Macbeth as a Tale of Evil vs. Good

Macbeth as a Tale of Evil vs. Good

The tale of Macbeth deals with many themes - some universal, others

applying only to the 17th century. Most of these themes are common,

and are centre to the drama and intrigue of plays even today. These

include love, hate, revenge and power. Shakespeare's plays, however,

always had one theme which stood out above the rest. This play delves

into one of the oldest literary theme, namely the balance, fight and

(ultimately) triumph of Good versus Evil. In fact, this is the only

theme which is directly or obliquely part of all the action in the

play.

The presence of Good versus Evil as the main theme in Macbeth is not

surprising. In fact, this very theme was at the heart of many

philosophical debates during the 17th century. Many believed 'Good and

Evil' to be a subconscious reason for all actions. Thus, everything

you do and every decision you make is based on your views of Good and

Evil. This omnipresence can also be noted in Macbeth. The weather

being a prevailing sign of Good and Evil.

The theme of Good versus Evil is not only present in the atmosphere of

the play, but goes deep into the personas of the characters in

Macbeth. Each character in Macbeth can be said to have a preset stand

in the battle between Good and Evil. Some of these change during the

play, as Macbeth has proven. First he is regarded as 'noble Macbeth'

and 'valiant cousin'. But Macbeth's fatal flaw, his vaulting ambition,

causes him to murder Duncan. It is this vaulting ambition which is the

initial evil within Macbeth. This is then further fuelled by the

prophecies of the witches. In this case, the witches can be seen as...

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...eir position in this metaphorical battle. Clearly

this is what the play centres around. But Good versus Evil is not the

only important theme, and therefore it would not make sense to say

that this is what the play is about. However, Good and Evil are the

two driving forces behind the play. This leads me to conclude that the

importance of Good versus Evil in Macbeth is of the greatest extent.

The tale of Macbeth deals with the issues of greed and ambition. And

it is clear that both of these are 'evil' traits. In fact, Macbeth is

a brilliant depiction of the driving forces of 'evil'. From a worthy,

noble man, Macbeth falls to a traitor and murderer. All of this

because of Good and Evil. It is thus apparent that one can say Macbeth

is to a great extent a tale about Good versus Evil, but also features

other themes.