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Macbeth
In the play, Macbeth, the decisions and choices made by the tragic hero are greatly influenced by external forces and end up playing a major role in the downfall of Macbeth. From the start, Macbeth seemed to be a loyal warrior that was making justified decisions to better Scotland, this mindset is changed by the external forces of Lady Macbeth, the witches, and his own prophecy influenced ambitions. The first external force he faced were the witches,and the prophecies. The three sisters, also known as the witches are a huge external force on the decisions Macbeth makes to fulfill the prophecies that were told by the witches. Foretelling the future, the witches put thoughts in Macbeth’s head and give him the idea that he is going to become the king. (1,3,49) “All
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When Lady Macbeth finds out the prophecy of Macbeth becoming king, her and Macbeth come up with the idea to kill Duncan to gain the crown as his own. Macbeth, not being brave enough bails on his plan and decides that he can’t do it because Duncan was respectful to him and granted him with thane of Cawdor. This is when Lady Macbeth encourages and tells Macbeth that he is not a man and has no traits to become a king because he is too gentle and kind to strike aggressively at the chance to become king. (1,7,46) “What beast was ’t, then, That made you break this enterprise to me? When you durst do it, then you were a man; And to be more than what you were, you would Be so much more the man. Nor time nor place Did then adhere, and yet you would make both. They have made themselves, and that their fitness now Does unmake you” Lady Macbeth pressures Macbeth back into murdering Duncan, thus starting the brutal line of killing that drives Macbeth insane. Macbeth’s ambition to become the king of Scotland was also a huge factor in the killing he
In Lady Macbeth‚s eyes if Macbeth did not kill Duncan than he would not be a man to her anymore, she believes that he would be denying all urges for greater wealth and prosperity that man should have. She is wondering why he is not taking the opportunity to be king when he can easily do so, in reality, we know why Macbeth is contemplating the murder of Macbeth, because he has morals, qualities that we consider manly today.
By comparing the fallout and effect of internal and external forces in each of these sections, one can conclude which one has greater influence overall. In the first section of the play, Macbeth is introduced to his prophecies by an external force, the witches, and it is this external force that causes his ambition to be put into action. Banquo even states that the witches prophecies might “enkindle [Macbeth] unto the crown” (I, III, 130) which in other words means that an ambition will awaken that is already lurking within him. Even though ambition is latent within him, were it not for the external force of the witches prophecies, it would never have become prevalent enough to be able to take over. This awakening of ambition is what leads Macbeth to kill Duncan, the first step to his downfall.
Motivated from his wife’s support, Macbeth decides to go through with the plan to kill Duncan. However, at the last minute, he hesitates and decides to fall through with the murder and to instead, continue serving as a loyal thane to the king. But, when he announces this to his wife, Lady Macbeth drives him into a corner by cunningly asserting “when [he] durst do it, then [he was] a man/And to be more than what [he was], [he] would be so much more the man.” During these times, men were very self conscious about their image and desired not to be seen less than fierce. In this particular instance, Lady Macbeth takes advantage of this fact by questioning Macbeth’s title as a man, which puts him in a predicament between having to choose either loyalty or dignity. He eventually chooses the latter which is what Lady Macbeth subtly expects so that she easily claim the throne without any
Two important themes in the play Macbeth are power corrupts good morals and unchecked ambition leads to destruction. Shakespeare uses Macbeth and Lady Macbeth to show how power corrupts good morals; and motifs to illustrate the self-punishment of crime. From the beginning of the play until his death Macbeth’s character changes drastically. At first he is seen as an honorable man, but becomes a power hungry, paranoid man. Lady Macbeth had an immense influence on the corruption of Macbeth. Her lust for power impacted Macbeth in many ways. Both characters were over taken by unchecked ambition and a greed for power.
At the beginning of the play, Macbeth is a trusted soldier, who is honest and noble. Unfortunately, he meets three witches who tell him three prophecies; that he will become thane of Cawdor, that he will become king and that Banquo’s sons will become kings. These three prophecies slowly change his opinions on life and turn him into a greedy, dishonest, tyrant, full of ambition. Lady Macbeth’s thoughts change as well when she is told about the three prophecies that were told to Macbeth. In the beginning of the play, Lady Macbeth is ambitious, controlling and domineering. She is the one who encourages him to kill the king, she not only encourages him, she makes all the plans herself, which shows her determination and persistence."Yet I do fear thy nature, it is too full o’th milk of human kindness. To catch the nearest way thou wouldst be great. Art not without ambition, but without the illness should attend it." (Act 1, scene 5). Lady Macbeth is the force behind Macbeth’s sudden ambition and she tries to manipulate him into feeling guilty and unmanly for not following through with the murder, by using her husbands emotions, she manages to convince Macbeth to murder Duncan.
