Macbeth Human Quotes

In William Shakespeare’s Macbeth, it is clear who the villain is, but you must ask: Would you not do the same? — Afterall, Macbeth is just human. A human controlled by human emotions. This makes understanding emotions like understanding every language; emotions are an universal human language. So let’s translate. The feelings of ambition, fear, and guilt control Macbeth. Macbeth’s ambition and lust for power dawns himself down the path of tyranny and murder. However, no murder is without remorse. Guilt continually clouds Macbeth’s judgement. Finally, Macbeth’s fear of losing the crown pushes him past the point of no return. The tyrant is dictated by emotions that Shakespeare understands. Shakespeare is undoubtedly the greatest playwright, but

His ambition is to be King, no matter what it takes. His lust for power empowers him to commit atrocities, even understanding the consequences, “Let not light see my black and deep desires:” (1.4.58). His hunt for the crown has been present since the beginning, but his ambition only grows stronger. Once Macbeth accepts the malice of his ambition, he allows himself to accomplish more and more evil. Starting with one, but ending with the death of a nation. Shakespeare understands the growth and snowball-effect of ambition and incorporated it perfectly into Macbeth. Power corrupts. No matter how virtuous, power corrupts those to become the wicked. His ambition brought him to power, but power turned him

Since the second Macbeth murders King Duncan, fear controls every step he takes. His fear of karma and his fear of society, makes Macbeth paranoid. In his paranoia, he acts only to preserve himself, ordering the killing to those who threaten his authority. His paranoia seems to be soothed by security, after hearing from the Witches that “for none of woman born / Shall harm Macbeth” (4.1.86.87). His paranoia disappears knowing his only fear, losing the crown, is seemingly impossible. This confidence further boosts his tyranny, acting as if he is God himself. Fear controls Macbeth’s life through caution, but without fear, Macbeth will meet his reckless end. His overconfidence pits him in a fight with the only man that can harm Macbeth: Macduff. As soon as Macbeth hears Macduff was not born of woman, he trembles back in fear, and refuses to fight (5.8.19-26). Although Macbeth ends up fighting and ultimately dying, fear controlled him from the very beginning to the very end. Shakespeare’s comprehension of the fear that clouds the judgement of Macbeth is spot-on to real human emotion and action. In the end, Macbeth should have feared his fear of fear instead, perhaps then Macbeth would act