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Creative Eulogy for the Character Macbeth in William Shakespeare's Macbeth
Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to honour a man who was amazing in so many ways. You may have known him since birth, as I have, or you may have only known him a brief time, but in any case, he touched your life. He touched many lives, some with his valiant courage and love, some with his kitchen knives. Although our dear friend Macbeth has passed from this world to the next, there is still much to be learned from him. He always had a kind word for me, and although he was bit intense he was a very special man. His face could have entranced the sirens themselves: such was his beauty and grace. He charmed friends and strangers alike with his wit and warmth.
His courage and strength made him a unique man for certain. During battle, he would never lose sight of our goal. He played a key role in the defeat of the Norwegians and served his nation well. Even when he was killing the traitorous Thane of Cawdor, his pain was plainly etched in his face; killing another man was a hardship for this...
The story of Macbeth is filled with ambition, fate, deception and treachery. Macbeth has been promoted to be the Thane of Cawdor and decides he wants Duncan dead so he can take his spot as King. This eulogy takes place after the slaying of treacherous Macbeth. I will be acting as Malcolm, his son.
Duncan's and Macbeth's downfalls in Shakespeare's play Macbeth results from their reluctance to question the motives and actions of others. It was that absolute trust, believing that no one would try to rise up against them, that foreshadows the murders of both characters. Duncan, the first to fall prey to over-confidence, trusted the Thane of Cawdor completely until he discovered that the Thane was a traitor who was betraying him. In Macbeth's case, he believed the prophecies of the three witches without realizing that they have ulterior motives behind their glimpses of the future. Mabeth shows similar weakness when he accepts the vague statements of the apparitions as absolute fact instead of considering and acting rationally upon them. These poor displays of judgement by Macbeth and Duncan allow them to be taken advantage of at various times in the play.
This is my account of Macbeth’s downfall from a popular, successful soldier, quote “What he hath lost, noble Macbeth hath won”, who has received great honours for his loyalty, his courage, his bravery and his nobility. At the end of the play the only respect he has is because of the fear that his subjects have of him.
Macbeth, a tragedy, starts with a dying, bloody Captain talking about the valor with which Macbeth fought. How does this brave, devoted, valiant soldier become an insane, cold-blooded murderer, killing men, women, and children alike? The story of his downfall begins with his new-found ambition to become king after three witches tell him of his “imperial theme.” After fighting so courageously in battle, Macbeth, Thane of Glamis a title inherited from his late father, and fellow nobleman Banquo, encounter three witches. They greet Macbeth by his current title, by a title soon to be bestowed upon him, and last by the title of king. Immediately, Macbeth is intrigued by their prophecies, but unsure since the King and the
In the early 1600’s, William Shakespeare penned an Aristotelian tragedy ‘Macbeth’ which provides his audiences both then and now with many valuable insights and perceptions into human nature. Shakespeare achieves this by cleverly employing many dramatic devices and themes within the character of ‘Macbeth’. Macbeth is depicted as an anti-hero; a noble protagonist with a tragic flaw that leads to his downfall. This tragic flaw of Macbeth’s, heavily laden with the themes of ‘fate or free will’, and ‘ambition’, is brought out by Shakespeare in his writing to present us with a character whose actions and final demise are, if not laudable, very recognisable as human failings.
During a low point in Macbeth’s life he faces struggles with power, ambition and the thoughts of death surrounding him. Grabbing ahold of him strongly he is shown many ideas that are very promising at first, especially when the witches tell him of all of the control he could have, he wants the power, the fame and will do anything to get it. In act 1, scene 3, lines 140-145 Macbeth is recalling a conversation with the witches which brings about a thought in him of murder and the ambition to kill Duncan. Creating this supremacy trip that we see later, almost causing total insanity. In this we see Macbeth come across three of the major themes in the play, power, death and ambition as he struggles to make the right decision with what the three witches tell him.
prospect of you being king was so great that I lost touch with reason. When the
“For brave Macbeth – well he deserves that name – Disdaining Fortune, with his brandished steel, which smoked with bloody execution.”
