Compared to Beowulf, Macbeth had much more significant failings as he transformed from a great warrior, who at first fought bravely in the service of his country, into an evil character. Macbeth’s bravery on the battlefield was reported to King Duncan as, “And fortune, on his damnèd quarrel smiling,
Showed like a rebel’s whore. But all’s too weak, For brave Macbeth—well he deserves that name...with his brandished steel, Which smoked with bloody execution ..And fixed his head upon our battlements.” (1, 2, 9-23) It appeared that all the odds were stacked against Macbeth as he faced the rebel Macdonwald assisted by a strong Irish army. It was as if luck was on the rebel’s side “smiling like his whore”. Macbeth was too strong as he scoffed at
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However, Macbeth’s heroism in the battlefield did not translate into heroic behavior off the battlefield. It is ironic that he, who had defended his king from traitors colluding with Irish and Norwegian armies, himself harbored traitorous thoughts. Prior to his villainous action he reflected, “.. I am his kinsman and his subject, Strong both against the deed; then, as his host, ...Duncan Hath borne his faculties so meek, hath been So clear in his great office, that his virtues ...but only Vaulting ambition which o’erleaps itself And falls on th’other.” (1, 7, 1-28) Through these words, Macbeth recognizes that there was no justification for him to kill Duncan other than his own ambition. It was wrong for him to go through the horrid act because of multiple reasons. Macbeth was a noble, the king’s subject and at present his host. Further, Duncan was a very good king, so “clear in office” that the injustice of murdering such a virtuous king will be looked down by everyone including angels. Acting purely on the basis of ambition will lead to disaster. These doubts and hesitation within Macbeth’s mind indicate his lack of self control and weakness of mind. The “brave Macbeth” and “Bellona’s bridegroom” ends up surrendering to his temptations,
Even though Macbeth can be called a tyrant and a murderer, he is nonetheless, very courageous. In the beginning of the play, he fights very bravely for his king and country.
Before the murder of King Duncan, Macbeth was a brave, noble warrior. “For brave Macbeth well he deserves that name… Till he unseamed him from the nave to th’ chop and fixed his head upon our battlements” (Act I, Scene 2, lines 2). He was one of the last people anyone would expect to kill King Duncan. Shakespeare chooses a noble character such as Macbeth, to emphasize how greed and power can alter a person’s good morals. In Act one we start to see Macbeth’s desire for more power rise. “Stars, hide your fires; Let no light see my black and deep desires. The eye wink at the hond yet let that be which the eye fears, when it is done to see” (Act I, Scene 4, lines 52- 55). His desire for power is at war with his good morals. He wants to become king but does not want to kill Duncan.
Macbeth knows that Duncan must be killed if he wants to acquire the throne, and the thought of Duncan’s murder is very disturbing to him. Macbeth desires to become king, but his ambition is halted when he thinks of the consequences that follow if he were to get his wish. However, when Malcolm was chosen to become Prince of Cumberland, Macbeth knew that if he did not take any action then he wouldn’t be king. The reader can see that the ruthlessness that lies in Macbeth is coming out when he says “The Prince of Cumberland – that is a step on which I must fall down or else o’erleap, For in my way it lies. Despite the fact that Macbeth is a ruthless individual, Lady Macbeth makes him look like a saint.
Macbeth negates his moral responsibility as a person as well as a king. He doesn’t take into consideration that he will pay for all the evil deeds that he executes. Killing Duncan is the worst crime that is possible to commit since the kings were the closest in hierarchy next to god. It is evident that Macbeth is aware that this is an evil sin when he states, “ I dare do all that may be come a man, who dares do more is none.” (Act I Scene VII, Line 46-47) The previous statement shows that Macbeth believes that killing Duncan will make him nothing more than a beast. Nevertheless he goes against his morals and kills King Duncan. Sin is a prevalent theme in this play, Macbeth shows that he knows he has lived a sinful life, “Seyton I am sick at hearth, when I behold Seyton I have live’d long enough.” (Act V Scene III, Lines 20-22) Ambition takes over Macbeth when he decides to hire assassinators to kill Macduffs wife and children, “The castle of Macduff I will surprise; seize upon Fife; give to the edge of the sword in this line.”
After a long and hard battle, the Sergeant says to King Duncan, “For brave Macbeth,-well he deserves that name,- disdaining fortune, with his brandish’d steel, which smok’d with bloody execution , like valour’s minion carv’d out his passage till he fac’d the slave;” (1.2.16) . This quote shows that Macbeth is viewed as a valiant soldier and a capable leader. However, it does not take long for the real Macbeth to be revealed- a blindly ambitious man, easily manipulated by the prospect of a higher status. His quest for power is what drives his insanity, and after having been deemed the Thane of Cawdor, Macbeth’s ambition can immediately be seen. In a soliloquy, Macbeth says, “Present fears are less than horrible imaginings; my thought, whose murder yet is but fantastica, shakes so my single state of man that function is smother’d in surmise, and nothing is but what is not” (1.3.140). Macbeth has just gained more power, and his immediate thought is of how to gain an even higher status as king. He imagines how to kill Duncan, and then is troubled by his thoughts, telling himself it is wrong. This inner struggle between Macbeth’s ambition and his hesitation to kill Duncan is the first sure sign of his mental deterioration. Although Macbeth does kill Duncan, he questions whether or not he should to do so, which is far different from how Macbeth feels about murder later in the play. Macbeth becomes king, and this power leads
Macbeth is captured by his wild ambition at the opening of the play when he and Banqou meet the three witches. The witches tell Macbeth that he is the Thane of Cawdor, and later will be king. They tell Banquo that his sons will be kings. Instantly Macbeth started to fantasize how he is going to be king. He understood that in order for him to become king he has to kill Duncan. “My thought, whose murder yet is but fantastical”(Act 1 Sc. 3, p.23). He was pondering about the assassination until the moment that he could no longer control his emotions. “To prick the sides of my intent, but only vaulting ambition, which overleaps itself and falls on the other-“(Act 1 Sc. 7, p.41). Because of his “vaulting ambition” he killed Duncan.
