The Character of Macbeth - 2227 Words

The Character of Macbeth The play Macbeth is a portrait of one man, Macbeth, showing how he changes. Although we are presented with his deterioration from good to evil, we can see his human side throughout the play, which makes it a tragedy. It is the shortest of Shakespeare s tragedies, and has a very fast pace. Once Macbeth s ambition has ‘set the ball rolling , events happen quickly in the play as it gathers momentum. The themes of ‘Macbeth are ambition, effects of evil, and violence, shown mainly by the language of the play, as in Shakespeare s time plays were performed in daylight with very few props. Ambition is something that everyone can identify with, and ‘Macbeth is a compelling study of how ambition can destroy†¦show more content†¦(1:7 L12-16) This shows that Macbeth is not totally evil, but his ambition spurs him on. Later in the scene, Macbeth decides not to commit the murder, but Lady Macbeth taunts him until he gives in, showing that he is weak, and Lady Macbeth is much the more dominant of the two. Lady Macbeth had said earlier ‘I fear thy nature, it is too full o th milk of human kindness (1:5 L14-15), showing that she knew that Macbeth was not strong enough or evil enough to murder Duncan on his own, and she would have to push him into it. This shows that Macbeth was decent, but not strong minded. As the time for Duncan s murder draws nearer and nearer, Macbeth becomes more and more nervous, and is prone to hallucinations; for example when he says ‘Is this a dagger I see before me (2:1 L35) and ‘I see thee still and on thy blade dudgeon gouts of blood (2:1 L45-46); he is imagining that he sees a dagger covered with blood pointing towards Duncan s chamber. He later describes another hallucination - ‘Thou sure and firm-set earth, hear not my steps, which way they walk, for fear thy very stones prate of my whereabouts (2:1 L56-58). He is afraid that the stones will call out to the people that he is a murderer. Both hallucinations show that he is sensitive and has big doubts about the murder, and he is not entirely a cold-blooded murderer, who would have no such scruples. However, his language becomes more and more to do withShow MoreRelatedMacbeth Character1548 Words   |  7 Pagescomplex yet entertaining character. His play of Macbeth is no exception. One might judge Macbeth to be the valiant hero of the play, to the audiences surprise and bewilderment, he is also the villain. To create such a character requires an unparalleled plot and great writing skill. Macbeth’s character is expressed in a way that relates to the audience. His moral transformation from valiant to vile, his moral hesitation and his torturing conscience are all elements that condemn Macbeth but at the same timeRead MoreMacbeth and Lady Macbeths Character1976 Words   |  8 PagesThe play ‘Macbeth’ was believed by scholars to have been written by William Shakespeare sometime between 1603 and 1606. Shakespeare’s date of birth is unknown but he was baptised on 26th April 1564 and died on 23rd April 1616, aged 52. He was an English poet and playwright w ith 38 plays, 154 sonnets, 2 long narrative poems, and several other poems which all consist of his surviving works. His plays have been translated into every major language and are performed more than any other playwrights aroundRead MoreMacbeth Character Essay766 Words   |  4 PagesIn Shakespeare’s Macbeth, malicious characters are portrayed as obviously evil and influential. Macbeth, however, is one character that is not represented in this way, in fact he is quite the opposite. 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