A tragic hero is a person with a high social status, somebody who has a secret weakness that could eventually lead to a downfall, and when the characters life faces a downfall with courage and dignity. Generally, a tragic hero is a grievous legend that is seen as a respectable character. To go moreover, the character Macbeth happens to consist of these traits. With this in mind, I assert that Macbeth is, in fact, a tragic hero. To begin with, […]
What makes a woman is the traits that equates to her femininity. Traits that we commonly associate with femininity are compassion, motherhood, and fragility. Lady Macbeth traded those in favor of ambition, ruthlessness, and determination in the pursuit of power. Lady Macbeth pressured her husband into committing regicide to fulfill her greed for power. Lady Macbeth’s character conflicts between femininity and masculinity as they are shaped by cultural norms. Manipulative, greedy, deceitful, and ruthless; Lady Macbeth’s dark intentions develop throughout […]
A professional writer will make a clear, mistake-free paper for you!
Macbeth is a play written in 1606 by William Shakespeare and set in 11th century Scotland. The main protagonist is an honourable man at the beginning, however driven with ambition, he shows his true nature. With the influence of Lady Macbeth, Macbeth is turned into a monster, with no feelings of guilt and remorse for his own actions. Throughout Macbeth, Shakespeare portrays how Macbeth is transformed from being a loyal commander to a deceitful man in pursuit of his own […]
Shakespeare doesn’t portray Macbeth as inherently ambitious, but as a tragic hero. He lacks bloodlust yet develops vaulting ambition via metaphysical aid, which leads to an unholy regicide and a tyrannous rule foreseen by the witches.In Macbeth Act 1;5 Lady Macbeth speculates about Macbeth’s letter on the prophecies proclaiming t?hat he is ‘too full o’th’milk of human kindness’ and that ‘Thou wouldst be great, art not without ambition, but without the illness should attend it’. Lady Macbeth is making use of euphemisms in case […]
Introduction Macbeth is one of the William Shakespeare’s works that have a tragic ending. In this tragic tale, Macbeth is described as a virtuous man by has been negatively influenced by greed and power (Baloyi 5). The character, Macbeth, is presented in the story as a Scottish general who has been corrupted by the prophecies of three witches who predicts even a more powerful and greater power for him. In line with these prophecies, Macbeth is willing to use all […]
In the 19th century, British Politician became known for a famous excerpt from a speech “Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Great men are almost always bad men.” This quote is conveying that has a persons power grows their sense of morality diminishes. At the beginning of the play Macbeth by Shakespeare, Lady Macbeth has a penchant for power and will stop at nothing to become queen. Yet, as the play progress, the atrocities that she and […]
Macbeth and Lady Macbeth develop as charters overtime in the story. From normal people who have good morals who have a friend who they could trust and were generally good people. Over the time in the story, things start to change in the personality on both Macbeth and Lady Macbeth. They start to become insane and do some very questionable thing, But how does it start and why did they do the things they do. Guilt is shown throughout the […]
Introduction In William Shakespeare’s shortest tragedy ‘Macbeth’, Macbeth and his wife set out to kill king Duncan after finding out Macbeth’s future from the three witches. Macbeth is trusted by Duncan but eventually betrays his trust and is manipulated into agreeing to commit the crime by his ambitious wife Lady Macbeth. This conflict drives a wedge between Macbeth and Lady Macbeth and creates tension all throughout the play. Eventually, towards the end of the play, their treachery is discovered and […]
Macbeth was written by the influential Shakespeare in the 15th century, and has had an incredible impact on English literature to this day. This play includes the characters of Macbeth, Lady Macbeth, Banquo, The witches and many more. In the play Macbeth, depicts that when the motivation to succeed in life becomes overpowering, other people may effortlessly influence them and they may decide on unjust actions to achieve a goal. these influences on Macbeth include the witches and the prophecies, […]
In the play Macbeth by Shakespeare, Shakespeare shows how guilt from one’s actions can consume and destroy humans through the changes in the character of Lady Macbeth throughout the play. Lady Macbeth, who changes throughout the play as the result of guilt, starts of the play encouraging Macbeth to eliminate his conscience. As the play progresses she ends up fully consumed in her own guilt. At the beginning of the play, when trying to convince Macbeth to kill Duncan, she […]
