...Macbeth is a play written by William Shakespeare and is about the tragic downfall of a Scottish lord who committed multiple murders. Macbeth, the protagonist of the play, killed numerous people to get what he wanted; however some of the murders were unavoidable. Although some of the murders were unavoidable, Macbeth is still guilty for the wrongful murders of Banquo and the Macduff family. He killed his fellow countrymen for power, which is unacceptable in any circumstances, but in Duncan’s case Macbeth was pressured by others to commit the deed. Macbeth is personally responsible for the death of Banquo, but he is not responsible for Duncan’s and the Macduff family’s deaths. To begin with, Macbeth is not responsible for Duncan’s death as Macbeth was pressured to kill him. Lady Macbeth, Macbeth’s wife, pressured him into killing Duncan. Macbeth is innocent in this murder as he was being emasculated and used by his own wife. The guilt should be on Lady Macbeth as it was her that told Macbeth to kill Duncan. Lady Macbeth. Was the hope drunk/...
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...MacBeth Essay The blame for Duncan’s death can be shared upon a variety of characters, although there may be a sole recipient for the majority of fault to fall upon. The three main character’s responsible for the demise of the former king include; MacBeth, Lady MacBeth and the Three Witches. Despite the fact that the Three Witches provoked this implement of the plan in MacBeth’s head, all three characters listed previously are all held responsible for the cause of Duncan’s death. The Three Witches are responsible for the original idea of taking the throne, although it is MacBeth’s ambition that overwhelms him and eventually, Lady MacBeth. When MacBeth initially meets the Three Witches’ after the battle in the scenes following the Witches’ first appearance. The sisters’ initially hail him as Thane of Glamis, and then proceed to hail him for being the Thane of Cawdor and for being King of Scotland. These prophecies implement and open his mind as to being King even though that the audience receives no indication as to what he is thinking. Initially, MacBeth is quite skeptical but then doubt turns to belief after being announced Thane of Cawdor. The Three Witches may have initiated the thought of becoming King, but it is ultimately Macbeth’s own ambition that takes it to the next level. Lady MacBeth is portrayed as a catalyst in the act of regicide for which MacBeth commits. Lady MacBeth is instantaneously overwhelmed by the idea of becoming queen, and thus shows her as ambitious...
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...that in turn poses a threat to Macbeth and soon, his kingship. Because the witches’ prophecy about Macbeth becoming king came true, he questions whether they were going to be right about Banquo and his legacy. Although, Macbeth in this scene is too worried, he does not realize that he was the one who fundamentally caused the series of events to occur after killing King Duncan. Banquo might decide to keep the information he learned from the witches to himself because if he spoke up people might think that he was a part of Kind Duncan’s murder, because they may believe that he did this just to become king. Also, he probably does not want to sabotage his chances of his sons becoming kings if someone else finds out. 2. Macbeth might be curious about where Banquo is going because he wants to keep an eye on Banquo for two reasons. One reason being that he wants to kill him so that his sons are not the reason that he loses his thrown. He uses this as a safety mechanism and later on in the act we find out that Macbeth hires three murders to kill Banquo in order to carry out his plan of staying king. He also wants to keep an eye on Banquo so that way he does not find out that he was the one who killed King Duncan for the thrown. Banquo may have already been suspicious of the murder because he was with Macbeth and heard the witches’ prophecies. 3. The “bloody cousins” as referred to Macbeth in line 29 are Duncan’s sons. They are the ones that the blame was placed on and they are suspected...
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...are unavoidable and unchangeable. Whatever happens in life is meant to be and cannot be changed by mankind. The play Macbeth by William Shakespeare displays ambition, fate, deception and treachery. Fate is a supernatural force that controls the actions and choices of others. In Macbeth fate plays an important role in the lives of Macbeth, Lady Macbeth, and Banquo. Macbeth’s fate is unavoidable and unchangeable. Macbeth’s fate is sealed as soon as he meets the witches’. Macbeth’s fate is tragic. Macbeth and Banquo are together...
