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Macbeth characters analysis
Character analysis essay macbeth
Character analysis essay macbeth
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Vulnerability, murder, and betrayal give me reason to believe that Macbeth is both a victim and a villain. His weak mind, unchecked ambition, and power hungry attitude eventually led to his downfall. Macbeth has changed multiple times throughout the play. Macbeth starts as an innocent hero. He then makes his transition into a villain and soon enough, transitions back into the victim role.
When Macbeth is first introduced to the audience, he is seen as a tough, trustworthy hero. He wins the battle and gains King Duncan’s honor and respect. This all lasts until his encounter with the witches. The witches terrorized and cursed people purely for their personal enjoyment. They came across Macbeth and could not pass this opportunity. Unfortunately Macbeth fell victim to the witches’ ruthless, evil plans. The witches begin to recite prophecies which immediately strike confusion and curiosity in Macbeth’s weak mind. The first prophecy stated, “All hail Macbeth! Hail to thee, Thane of Glamis!” which was said by the first witch. Macbeth already was the Thane of Glamis. The second prophecy stated, “All hail Macbeth! Hail to thee, Thane of Cawdor!” This prophecy in fact, came true after his defeat over the King of Scotland. This of course caused Macbeth the want more. The third prophecy stated, “All hail Macbeth that shall be King here after!” Macbeth new that the only way this prophecy would come true is if he murdered King Duncan. At this time, Macbeth was kind hearted and would not even think twice about murdering the man who trusts him. His weak mind caused him to fall victim to harsh words and tales of the future. The lovely Lady Macbeth is not at all who people perceive her to be. She is ruthless, impatient and power thirsty. She man...
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...is ruthless wife meant more than anything to him. He was blinded by the idea of him being untouchable and having everlasting power.
Works Cited
1. "Is Macbeth a Villain or a Victim?" Web log post. Is Macbeth a Villain or a Victim? Yazdgardian_92, 18 Dec. 2008. Web. 17 Mar. 2014. .
2. "Macbeth: Villain and Victim." Web log post. Macbeth: Villain and Victim. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Mar. 2014. .
3. Padelford, Frederick Morgan. "Macbeth the Thane and Macbeth the Regicide." JSTOR. The Johns Hopkins University Press, Apr. 1901. Web. 17 Mar. 2014. .
4. Shakespeare, William. The Tragedy of Macbeth. Vol. XLVI, Part 4. The Harvard Classics. New York: P.F. Collier & Son, 1909–14; Bartleby.com, 2001. http://www.bartleby.com/46/4/. [Date of Printout].
Knights, L.C. "Macbeth." Shakespeare: The Tragedies. A Collectiion of Critical Essays. Alfred Harbage, ed. Englewwod Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall, Inc., 1964.
Knights, L.C. "Macbeth." Shakespeare: The Tragedies. A Collectiion of Critical Essays. Alfred Harbage, ed. Englewwod Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall, Inc., 1964.
Macbeth is a villain because he is a murderer. People who think he is a victim think that because they say Macbeth was threatened and intimidated by his wife, but it was his choice what to do. He knew what was wrong and what was right but he continued on to be evil. When the three witches tell him he will be king, he gets ecstatic. Since the king is impressed by his acts of bravery, he makes Macbeth “Thane
Throughout the play Macbeth allows his pride to interfere with his judgment and succumbs to the witches’ prophecy, leading to his tragic downfall. “Macbeth orders a slaughter of innocents in a vain and futile attempt to preserve kingships threatened by prophecies” (Hassel). He murders King Duncan, his good friend, in order to secure his fate as king. Although Macbeth knows the difference between right and wrong, he is a victim of his tragic flaw: his ambition. His tragic flaw repeatedly leads him to deceit and murder.
The prophecies told by the witches are one of the factors that contributed to the degeneration of Macbeth's character. If it had not been for the witches' revelation that he was to become, "Thane of Cawdor, Thane of Glamis, and King of Scotland" (I.iii.46--49), Macbeth would've still been his ordinary self. As a result of the prophecies, the arousal of Macbeth's curiosity concerning the possibility of how he could be King of Scotland could be seen. As the play progresses, Macbeth slowly relies on and devotes his trust to the witches' prophecies. Shakespeare utilizes the witches as a remedy for Macbeth's curiosity thereby corrupting his character.