What is fear? Why is it so impactful? Fear can be defined as “an unpleasant emotion caused by the belief that someone or something is dangerous, likely to cause pain, or a threat” (Google). Fear is one of the most powerful emotions; it creates a paranoid, vulnerable state of mind which often leads people to making decisions that they normally would not. Many literary works incorporate fear into their themes to demonstrate how it can corrupt the way a person […]
In William Shakespeare’s 17th century play, Macbeth, the dichotomy between fate and free will play a central role as a theme throughout the story. On one hand, denoting one’s destiny set forth at birth, fate may appear impossible to be controlled by mere mortals. On the other hand, free will refer to the idea that every event is a reaction to some other action carried out of one’s own accord. Contrary to an explanation based solely in fate as a […]
William Shakespeare, a play writer from the late 16th century, wrote plays that reflect relevant themes that are relatable to the modern society. Macbeth, written by William Shakespeare, tells the story of a man who was once a war hero, but after tasting power becomes corrupt due to his newfound power hunger. In the play, Shakespeare’s portrayal of Macbeth’s progressive ambition is used to represent the corruption of a man due to the greed for power, which ultimately suggests that […]
The and Macbeth both tell a story of a men that have gone wrongtales of Othello , and all due to someone else’s manipulation. These stories have been popularized by many films, parodies, and other forms of media, influencing many thanks to Shakespeare’s way of writing his tragedies. Othello tells the tale of the moor of Venice with the same name and is seen as the city’s best general of their army. Despite this, his weaknesses have been revealed at […]
Shakespeare’s Macbeth exhibits the patriarchal society of Shakespeare’s time and the misogynistic view of women. Shakespeare uses characterization, tone, juxtaposition and metaphors to answer the question asked by Dennis Begins: Is Macbeth an oppressively conservative fable about what happens to men and women who refuse to act their proper parts? Or is it the opposite: a radical exposure of the destructive sociological codes governing masculinity and femininity? Lady Macbeth embodies a woman oppressed by the limited opportunities for women during […]
The old, theatrical Macbeth is seen to be just an over the top fantastical story, but in reality, it is more similar to everyday life than you think. Macbeth begins with him receiving a prophecy from three witches that terrible things would happen leading up to his death. Rather than wait for these events to occur, he took the matter into his own hands, and he and Lady Macbeth end up killing the king, which leads to both of them […]
There are always arguments whether someone’s actions are rightfully justified, whether it was done by accident, outside pressure, fear, or mental problems, subject to accusation always occurs. This is a similar debate in Macbeth, a play written by William Shakespeare. Macbeth, a nobleman who falls into wickedness, when he murders King Duncan in order to become king himself, is then killed at the end for committing all his purposeful actions. Readers will point right away that the witches’ prophecies, along […]
In today’s society, the idea that money can buy happiness is prevalent in the ordinary lives of most people. As a society we often equate the attainment of money or power with happiness. In many cases obtaining wealth or power does not always guarantee happiness. Furthermore, wealth exposes people to more sadness because greedy people are never content with life. These people are constantly seeking more. In the works of The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, Macbeth by William […]
The tragedy, Macbeth. presents William Henry Shakespeare’s most complex version of evil. In this play, Shakespeare depicts the spreading influence of evil over the ambitious mind of Macbeth, which leads him and his wife to commit the most violent act that causes their final defeat. The relationship between Macbeth and his wife is essential to the understanding of the psychology that causes the incline of evil in this play. It is evident throughout the play that Lady Macbeth operates her […]
Arguably one of Shakespeare’s best plays The Tragedy of Macbeth filled with prophecies, murder, and nightmarish visions is timeless. Once a proud noble warrior the title character Macbeth finds himself captivated by the prophecies of 3 evil witches that change his life forever they give him a chance for power a chance to be king. With the help of his wife they set a course of murder lies and betrayal to keep themselves in power but in the end this […]