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...Lady Macbeth is seen as one of the most powerful, frightening, and ambitious female character, out of all of Shakespeare’s plays. Lady Macbeth is first seen when she had received a letter from her husband, Macbeth, as the letter states what promises the witches had made him and his promotion to Thane of Cawdor. After reading the letter, Lady Macbeth, sees this as her chance to make Macbeth, King of Scotland, by murdering King Duncan. Lady Macbeth begins to plot Duncan’s murder, during this time we see Lady Macbeth being more ruthless, more power-hungry, and more ambitious than her husband, Macbeth. Lady Macbeth can be seen more powerful than her husband as she proposes qualities, which lack with Macbeth such as power, masculinity, ambition...
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...Macbeth: A Tragic Hero? William Shakespeare's tragedy, Macbeth, attains a protagonist that evidently portrays himself as a tragic hero. A tragic hero is a character that is not completely good or evil and has a tragic flaw that eventually leads to his downfall. Macbeth is the epitome of a tragic hero because he starts off as a noble man until his own actions, also influenced by others, bring him to his own death. The events that help take Macbeth to his end are the prophecies told to him by the three witches, Lady Macbeth's pressure that drives him into committing horrible actions, and his own ambition that takes over him and leaves him as nothing but a power and money hungry character. Macbeth starts off with Macbeth and Banquo being praised after battling bravely in a war against the Irish Invaders. “At the beginning of the play, he seems the epitome of a loyal subject, valiantly fighting the rebel forces to protect the king and preserve his power.” (Elaine Pilkington 1) King Duncan believed that Macbeth was tremendously heroic in the battle and decided to name him the new thane of Cawdor after executing the old one because of his betrayal. However, before hearing from the King, Macbeth and Banquo were on their way to the King's court when they were suddenly accompanied by three witches.The witches greet Macbeth as the thane of Glamis, which was his original and only title, and as the thane of Cawdor, which Macbeth was not yet informed of. The witches also tell Macbeth...
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...The story Macbeth is like no other in plot and poetry. It sets itself apart from the rest by having a protagonist becoming evil. What makes Macbeth such a complicated character is the way his outlook keeps on changing throughout the play. This essay will prove that Macbeth is an evil man and was not overpowered by ambition to get what he wanted. This essay will also determine that certain characters like the witches did not force him to do evil; they simply triggered it. In the beginning of the play, Macbeth is shown as a hero in the Scottish army that is ironic because Macbeth has defeated a traitor and he will become one. We feel that a person of his loyalty could never commit evil unless he had a good reason or if he would be provoked. After Macbeth's first meeting with the witches, we learn from his aside that he has thought about killing Duncan " My thought, whose murder yet is but fantastical" 1(Macbeth 1.3.152). Macbeth also says " If chance will have me king, why, chance may crown me without my stir." 2(Macbeth 1.4.157-159) which means that maybe he does not have to murder the king to gain that title. Luck has been very generous to him and might continue and make him king. Macbeth's true evil thoughts about being king are first shown when he finds out that king Duncan has named his son Malcolm as Prince of Cumberland. He now shows his evil and his true feelings. " Stars, hide your fires; Let not night see my black and deep desires. The...
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...Macbeth at the start of the play At the start of the play, Macbeth is a good man who knows his place. He is a loyal servant of the King. God appoints the King to rule. If the King rules well, then his subjects will love him and he will reward their love with gratitude and generosity. This is the ideal state of affairs at the start of Macbeth, though just before it, there has been a rebellion, and the play opens with an account of the defeat of the rebels. Although God appoints the ruler, it is possible for a gross disturbance of the natural order of things to happen. And this may allow a rebel (usurper) to overthrow the rightful monarch. In Macbeth, this is what happens when the witches dabble in the affairs of men. But Hecate, who must obey the higher powers of the universe, shows the witches that order must be restored, and Macbeth removed from power. Macbeth is very loyal to begin with, so his treachery against Duncan is especially shocking. It is only believable (plausible) because of the way the witches arouse powerful ambition in him. But though they suggest things to him, the witches do not force Macbeth to kill Duncan. His evil action is freely chosen and (as we say today) premeditated. In fact Macbeth sees very good arguments against Duncan's murder but is stung into firmness by his wife's scorn. She says that if she had made a promise like her husband's, she could even have dashed out the brains of her own child. (Perhaps, though, this is bravado - later she admits...