Macbeth is not a villain because he is a man of regret and remorse he has a guilty conscience. Macbeth regrets hiring the murderers to kill Banquo because he can see Banquo’s ghost and he really wants to take it back because he said, “I am a man again. Pray you sit still”. Macbeth also has remorse for Banquo because he said “Avaunt and quit my sight! / Let the earth hide thee! / Thy bones are marrowless, thy blood is cold; / Thou hast no speculation in those eyes”. With Macbeth feeling remorse for Banquo he can’t be a villain or he wouldn’t have those feelings.
In the beginning of Act I, Macbeth is regarded by King Duncan and many others as a noble man, more specifically a “valiant cousin” and a “worthy gentlemen” due to his loyalty to the crown and courage in battle. As a reward for his courage and allegiance, Macbeth is to become the Thane of Cawdor in addition to his position as the Thane of Glamis. However, before notified of this “promotion,” Macbeth and Banquo meet with three witches who greet the men with prophecies regarding their futures. At this time, Macbeth is told he is to become Thane of Cawdor and the king of Scotland in the future, but the witches also give Banquo a prophecy that his descendants are also to become kings. In line 78 of scene iii, Macbeth questions their strange knowledge and commands, “Speak, I charge you,” in order to learn more about his future. Catching his attention with news of such value, his natural reaction is to inquire for more information. This can be considered a spark of Macbeth’s tragic flaw because selfishness begins to arise when he demands t...
Shakespeare’s Macbeth introduces numerous characters whom possess traits of genuine humility and righteousness and genuine insanity and greed. Taking a closer look at the characters Macbeth and Lady Macbeth, there is a noticeable difference in each of these characters’ analysis of being wicked. Although both characters originally act together as deceitful, murderous, and heartless individuals, Macbeth continues to be overcome by this dark persona. Thus concluding, that Macbeth displays a more wicked character than Lady Macbeth does because he lacks emotional suffering, he becomes that which he originally suppressed, and because he carries a paranoia around him that is distinctively malicious.
Through the course of the book Macbeth transforms from an honorable and noble man to a selfish and hateful person. His bravery is apparent to all and a captain reporting to the king put it best when he said, I must report he was a cannon overcharged with double cracks (Act I, scene II). Macbeth also shows a great deal of loyalty when he is greeted by the king, as thane of Cawdor (Act I, scene IV) . The Captain boldly explains to the king how Macbeth fought with such valor and loyalty for the King. The King is excited with joy and happiness for Macbeth and sends two knights to inform Macbeth of his new title thane of Cawdor. Macbeth receives the news with a shock saying that the thane of Cawdor is still alive and well, the knight responds telling Macbeth that the thane of Cawdor has betrayed the king.
Macbeth is first introduced as a war hero, slayer of the Norweyans. He is then introduced to prophesy by three witches. They prophesize how he will become first Thane of Cawdor and then king. "All hail, Macbeth! hail to thee, thane of Cawdor!...Macbeth, that shalt be king hereafter." (Act 1 Scene 3). Macbeth becomes thane and starts to believe in the prophesies if the witches. What first started as inquisitiveness and doubt, soon became fate and truth as the Bible is to Christians. Macbeth began to believe the next prophesy. In fact, not only would he become king, he made it his personal obligation and responsibility to see that it became so. With a little bit of nagging (that is the best term to use) from Lady Macbeth, Macbeth chooses to fulfill his de...
William Shakespeare's tragic play, Macbeth shows the gradual descent of the character Macbeth into the moral abyss. Macbeth's yearning for power draws him to the murder of King Duncan, Banquo, and Macduff's family. It is difficult to understand how a courageous, gentle man such as Macbeth, could be involved in such villainous activities. In truth, it was the witches and Lady Macbeth that transformed into evil Macbeth's natural desire for control and authority. The play, Macbeth clearly illustrates that wicked intention must, in the end, produce wicked action.
Overall, I believe that Macbeth was a villain as he had a ‘Vaulting ambition’ to become King with a little help from the witches. The witches had great effect on Macbeth as a character and a huge effect on the plot of the play.
Bradley, A.C. Lecture IX: Macbeth . Shakespearean Tragedies: Lectures on Hamlet, Othelo, King Lear, Macbeth . Macmllan & Co., 1904.
Ultimately, Macbeth is far more evil than any other character in the play, including Lady Macbeth. He becomes a man with no mercy or pity for anyone else. He is a man who lingers among witches. A man who sheds the blood of innocent people and feels no wrong in doing so. Macbeth who is diseased with ill ambition, wicked desire, and savage thoughts is the most prominent evil character in the play, whose evil is far superior to his wife’s.
Shakespeare, William. Tragedy of Macbeth . Ed. Barbara Mowat and Paul Warstine. New York: Washington Press, 1992.