Macbeth, written by William Shakespeare, is a play portraying a misfortune of a tragic hero. Macbeth is a noble warrior and a hero who fights bravely for his beloved King Duncan. On his journey back to the King, he comes across three weird sisters who tell him his destiny of becoming King. The once loyal hero who only thought of serving the crown becomes a traitor planning the murder of his King. A seed is planted which could either sprout […]
In Shakespeare’s misfortune, Macbeth, he portrays the ascent and defeat of the eponymous hero, Macbeth. The content outlines that there is no sole individual to fault for Macbeth’s defeat however various purposes behind Macbeth’s destruction. Macbeth is just somewhat liable for his own ruin for his possible defeat because of Macduff. Macbeth is driven by the predictions given by the witches and this is sustained with the control of Lady Macbeth and Macbeth’s own ‘vaulting desires’. These are factors which […]
In Shakespeare’s Macbeth, most people don’t blame the main character. They blame the one they feel corrupted the character. In this play, they blame Lady Macbeth for his downfall. However, Macbeth is to blame for his downfall. Macbeth was a tragic play about a man who was easily corrupted. It starts as almost all tragic hero stories begin. Macbeth was a warrior fighting for his kingdom, and the ruler until three witches gave him information and once he told his […]
The Plot of Macbeth would have never advanced if the prophecy given by the witches did not make Macbeth eager to take power away from Duncan and become king himself. Many of Shakespeare’s female characters have also been eager to obtain power, however, attaining power was not as casual as it was for men. Women were not thrust into leadership roles as easily as men were; they had to seek them out Andronicus are all examples of women who took […]
All stories have a tragic hero, and all tragic heroes have a tragic flaw. Macbeth, the tragic hero, has his own tragic flaw or flaws. His tragic flaws help bring on tragedies in the play. Lady Macbeth, Banquo, and Macduff. In the play Macbeth, Shakespeare uses tragic elements to express the idea that everybody has a tragic flaw that could lead to their tragic downfall through temptation, betrayal, and deception. Temptation can cause many people to change the way that […]
In any story the use of symbolism helps create meaning and emotion to convey the message behind that story while a motif is any recurring element that has symbolic significance in a story. William Shakespeare, the author of Macbeth, uses an array of symbolism and motifs in Macbeth. However, blood is one of the most prominent and well used motifs in the play. As blood is usually the symbol for violence or death in real life, it is used in […]
Macbeth is a character who changes his ways through the influence of others. He does many things throughout to cause corruption and tragedy. Macbeth does hurt everyone in this story including himself. Macbeth is called a bold person and is rewarded in the start. The characteristics of Macbeth are smart and noble. This specific action costed Macbeth’s level of stability to continually decrease as he starts to realize the cost of his actions. Macbeth tries to forget what he has […]
From one demonstration to the next, the peruser can perceive how the fundamental character changes. All through the dramatization, Macbeth’s aspirations wind up doing him more damage and bringing evil. How does Macbeth’s character change all through the play? paper. The creator presents Macbeth as a courageous aristocrat. At (Act 1 Scene 1) Macbeth is introduced as a man that is revered and appreciated by many individuals, including the King. As per the creator, he is likewise a resilient man. […]
Imagery in literature is an author’s use of evocative and descriptive language to add depth to their work in order to draw more emotion from the reader or audience. William Shakespeare, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English Language and the world’s greatest dramatist makes heavy use of imagery in most of his works. Macbeth, one of his most renowned plays, is no exception to this. Macbeth implements umpteen examples of imagery and symbolism in order to build […]
Shakespeare expected to draw in his group of onlookers with something that is certified and that was critical in his time and at that explicit time that was the extraordinary, and Shakespeare created the play Macbeth for King James I in help of him getting the chance to be supporter of the theater, also the ruler was incredibly fascinated into the heavenly, even made books on the issue, Shakespeare even took from the book for the commence of the 3 […]
Politics appear in media, history, and literature. The world revolves around politics, and literature can be political in many ways. In Macbeth, William Shakespeare suggests that literature can portray politics by representing power, violence, ambition, and social conventions. Shakespeare’s Macbeth has a consistent theme of portraying power.