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...Macbeth envies Malcolm for being the one who was chosen to be Prince. Macbeth would have killed Malcolm if he didn’t ran off. Macbeth killed Duncan for choosing Malcolm and not him. One of the prophecies tell Macbeth “ Macbeth! Macbeth! Macbeth! beware Macduff; Beware the thane of Fife / Dissmiss me. Enough” (4.1.81-82). This lead Macbeth to kill all of the Macduffs except Macduff who went to England to get Malcolm. In Macbeth, Shakesphere, uses envy to cause death and murder. Envy was the cause of death and murder in Macbeth. Envy can lead you to have your desires by making you into a person who is capable to have what they want, it can lead you to get what you want in a clean way. And it can also lead you to do bad choices without even...
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...summary of Act 1 Macbeth is the famous play written by William Shakespeare. The play it takes place in Scotland. The king of Scotland is Duncan, and The Scottish army is at war with the Norwegian army. In act 1, scene 2, Duncan learns of Macbeth’s and Banquo’s trust worth and bravery in a battle against a Scottish betrayer who sided with the Norwegians. As Macbeth and Banquo return home from battle against the Norwegians, they suddenly meet three weird witches. The ugly and foreign witches predict that Macbeth will be thane of Cawdor and king of Scotland one day, and that Banquo will be the father of kings. Which gives Macbeth a lot to think about. After the meeting with three witches, Macbeth gets a new title as thane of Cawdor, as predicted. And therefore Macbeth sees an oppitunity to become king and he begins to contemplate the murder of Duncan in order to realize the witches' second prophecy. Duncan meets Macbeth and announces that he is going to visit him at his castle. Macbeth rides ahead to prepare his household for a big feast. In the meantime, Lady Macbeth receives a letter from Macbeth, which says tells her about the witches' prophesy and his new title. The news gives Lady Macbeth strength to lose her of feminine softness and values and thus prepare herself and Macbeth for the murder of Duncan. When Macbeth arrives, Lady Macbeth tells him about her plans of Duncan's murder. Macbeth becomes skeptic of the idea of killing Duncan, but Lady Macbeth taunts him by...
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...husband Macbeth, I was overcome with the utmost excitement and happiness. The letter explained how witches appeared to Macbeth and Banquo on their journey and prophesied to them about Macbeth acquiring the crown in the near future. There is nothing I wish for more than for Macbeth to rein in the highest form and for I, Lady Macbeth to be beside his side and share in his glory. I knew it would take a lot of convincing and persuasion for my husband to work up enough courage to murder King Duncan. I know deep in his soul Macbeth has a desperate longing to be king. The night of Duncan’s murder, I first went into his chamber. As soon as I glanced at the king, he immediately reminded me of my own father. I quickly ran out of his quarters and back to Macbeth. We talked frantically and made the decision that Macbeth would go into Duncan’s chamber and proceed to kill him. I waited: pacing, thinking, wondering. What if the king woke? Did Macbeth enter quietly enough? Did someone hear us speaking words of betrayal? What was that noise? Nervously, I waited for what seemed an eternity. At last, my husband entered the court. At once I noticed the royal blood dripping from his hands and robes. I quickly helped him wash the crime from his skin. With a frightened expression, he pulled the stained dagger from his robe. Horrified, I frantically told him to place the daggers by Duncan’s guards in order to suppress suspicions and blames towards ourselves. I could sense that Macbeth immediately...
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...In the play Macbeth , Macbeth made many decisions, he decided to kill King Duncan, as well as his best friend, Banquo. Macbeth made these decisions to secure his position as king. After Macbeth completed what he wanted to do, he had a great amount of guilt. Although Macbeth’s life could have been influenced by his fate and the witches prophecies, his life was planned out by his decisions. One way Macbeth’s decisions controlled his life, was when he killed King Duncan. Macbeth made the decision to kill Duncan. In Act 2 Scene 2 line 19, Macbeth says, “I have done the deed/Didst thou not hear a noise?” Macbeth physically did the deed. He, himself, took the dagger into Duncan’s room and stabbed him. This led to Macbeth struggling immensely with guilt. He feared he would never be...