For brave Macbeth well he deserves that name/ Disdaining fortune, with his brandish'd steel/Which smoked with bloody execution/Like valour's minion carved out his passage/Till he faced the slave;
The work of William Shakespeare has endured centuries. Indeed, his sonnets and plays have done more than endure: they are widely celebrated as some of the finest examples of English Literature in the world. This success can be attributed to a combination of elements: Shakespeare’s writing is lyrical and rhythmic, his characters lush, his storylines detailed and insightful. Furthermore, the themes utilized by the playwright in each of his works are timeless, resonating as deeply with the listener of the 21st century as with that of the Elizabethan Era. That modern readers may relate to these themes for different reasons than their historical counterparts, citing the state of politics or current events, is only further evidence of their timelessness. In the tragedy Macbeth, Shakespeare deftly weaves a variety of themes and motifs around a cast of tortured, riveting characters, resulting in a masterpiece. Themes such as overwhelming ambition and thirst for power, the use of violence and bloodshed to gain power and maintain power, and viewing rumors and prognostications as fact are prevalent in this play. Each is a fine example of themes that transcend time, fascinating and absorbing contemporary readers just as they did those of the Elizabethan Era.
William Shakespeare's play Macbeth shows us that cheating will not get you were you want to go. Macbeth was written in the 16th century England during the Elizabethan period, because of this the story has a complex plot and many themes that the people in the Elizabethan period would enjoy. The character Macbeth has many traits that Shakespeare used to develop Macbeth throughout the play and even how the character Macbeth advances the theme of the play.
One of the most important themes in Macbeth involves the witches' statement in Act 1, Scene1 that "fair is foul and foul is fair." (Act 1, Scene 1, Line 10) This phrase aptly describes the macabre status quo within the character Macbeth and without. When Macbeth and Banquo first see the weird sisters, Banquo is horrified by their hideous appearances. Conversely, Macbeth immediately began to converse with these universally known evil creatures. After hearing their prophecies, one can say that Macbeth considered the witches to be "fair" when in reality their intentions were quite "foul." Macbeth's possession of the titles of Thane of Glamis, Thane of Cawdor and King of Scotland came by foul means. Macbeth became the Thane of Glamis by his father Sinel's death; he became Thane of Cawdor when the former namesake was executed for treason; and he was ordained King of Scotland after murdering the venerable Duncan. Thus, Macbeth has a rather ghastly way of advancing in life.
Tragic heroes, who destined for a serious downfall, are the protagonist of a dramatic tragedy. A tragic hero is usually a great hero, who gets the most respect from other people; on the other hand, a tragic hero can also lose everything he gained because of his mistakes. His downfall is the result of a wrong judgment, a flaw which might combined with fated and external forces. The downfall can cause the tragic hero to suffer for the rest of his life. In many literary works, the downfall of the tragic heroes usually happen in their highest point. In the same way, Macbeth is a tragic hero in the play called “The Tragedy of Macbeth” which is written by a legendary writer, William Shakespeares. Macbeth is a great general who gained many respect from the people and even the king. In the highest point of his life, because of seeking for greater power, it created Macbeth’s downfall. Macbeth, a tragic hero, causes suffering for himself and others by committing murders and creating distress, which are the negative effects of seeking for a greater power.
Well, you have to understand that she IS my wife and she wanted the best for me it seemed. But now I realize that I never should have listened to her. I should have left it to fate and been content with the position of Thane of Cawdor for the time. The witches also were only playing with my mind and making me believe that I had to kill to become king when it would have happened eventually. The witches wanted all of this to happen, because they wanted to create havoc and misery. By telling me I was to be king, it set off a whole chain of events that resulted in my life being destroyed.
Macbeth’s story highlights the inherent goodness found in all of us, but also the evil that lurks within us, unnourished. Although there is no redemption for Macbeth’s evil sins, he finally comes to acknowledge his crimes and thus can provoke pity in the eyes of the audience. Macbeth’s psychological journey from a courageous general to a “ dead butcher” (5.9.41) is one that truly merits to be called a tragedy.