Whilst the play itself is fantastic to analyze and contains interesting topics, the production of the play is just as interesting. People within theatrical circles often believe that the play is cursed – to utter the name Macbeth during production is said to bring bad luck. This is mainly due to the witchcraft depicted in the story.
In this tragedy, power is viewed as a form of corruption. Macbeth kills King Duncan, then corrupts himself by being killed. This show that Macbeth will do whatever it takes to be crowned King, even if it’s unethical; “LORD: ‘The son of Duncan (From whom this tyrant holds the due of birth)’” (3.6.28-29). Macbeth has just been crowned King and is already being called a tyrant because of the unethical way he managed to be crowned king. Macbeth always had an idea of how he was going to become King, but was tempted further by the witches who revealed the power that will soon be his; “WITCHES: ‘All hail Macbeth, thou shalt be king hereafter! […] Thou shalt get kings, though thou be none. So all hail Macbeth and Banquo!”(1.3.53;70-71). The witches’ message only results in Macbeth being power-hungry.
Macbeth’s jealousy of Duncan only strengthened his thirst for power; “MACBETH: Besides, this Duncan Hath Borne his faculties so meek, hath been So clear in his great office, that his virtues Will plead like angels, trumpet-tongued, against The deep damnation of his taking off;” (1.7.16-20). Macbeth condescendingly admits that Duncan has done a good job but then proceeds to call him meek. Meek is not a word to be used when talking about the most powerful man in the Kingdom. Shakespeare’s Macbeth is a well-recognized example of how power can get to one’s head and justify any action to achieve control. Macbeth’s case of power is a lot like politics today, but it’s who is in the office, not the Kingdom. Not just the president but anyone working at the white house has the most power in the country. The difference is that no one is killing others to be named the president.
Both parties work hard on their campaign and hope that they outvote the other. The tragedy of Macbeth also demonstrates the concept of violence. While violence is often associated with tragedies, this play has a different way of portraying it. The captain implies that violence can be glorious; “MALCOLM: Say to the King the knowledge of the broil As thou didst leave it. CAPTAIN: Doubtful it stood, As two spent swimmers that do cling together And choke their art.” (1.2.7-11). The way the captain describes violence makes it seem like violence can be a beautiful thing and should be seen as such. The captain also describes the battlefield in a threatening way; “CAPTAIN: So they redoubled strokes upon the foe. Except they meant to bathe in reeking wounds Or memorize another Golgotha, I cannot tell” (1.2.42-45) Golgotha is the place where Christ was said to have been crucified. The captain knows that something abominable is going to happen on the battlefield, hence the comparison to Golgotha. In this sense, the captain is describing the violence as a threatening thing. Lady Macbeth has a different way of portraying violence; “LADY MACBETH: […] Come, you spirits That tend on mortal thoughts, unsex me here, And fill me from the crown to the top full Of direst cruelty. Make thick my blood. Stop up the access and passage to remorse, That no compunctious visitings of nature Shake my fell purpose, nor keep the peace between The effect and it. (1.5.47-54). Lady Macbeth asks the spirits to make her cruel but wants her blood to stop. While all the other men in this play are bleeding, she wants her to stop. Lady Macbeth wants to be cruel and violent but doesn’t want to get hurt. Violence is portrayed differently by different characters in this play. As one of the primary concepts of the play, violence remains something that no one takes any initiative to stop.
The biggest social convention in Macbeth is the way gender is portrayed. Specifically, the relationship between Lady Macbeth and Macbeth himself. Lady Macbeth shows many male-like qualities throughout the tragedy, while Macbeth shows feminine qualities. Lady Macbeth has thoughts of her husband that he probably did not want to hear; “LADY MACBETH: Was the hope drunk Wherein you dressed? Hath it slept since? And it wakes now, to look so green and pale At what it did so freely? From this time Such I account thy love. Art thou afeared To be the same in thine own act and valor as thou art in desire? Wouldst thou have that Which thou esteem the ornament of life, and live a coward in thine own esteem, Letting ‘I dare not’ wait upon ‘I would,’ Like the poor cat i’ th’ adage? MACBETH: Prithee, peace: I dare do all that may become a man.” (1.7.39-51). While Lady Macbeth is calling her husband green and pale, she is referring to the green sickness. That her husband is anemic.