Granting that external pressures like the three witches and Lady Macbeth, influence Macbeth's actions, Shakespeare presents the protagonist's actions as such, that his own flaws and thriving ambition have a great impact on his destiny. The great chain of being was a major influence on Shakespeare's 'Macbeth', as Macbeths' greed for power ultimately lead to Kind Duncan's death disturbing the natural order of the great chain. Macbeth did this by stealing the crown, which in that era signifies throwing all of nature into an uproar. Not only does Macbeth upset the natural order but he also disrupts own his mental order and stability, which drastically effected his surroundings. One of the many imperfections Shakespeare embodies is Macbeth's "vaulting
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
This is an extremely critical point of realization for Macbeth, he confesses that his ambition overpowers his mental state causing him to develop very hateful thoughts. Macbeth’s desire to become king switches his consideration of killing King Duncan to being unquestionably ready to kill the king. Macbeth now knows that he is willing to do anything to get what he wants. By this point, Macbeth’s ambition controls his outlook on his capabilities and morals as a human being. This change of character within Macbeth is the beginning of the path that leads him to his downfall. As Macbeth starts to walk towards Duncan’s room, he thinks to himself, “I go, and it is done. The bell invites me. / Hear it not, Duncan, for it is a knell / That summons thee to heaven or hell” (2.1.62-64). Macbeth’s ambition to become a powerful king pushes him over the edge and causes him to follow through with the most shockingly evil crime. Killing King Duncan gives Macbeth the greatest opportunity to become the king and gain a new power. He misuses this power during his time as king, which results in many people distrusting their new leader. Macbeth’s decision to kill Duncan is the initial factor that leads him to his downfall.
The three Witches in the play hold the ultimate power over Macbeth. The Witches are seen as the devil, tempting and leading Macbeth into bad situations. If the Witches had never given Macbeth the idea that he would be king, then he never would have killed Duncan or began his steady decline.
“When you first do it, then you were a man, And to be more than what you were, you would, be so much more the man” (I. VII, 54-56). After struggling with the thought of killing Duncan, Macbeth is reprimanded by Lady Macbeth for his lack of courage. She informs him that killing the king will make him a man, insinuating that he isn’t a man if he doesn’t go through with the murder. This develops Lady Macbeth as a merciless, nasty, and selfish woman. She will say, or do anything to get what she desires, even if it means harming others.
After receiving prophecies from the witches about his future to come, he is forced into an ambition-fuelled madness. As previously mentioned, Macbeth was persuaded to kill King Duncan by his wife due to his debatable manliness. This presented Macbeth’s need to prove to his wife he was manly by being valiant and strong and partaking in violent acts. He responds to his wife’s forceful directives by telling her, “Please stop! I dare do all that may become a man;/ Who dares do more is none” (1.7.46-47). This quote indicates how Macbeth believes a “real” man would not murder, and only due to Lady Macbeth explicitly attempting to manipulate him into action, does he succumb to do so. Macbeth endeavours the heinous crime of murdering the King, all owing to Lady Macbeth’s commands. On more than one occasion Macbeth is seen becoming mad, being overtaken by guilt and concern, highlighting that his manhood does not in fact give him any power, but only draws attention to his lack thereof. The inferiority he has within his relationship, also makes evident that Lady Macbeth’s pressure causes the transpiration of Macbeth’s powerful future. It is clear that Macbeth’s power was affected by his gender, as seen through his desperate need to prove his masculinity. Without the questioning of his manhood, Macbeth would have still been the
Seeking for greater power, Macbeth murders Duncan who is the king at that time, which caused a great pain for the kingdom. Duncan is a great king, but just not a so good human reader. He has never been aware of Macbeth. He never have a thought that Macbeth might be a danger, who is willing to kill him for the throne. On the other hand, Macbeth does not accept to be just a general for the rest of his life. He wants a greater power, higher position than he is having at the time. Because of the suggests from the trio witches: “ All hail, Macbeth! Hail to thee, Thane of Cawdor!/ All hail, Macbeth, that shalt be king hereafter!”(1.2.49-50), Macbeth has the thinking about killing the king to take his throne. By calling Macbeth the Thane of Cawdor, they give Macbeth the thought that being a king is his fate. On the night Macbeth is planning to murder Duncan, the Old Man see many strange events: “And Duncan’s horses (a thing most strange and certain),/ Beauteous and swift, the minions of their race, /Turned wild in nature, broke their stalls, flung out/ Contending ‘gainst obedience, as they would/ Make war with mankind” (2.4.14-18). It creates a scary feeling in the kingdom, and means something bad will happen to the kingdom.
The witches are a very important part to this play. The witches are the real trigger to Macbeths deep and hidden desires. The presence of the witches raises the battle between good an evil. The three witches are also known as the three weird sisters and are referred to that throughout the play. They help set the theme of the play and they influence not only Macbeth’s life but some other characters throughout the play.
In the beginning of the play, Macbeth is caught by his wife, contemplating the murder of King Duncan in order to receive the title, King of Scotland. He knows the witches prophesized him to be King, but he does not believe he has to kill the present King to do so. Lady Macbeth replaces those thoughts in his minds with insults
In the tale Macbeth, there is a diverse array of characters who leave the readers either confused, angered, or amused. While each character plays a vital role, the role of the witches is one that must be present because without them, there practically would not be a story at all. Even though Macbeth is the protagonist of this play, he is not the only character who causes the plot to advance despite his going through trials and troubles. Macbeth has complete authority over his decisions and controls what happens in his life, but a certain set of three sisters impact almost all of his decisions. The three weird sisters are the first characters introduced in the beginning of Macbeth, and that placement is understood due to their enormous roles