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...Acton once said, "Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.” Macbeth by William Shakespeare is the tragic story about the kind of destruction ambition and the struggle for power can cause. Even the noblest of people are corrupted by the idea of power and will do anything to achieve it. Symbolism, irony, foil, theme, and imagery are some of the literary elements and techniques Shakespeare uses to portray Macbeth, the protagonist, as a greedy tyrant willing to sacrifice all others to accomplish his goals. Shakespeare not only represents Macbeth as the protagonist, but also as an antagonist to himself and others in the play. The author characterizes Macbeth at first as an honorable man willing to fight for the freedom of his kingdom. Shakespeare foreshadows to the reader a developing change within Macbeth’s character after his encounter with the Weird Sisters. His convene with the witches arouses in Macbeth the idea of becoming king. The motivation for Macbeth to become king spurs from the prophecies told by the witches in the beginning acts of the play, which were evidently coming true as he gained the title “Thane of Cawdor” as the prophecy stated. Below the surface Macbeth is a melting pot of emotions, which engaged his character in the idea of becoming a supreme ruler undoubtedly causing him to commit shameless acts. The character of Macbeth is usually described as being flawed by ambition, but this interpretation is not...
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...Lady Macbeth Essay Shakespeare’s play Macbeth was written in the early 17th century and chronicles the lives of Macbeth and Lady Macbeth as Thane of Crawdor and lady of Crawdor, and later on as King and Queen of Scotland respectively. Lady Macbeth is known as one of Shakespeare’s most famous female characters due to her ambition, strength and ruthlessness. Lady Macbeth can be seen as the dominant half in the relationship between Macbeth and his lady, often convincing, persuading and willing Macbeth to do her bidding. Lady Macbeth can even be seen as a tragic heroine, a term made famous by Shakespeare’s numerous tragedies. However, just like all tragic heroes, Lady Macbeth’s hamartia or tragic flaw would lead to her demise. In exploring the character that is Lady Macbeth, we can see many flaws in her character such as greed, ambition, dishonestly and manipulative to name a few. A tragic flaw, as defined by Merriem-Webster dictionary, is a flaw in character that brings about the downfall of a hero in a tragedy. Lady Macbeth’s greed for power coupled with her moral righteousness led to her demise. This is evident after first, persuading Macbeth to kill the king in order for her to become Queen, second, planning Kind Duncan’s death to the minute detail, and third, being flooded with guilt and blame afterwards leading to her suicide. After Macbeth’s confrontation with the three witches who said that Macbeth will be named Thane of Crawdor and eventually become King of Scotland,...
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...Macbeth – The Development of Lady Macbeth In the beginning of the play, Lady Macbeth is a very well respected woman – so as Macbeth. When King Duncan comes to visits, he addresses her as “the honored hostess”. She has high ambitions, but on the other hand she’s very loyal to her husband. It’s very important to her, for Macbeth to become king – shown as she helps out Macbeth covering up the murdered King Duncan. This makes her seem very cold and ambitious – but in this case, she had to call on evil spirits to “stop up th’ access and passage to remorse”, to make her bad conscience go away. At first, Lady Macbeth doubts that her husband is able to murder Duncan – she thinks he’s too kind to be the murdering type. Lady Macbeth is actually talking Macbeth into killing Duncan – she believes that it’s the only and fastest way for Macbeth to become king, and that it’s what’s best for both of them. Macbeth agrees with her at first – but later on he doubts her decision. She responds to his reaction by manipulating him by questioning his manhood and love for her. She is successful in her mission, and her plan about killing Duncan is completed. Macbeth returns to their chamber after the killing scene, Lady Macbeth cleverly goes back and deletes any trace that could indicate that Macbeth was the killer. Instead, she smears the grooms with Duncan’s blood so the blame is on them. Macbeth and Lady Macbeth perhaps felt, that their bad conscience for the deed might disappear as time...
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