Extraordinary And Ordinary In Shakespeare's Macbeth

His lords grow angry and revolt successfully, after witches lure Macbeth into a false sense of security by further foretelling. In Macbeth, we see that, despite appearances of paradox, man’s goals of comfort and power are forever opposed in increment, though the two may decline together. The power from knowledge causes discomfort. As often has been said, ignorance is bliss. After Macbeth is promised the throne, Banquo asks why Macbeth is less than ecstatic.

Macbeth knows that killing Duncan is morally wrong as demonstrated in (I, vii, 31-32) where he states, “…we will proceed no further in this business: he hath honour’d me of late”. Yet it is his vaulting ambition that gets the better of him as he shows signs of wanting to kill Duncan. Macbeth says, “The Prince of Cumberland! – That is a step on which I must fall down, or else o’erleap…Stars hide your fires! Let not light see my black and deep desires …” (I, v, 49 – 52).

In Shakespeare's play, Macbeth murders his king, Duncan. He is strongly against committing the sin but power takes the better of him. The reader begins to pity Macbeth despite his flaws of greed and corruption. Shakespeare manipulates the audience to react with empathy towards Macbeth through the utilization of Macbeth's, dialogue, and passion. Throughout the story, there is a feeling of hostility toward Macbeth in response to his harmful actions.

And oftentimes, to win us to our harm, the instruments of darkness tell us truths, win us with honest trifles, to betray ’s in deepest consequence... ... middle of paper ... ...ff personally seeks out Mabeth so that he may be the one to slay him. On the battlefield, the witches’ prophecy is held true. Young Siward is immediately cut down when he opposes Macbeth. However, when Macduff faces off Macbeth he is able to defeat him with no harm done to himself. Fate and free will both have a strong rooting in the play Macbeth.

A number of outside forces influence Macbeth into making decisions that would not ordinarily make. Macbeth’s noble preferences of staying loyal to the throne are severed when his beliefs and manliness are jeopardized. When first informed of the witches prophesies, Macbeth is unbelieving. However, when they are fulfilled almost instantly, seeds of doubt are implemented deep inside of him. In I.iii.144-145, Macbeth says “If good, why do I yield that suggestion whose horrid image doth unfix my hair” demonstrating the impact the prophesies have on him indicting that he has begun to refute his noble beliefs and go against the throne.

His weakness lies in allowing himself to be bullied and shamed by Lady Macbeth into the murder of his king and guest. Macbeth Prithee, peace: I dare do all that may become a man, who dares do more is none. Lady Macbeth What beast was't, then That made you break this enterprise to me? When you durst do it then you were a man; And, t... ... middle of paper ... ...f the above, Macbeth is ambiguous about whether we have free will or are controlled entirely by fate. In the play, even though we see Macbeth changing his mind about whether to kill Duncan, he eventually does as the witches foretold; in addition all their other pronouncements came true.

?.Speak, I charge you" (71-79). As scholar A. C Bradley observes, "The words of the witches are fatal to [Macbeth] only because there is in him something which leaps into light at the sound of them" ( 289). However, this ambitious attitude soon changes to passivity when he realizes the grave actions that are required of him. The contrast between Macbeth's ambition and his passivity-caused by reluctance to do evil-is depicted clearly by his actions and thoughts that occur before he murders Duncan.

If anything the witches say is bad then why am I Thane of Cawdor? If he wanted to do the right thing he wouldn’t even think about killing King Duncan. Ambition is already starting to show as his flaw. Later into the act, Macbeth’s lust for power comes into full swing when he decides that he will kill Duncan. This lust blinds him to what he really should do.

Macbeth’s first soliloquy is in Act I, Scene III. Two of the things that the witches predicted have come true and Macbeth is contemplating how the third will come true. He thinks about killing Duncan, but he knows that these are only thoughts and he dismisses it and decides to leave it to chance and time. “Present Fears // Are less than horrible imagining.” “Whose (Duncan) murder is yet but fantastical.” We can see that his mind is confused and distorted, because of what has happened and what may happen, and here we see the first signs of ambition, even though it is dismissed. “My thought …….

When murder enters Macbeths mind he is frightened by his thoughts. He tries to reject his impulse, declaring that he will leave everything to chance: ?If chance will have me King, why, chance may crown me Without my stir.? Very soon he begins to confess a ‘suggestion?of ‘horrible imaginings? Soon after, he admits to possessing ‘black and deep desires?but he is afraid to speak about them openly, even to himself. Later on he indites a letter to Lady Macbeth containing conjecture about the prophecies of the three witches.