The view of Macbeth as brave warrior changes, when Macbeth hears the prophecy of the witches. It is made clear that Macbeth is above all an ambitious man, completely consumed by those ambitions, particularly to power and advancement.
In lines 76-77, Macbeth states “ Blood hath been shed ere now, i’th’ olden time Ere human statute purged the gentle weal…(Brooke, 157)” In general, overcoming your fear shows courage. Macbeth was fearful to kill the king, but did it anyway; which showed courage. In perspective the good versus evil, beowulf represents the good and Macbeth represents the evil. Beowulf is a true hero because he kills Grendel for the better of others. In contrast, Macbeth is not a true hero because he kills the king for his selfish desire to become king.
“O worthiest cousin, the sin of my gratitude even now was heavy on me!”(I. i. 347) the king cannot repay him for what he has done for their kingdom. Macbeth is a highly respected warrior because he is loyal, trusted, and honest man. Macbeth is a vulnerable man; he is weak. Letting other people make decisions for him, he becomes more incapable of resisting how people will view him as a “loyal” soldier since he cannot follow through. In the film Macbeth the setting is right in the middle of war. Macbeth has held the enemy facing him, but he hesitates and looks at his soldiers for the okay to kill the enemy. With that being said, he is seriously self conscious and lets others makes the decisions for him. Before he is going to kill King Duncan, he speaks to himself in the If soliloquy. “If it were done when ’tis done, then ’twere well It were done quickly.”(I. vii. 343) in this quote it shows that he is truly evil since he wants it done quick and easy.
Macbeth is an extremely violent play and is present in both the uprising and downfall of the tragic hero. Macbeth is first introduced to us by the Captain, speaking in ore of Macbeth's brave and glamorous actions. ‘‘For brave Macbeth (well he deserves that name), Till he un-seamed him from the nave to th' chops.’’ Macbeth is being praised for his violent and gruesome actions of disembowelling a person, without condemnation. Shakespeare is expressing that violence is both a blessing and a curse depending on the morals behind his actions. Macbeth’s error in judgment is his constant and excessive killing of people. This derives from his for
To begin, Macbeth experiences an internal downfall due to his ambition where he battle between his desires and moralistic values. Initially, the idea of attaining power over Scotland by killing King Duncan sparks a sense of fear and paranoia in Macbeth, however, his conscience struggles to take over his ambition: "that we but teach/ Bloody instructions, which being taught, return/ To plague the inventor. [...] I have no spur/ To prick the sides of my intent, but only/ Valuing ambition, which o'erleaps itself/ And falls on th' other-" (1.7.8-28). At this moment, Macbeth contemplates on killing King Duncan as he visualizes the long term consequences of committing the crime. The reader can grasp his moral judgement as he understands that by proceeding with the murder, he is only causing his own demise and punishing himself. With that b...
We feel almost deceived and completely ashamed towards the end, as at the beginning of the play Macbeth remained loyal and honorable even admirable to most. He was full of ambition which led to him being the Scottish noblemen, full of bravery. However this ambition also contributed to him being consumed by power and for him to become a violent being that destroyed himself. We looked up upon Macbeth as the hero due to his fearlessness character in battle, only to feel sympathetic when his wife, Lady Macbeth corrupted his mind by mocking his manly hood and demanding that he murders Duncan who stands in his way of becoming king as “a true man takes what he wants”. His ambition turned towards terrible deeds,
Ambition is an underlying theme throughout Macbeth, it is the tragic flaw in human kind, bound to lead to disaster. In Act 1 scene 7 this is one of the most interesting scenes of the play. This is the last time as we see Macbeth a freeman, he can still make the decision whether he wants to be good or evil. The choices that are preventing Macbeth are committing the murder, fear of the consequences on this earth, variety of feelings of kinship, loyalty, and hospitality he admires Duncan’s goodness as he is not the most moral character but hes power is what urges him on that are motives of good A soliloquy, which is found in Act 1, scene 7, in the lines 1-28, Macbeth debates whether he should kill Duncan. The imagery that is in this speech can be dark and moody for most people. Some examples we hear of imagery are “bloody instructions,” “deep damnation,” and a “poisoned chalice”—and suggests that Macbeth is aware of how the murder would open the door to a dark and sinful world. When the soliloquy ends, Macbeth goes to resolve to not kill Duncan but this only...
This specific action consequently resulted in Macbeth’s level of morality to continually decline as he is acutely aware of his own tyranny. Therefore Macbeth attempts to forget the horrific deed he has committed and be the figure that orders and disorders. Our perception of Macbeth being a wise and loyal soldier is now eroded, as we start to view Macbeth constantly questioning his own actions, and is also impelled to perpetrate further atrocities with the intention of covering up his previous wrong-doings.
Secondly, Macbeth knows the difference between right and wrong, enforcing his heroic character. An example of this is before he assassinates King Duncan. Before doing the deed, Macbeth mentions that “First, as I am his kinsman and subject, / Strong both against the deed; then, as his host, / Who should against his murderer shut the door, / Not bear the knife myself.” (I, vii, 13-16) and that Duncan is a great king to his people. Macbeth takes into account the consequences of him killing the king, what the king has done for the country and why he should be protecting and not harming him. These factors enforce his heroicness because they show that Macbeth has a consci...