Macbeth Senior Research Paper

In Shakespeare’s lifetime he wrote many plays. Many of them were critically acclaimed and others cast aside. The crowd always wanted to be more thoroughly entertained and

Shakespeare always tried to keep up with the people’s needs. In 1605, Shakespeare was being hounded for another work of genius. Hamlet and King Lear had just been completed and the people begged for more. He knew not of what to write and like many playwrights, he did research. He found two stories from Hollinshed’s Chronicles of England, Scotland and Ireland.

Shakespeare had already taken ideas from Hollinshed for his plays like Henry IV and Henry V.

William decided to combine the reign of Macbeth and the murder of King Duff by Donwald and his wife, altering both to suit his needs. Macbeth is by far the shortest play that William

Shakespeare wrote. The main reason why this is so is not because Shakespeare did not have much to say, but because King James was so impatient. Macbeth was written basically for the king. In fact, the emphasis on witchery was because King James so heavily believed in sorcery.

Shakespeare worried very much about the evil powers insulting the king. After all was said and done, Macbeth was another barrier to be broken in the great scheme of performances. It was an instant success. King James and the court loved it along with England. No offenses were made from Malcolm needing help from England. Shakespeare had feared that James would be offended. From that moment on Macbeth would be known by all. Yet the people begged for more and hoped Macbeth would be out done by another astounding play. Shakespeare wondered how such a task could be accomplished. What was it about Macbeth that made it loved by everyone? Shakespeare’s style has been analyzed by many and some still can not figure it out.

His poetry has influenced his plays immensely.

Apart from the fascinating characters of the two leading roles, the play’s chief attraction is it wonderful poetry. Scarcely a word is wasted, and vivid images tumble after each other in a stream of color and ideas. (Ross 43)

Shakespeare put great thought into what he wanted to write and his feelings expressed themselves through the stylistic devices of tone, characterization, and symbo...

... middle of paper ...

...is victim, Duncan, is a Christ-figure overflowing with love and grace; in his welcome at Dunsinane to Duncan as being reminiscent of Judas at the Last Supper; and in the earthquake and eclipse that accompany the crucifixion of Christ and the murder of Duncan. (Monarch Notes 4)

In my opinion, I never would have thought about Macbeth and the Bible relating to one another, but everyone has their own opinion. Symbolism played a very important part in Macbeth.

Blood, for instance, was very key in it. Duncan’s blood on the Macbeth’s hands is a symbol of the evil crime they committed, the guilt of which cannot be washed away. Macbeth’s curse,

“Will all great Neptune’s ocean wash this blood clean from my hand? No, this my hand will rather the multitudinous seas incarnadine, making the green one red” (Shakespeare Act II, Scene

III). “Lady Macbeth: Out, damned spot! out I say!...yet who would have thought the old man to have had so much blood in him” (Shakespeare Act V, Scene I). The guilt of Duncan’s murder, although more present in Macbeth at first, has grown in Lady Macbeth until she began having the same insane visions of her hands getting bloodier and bloodier not ever coming clean.