How Does Shakespeare Present Macbeth As A Butcher

It is very easy to describe Macbeth as a ‘butcher’ but his character is much more complex than that! Macbeth’s. Macbeths characteristics/traits vary throughout the play due to other characters (Lady Macbeth and the Three Witches) persuading him to perform certain evil acts. These change his mentality forever. At the beginning of the play, Shakespeare chooses to present Macbeth as a ruthless, bloodthirsty but heroic, good soldier. At the foundation of the play other characters see Macbeth as ‘brave’ and ‘worthy.’ The Captain says, ‘For brave Macbeth – well he deserves that name.’ This tells us that Macbeth has more than proven himself on the battlefield and impressed the Captain because immediately after, he adds, ‘his brandish'd steel, which smok'd with bloody execution’. This reiterates and more than confirms to the audience that Macbeth is a ruthless killer and more than justifies Shakespeare’s description of him as a ‘bloody butcher’. The very word ‘smok’d’ in

The great King Duncan talks about Macbeth as a ‘valiant cousin, worthy gentleman’ but this maybe another one of Shakespeare's plans for us to believe that Macbeth truly is ‘worthy’ because throughout the play other characters e.g. Banquo also called Macbeth ‘worthy’. In total, Macbeth is called ‘worthy’ four times in just a couple of acts and not a ‘bloody butcher’. Another positive description given to Macbeth was that of ‘noble’. So far, characters with a high status think great things of Macbeth. It is considered a great honor to be called ‘noble’. For example, the three witches who talk to Macbeth and greet him, feel that to be in his presence is a great honor by saying, ‘all hail Macbeth’. This shows their respect for him because after all, he is nobility. His title is, Thane of Glamis and Cawdor. Nothing here supposes that people think that he’s a ‘bloody butcher’ during the first couple