Green sickness was used to describe anemic young virgin girls. In response to the surprising response, Macbeth clarifies that he is very much a man. In Act 2, Macduff is talking to Lady Macbeth and explains his thoughts about females and violence; “MACDUFF: O gentle lady, ‘Tis not for you to hear what I can speak. The repetition in a woman’s ear Would murder as it fell.” (2.3.96-99). Macduff is so tied to the stereotype of female gentleness that he can’t fathom the thought of Lady Macbeth hearing about murder, let alone planning it. In Act 1, Macbeth tells his wife that she is manly enough to only give birth to male children; “MACBETH: Bring forth men-children only, For thy undaunted mettle should compose Nothing but males.” (1.7.83-85). Macbeth tells his wife that she’s only “manly” enough to birth male children is an interesting take on early ideas of gender.
This play tends to display masculinity and femininity as more behavior than any sex characteristics. In Act 1, Banquo speaks to the witches; “BANQUO: You should be women, And yet your beards forbid me to interpret That you are so.” (1.3.47-49). Banquo is suggesting that just because they look like women, they should be and that the presence of a beard automatically makes someone a man. In Act 1, Lady Macbeth gives her speech about wanting to become the person her husband never could be; “LADY MACBETH: The effect and it. Come to my woman’s breasts, And take my milk for gall, you murdering ministers, Wherever in your sightless substances You want on nature’s mischief. Come, thick night, and pall thee in the dunnest smoke of hell, That my keen knife see not the wound it makes, Nor heaven peep through the blanket of the dark, to cry ‘Hold, hold!’” (1.5.47-61). Lady Macbeth is calling to the spirits, saying that she wants to have her feminine qualities taken away from her so she can be a better king than her husband. Gender is a recurring theme in this play. It portrays stereotypes that still stand today of what it takes to be a man and what it means to be a woman. This play can also be seen as contradictory to basic gender stereotypes because of the way the characters act.
Ambition may not be seen as a political concept to some, but Shakespeare’s Macbeth effectively argues that ambition and politics are intertwined. Macbeth, Banquo, and Macduff show very ambitious qualities throughout the play. For instance, in Act 5, Macduff shows ambition by avenging his family and his king, but doesn’t seek power for himself; “MACDUFF: Enter thou, Macbeth, Or else my sword with an unbattered edge, I sheathe again undeeded. There thou shouldst be; By this great clatter, one of greatest notes Seems bruited. Let me find him, Fortune, And more I beg not.” (5.6.19-24). Macduff doesn’t want to control a fortune; he’s ready to be manipulated by fortune. Macbeth shows a different side of ambition, one filled with a violent one. In Act 1, Macbeth shows his ambition by speaking about murder; “MACBETH: My thought, whose murder yet is but fantastical, Shakes so my single state of man that function is smothered in surmise, and nothing is but what is not. (1.3.152-155). Macbeth brings up the topic of murder unprovoked. The fact that Macbeth’s first thought is killing suggests that the witches have just awoken a murderous ambition. Banquo’s form of ambition isn’t necessarily for the good or the bad, but he wants a prophecy; “BANQUO: […] My noble partner, You greet with present grace and great prediction Of noble having and of royal hope, That he seems rapt withal. To me, you speak not. If you can look into the seeds of time, And say which grain will grow and which will not, Speak, then, to me, who neither beg nor fear Your favors your hate.” (1.3.57-64). Banquo claims he doesn’t care about having a prophecy one way or another but is contradicted when he tries to look towards the future. Ambition can be turned into a political construct because of how it makes people act.
It can say a lot about how people act when there is a drive for power, prophecies, and violence. Ambition is a significant concept of Macbeth because it reveals truths about the characters that may not have been able to be seen without having the quality of being ambitious. Shakespeare’s Macbeth suggests that literature can portray politics by representing power, violence, ambition, and social conventions. This tragedy is just one of the many examples of how moments in history can be represented through literature. Going forward, these qualities can be shown differently in different types of literature and films. Power can be portrayed as good instead of making people crazy, gender stereotypes won’t be a thing, ambition will be for good, not bad, and violence will slowly stop happening.
