Macbeth

Very few treasures survive through centuries and become immortalized as something so influential that it still thunderously affects us today. Macbeth, a play written by William Shakespeare in 1606 and is one of those few treasures that has made a mark in history as one of the most famous plays of all time. This remarkable play was written for James VI of Scotland who succeeded to the English throne in 1603. As a result of James VI and Shakespeare’s relationship, Shakespeare wrote Macbeth for James VI. The play centers itself upon the main character, Macbeth, who is a Scottish general that is consumed by his ambitions to become King after hearing of a prophecy from witches that he will succeed the throne. Blinded by his ambition to be king, Macbeth becomes a tragic hero and commits nefarious acts resulting in his own undoing. Macbeth is a lesson that demonstrates how every action no matter evil or good will result in a reaction that will be just. At the start of the play, Macbeth who is already the Thane of Glamis, was praised as being noble, loyal, and dauntless. After fighting against Norway and the Thane of Cawdor who betrayed the King of Scotland, Duncan, Macbeth is rewarded with the title of Thane of Cawdor while the previous Thane of Cawdor was to be executed due to his betrayal. “No more that Thane of Cawdor shall deceive our bosom interest: go pronounce his present death, and with his former title greet Macbeth.” (Act I, Scene II, Line 63-65) Already in the first act the audience grasps the idea of how the world in Macbeth is a righteous world. Those that are loyal will be rewarded and those that betray or commit heinous acts will be punished. The play teaches the audience that if you betray the king and act ... ... middle of paper ... ...asily corrupted by ambition, which lead to the main character’s pitiful ruination. All tragic heroes have an Achilles heel, a flaw that is so obvious to the audience that will devastate and deface everything the character stood for. “My soul is too much charged with blood of thine already.” – Macbeth (Act V, Scene VIII, Line 4-5) Moments before Macbeth is slain by Macduff, Macbeth explains how the death of so many is on his hands. Macbeth secures his position as king by eliminating all those that pose a threat to him, however, because he had been so impulsive he never realized that the biggest threat to his position as king was himself. The tyrannical he ruled caused so much spite towards Macbeth that everybody wanted Macbeth’s head. The second Macbeth killed Duncan, he was destined for death like a cow at a slaughterhouse unaware of what is to come.