages. First comes his attitude at the beginning of Macbeth where it is very positive and powerful. Subsequently he endures a change with the murder of king Duncan that reduces him from his moral and good status. Finally, he becomes wicked in his ways and develops into a tyrant and a butcher. This series of changes are evident as one reads the tragic play of Macbeth.
feels is the truth. No matter what happens in his life he always believes that