William Shakespeare's Macbeth

William Shakespeare's Macbeth

Macbeth is Shakespeare’s shortest and bloodiest tragedy. It tells the

story of a brave Scottish general, Macbeth, who receives a prophecy

from three witches that one day he will become king of Scotland.

Consumed with ambitious thoughts and spurred to action by his wife, he

murders King Duncan while he is asleep and seizes the throne for

himself. A number of themes are conveyed in the play but perhaps the

predominant theme is related to ambition and how raw ambition, if left

unchecked, can have disastrous effects, which is most definitely

relevant to modern audiences. This theme is explored through the

utilization of characterization and plot.

Macbeth is the main character of the play, hence the title. At the

beginning of the play he is presented as a noble, brave yet ambitious

person. The problem occurs soon after when Macbeth is approached by

the three witches whom prophesy to him that he will be king of

Scotland. His ambition soon consumes him and he begins to debate with

himself whether or not he should kill King Duncan. He ends up deciding

not to kill the King but he tells this to his wife but she persuades

Macbeth to kill King Duncan. Lady Macbeth convinces Macbeth to kill

the King by taunting Macbeth and challenging his manhood:

Lady Macbeth: …when you durst do it, then you were a man;

And, to be more than what you were, you would

Be so much more the man.

After Macbeth kills King Duncan he soon becomes King. But from this

point on Macbeth’s mental state (e.g. when Macbeth sees a dagger in

front of him, or when Macbeth sees the ‘ghost’ of Banquo) enters a

downward spiral thanks to his conscience. But Macbeth’s unchecked

ambition doesn’t only eventually destroy him, but also throws Scotland

and nature into chaos:

Ross: …thou see’st, the heavens, as troubled with man’s act,

Threaten his bloody stage: by the clock, ‘tis day,

And yet dark night strangles the traveling lamp:

Is’t night’s predominance, or the day’s shame,