The Importance Of Morality In Macbeth

William Shakespeare’s tragedy Macbeth outlives its context as it explores human nature and Man’s struggle to find moral sensibility which relates to audiences of time. In Shakespeare’s tragedy Macbeth (1603) portrays a tragic hero, Macbeth, whose actions and thoughts are corrupted by his reckless ambition and inherent greed. Shakespeare further examines how this tragic flaw robs him of his moral and rational self. He further explores how this flaw has stripped him of virtues and nobility and leads to his damnation. Using Macbeth Shakespeare exposes the flaws of Man and in doing so he explores the very essence of human nature in audiences of all time.

In Macbeth, Shakespeare provides valuable insights exploring how Man’s inherent greed and passions can corrupt his actions and sensible thoughts. The mythological allusion of Macbeth “upon this bank [of the river Styx] and shoal of time…the life to come” reflects his desire to fulfil his greed yet a logical reluctance to kill King Duncan. Similarly in Act 1 scene 5 Lady Macbeth’s soliloquy “what thou art promis’d; yet do I fear thy nature, it is too full o’th’milk of human kindness” establishes Macbeth’s kindness as the confinement of his ambition. This confinement is broken by the simile “which thou esteem’st the ornament of life…like the poor cat I’th’adage” persuading Macbeth to follow his murderous ambition. The personification of “vaulting ambition which o’er leaps itself and falls on th’other” conveys the corruptibility of Macbeth’s nobility. Macbeth’s soliloquy “the Prince of Cumberland: that is the step on which I must fall down or else o’verleap” highlights how his ambition has no limits and that his actions will not end with the murder of the king. This development results i...

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...nsinane forest is revealed by the despairing tone “doubt th’equivocation of the fiend” and “i’gin aweary of the sun and wish th’estate o’th’world were now undone”. Macbeth’s old honourable self descends to damnation leaving only his hubris highlighted by the threatening tone “yet I will try the last..i throw my warlike shield”. Shakespeare provides to audiences of all time with the life lesson that Man’s inability to control desires will leads to their eventual downfall and damnation.

Macbeth further explores how the unchecked passions and greed of Man can corrupt his rational thoughts and actions. This ultimately develops into a loss of moral conscience and rationalism leading to their eventual damnation. Through Macbeth, Shakespeare exposes the flawed nature of Man’s values and audiences’ timeless struggle to find moral highground when corrupted by their desires.