...his demise.(Tragic Hero as Defined by Aristotle). Macbeth had many noble qualities as well as several tragic flaws. Macbeth's degeneration was caused by the prophecy of the witches, lady Macbeth's influence, and his own long time desire to be king. Macbeth's tragic flaws were his ambition and the way he was easily manipulated. The prophecies of the witches bring out Macbeth's ambitious nature. Macbeth was first established as being of great stature, the captain says “For brave Macbeth-well he deserves that name-/Disdaining fortune, with his brandished steel”( I.ii. lines16-17). However, after hearing of the prophecy his honorable nature fades. The witches prophecies give Macbeth a sense of security and confidence but prove to be harmful for Macbeth and his interpretation of the truths. In the article “Shakespeare's Macbeth” by Mitchell Kalpakgian she states, “the witches on the heath foretell what Macbeth will gain but never disclose what he will lose or the price he will pay for acting on the insinuations of the witches who only speak half truths.”(Kalpakgian, 2013). Although it is true that Macbeth will become king it is never explained how he will obtain kingship and what kind of life he will lead as King. The witches plant the seed of murdering Duncan in Macbeth's head, but if it were only the witches prophecies that influenced him he would have not committed the murder. Lady Macbeth influences and manipulates Macbeth. She is the driving force that encourages him to...
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...Macbeth Journal Entry # 9 Keep up with your Journals for Macbeth—you will turn all of them in at the end of the unit. “Dispute it like a man.” “I shall do so; / but I must also feel it as a man…” “Let grief / convert to anger; blunt not the heart, enrage it.” 1. Write these quotes at the top of your entry and identify the speakers. 2. Respond to the three quotes above. Use the questions below as guides, but if other things come to your mind, feel free to DV8. Remember, as always, journals are informal, so content is much more important than grammar. a. Do you blame Macduff for abandoning his family? Why or why not? b. Compare this opinion of “manhood” to Lady Macbeth and Macbeth’s view from earlier in the play. Which is more familiar? Explain any connections you see between your view of manhood and the two from the play. c. How is the theme of revenge portrayed through the play? Positively? Negatively? Necessary? Unnecessary? When is revenge warranted? How is a “man” supposed to handle his grief? Do the two speakers agree? d. Who is the “bigger man” Macduff, who wants to stand and fight, but weeps for the loss of his family, or Macbeth who, despite initial misgivings, is guided by his ambition for money and power despite the consequences? Macbeth Journal Entry # 9 Keep up with your Journals for Macbeth—you will turn all of them in at the end of the unit. “Dispute it like a man.” “I shall do so; / but I must also feel it as a man…” “Let grief...
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...The Natural Un-Unnatural William Shakespeare’s The Tragedy of Macbeth is a play about a man whose ambition deems him insane. Through certain acts that Macbeth, the main character, disrupts the balance of nature and the unnatural. The actions that breed from Macbeth’s actions, due to his ambitions, cause unnatural things to occur. Throughout the play, the natural and unnatural balance of nature is thrown off, creating an unnatural atmosphere. Throughout William Shakespeare’s The Tragedy of Macbeth, an atmosphere that is unnatural is created through imagery of unnatural birth, animal motifs, and the actions of Macbeth. Throughout Macbeth, images of unnatural births help fuel an unnatural atmosphere. In act four the witches brew up a potion consisting of different parts of living things. One of those things is a “Finger of birth-strangled babe/ Ditch-delivered by a drab” (IV,i,30-31). This contributes to the atmosphere of the play because during the Elizabethan time period, grueling births were not common. The fact that a prostitute gives birth to a baby on the side of the road, foreshadows that the baby will bring evil upon society; ultimately creating an unnatural and eerie atmosphere. Also, the fact that Macduff is “…from his mother’s womb/ Untimely ripped” (V,viii,15-16) plays a role as to how an unnatural atmosphere comes about. Imagery of Macduff’s birth causes a dark and unnatural atmosphere. Macduff is born from a sea section because Shakespeare tries to appeal to the...
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...Macbeth and Lady Macbeth’s untamed morals cause destruction while their ambitions go unchecked. Macbeth is normally not inclined to commit evil deeds however Lady Macbeth is ambitious. Macbeth wants power however he is “too full o’the milk of human kindness” (act 1, scene 5, line 18) and needs help from Lady Macbeth in order for him to gain absolute power. Macbeth deeply desires power. The need for power motivates Macbeth to commit these evil deeds. However another obstacle is in Macbeth’s path to greatest power when King Duncan names his son Malcolm after “the Prince of Cumberland.” (Act 1, scene 4, line 39). King Duncan names his son the heir expectant to the throne which worries Macbeth. In addition to seeing Malcolm and King Duncan to a...
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...2017 Hannah Barovier The Power of Ambition “Whether we fall by ambition, blood, or lust, like diamonds we are cut with our own dust.” This statement made by John Webster describes the downfall of Macbeth, which was brought on by unchecked ambition, his hamartia. In William Shakespeare’s great tragedy Macbeth, a man upsets the natural order by committing regicide, simultaneously putting him at war with himself. Macbeth is driven by his lust for power and loss of morals. His unchecked ambition leads to his own self-destruction, and the natural order is restored. Over the course of the play, Shakespeare imparts that ambition will never fulfil a lust for power, and while it can be positive, it has the ability to fundamentally alter one’s...
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...Name Institution Professor Date Macbeth: Character and Synopsis Review At the start of the Shakespearean play “Macbeth” the character Macbeth; also, the protagonist features a dichotomy in strength and weakness. This is though conformity that several characters in the play are emotionally unstable and tortured. Macbeth, like other characters, has his mind pulled in to conflicting directions consequential to compelling desires, obligations, ambitions, and desires. Three attributes that cause a strain in Macbeths life are ambition, self-doubt, and bravely. Shakespeare uses Macbeth in showing how personal ambitions and guilt terribly affect people who lack a strong personality. The aforementioned three attributes illustrate the struggle for mastery of Macbeth through the play. We first hear of Macbeth in the wounded captain’s description of his battle boldness hence get an impression that he is a capable brave warrior. His nobility and rank are valuable aspects that make him seem fit for his status. However, his encounter with three witches provokes a deep impatient ambition. Soon after the first prophecy on being Thane of Cawdor, Macbeth gets a nasty image of the murder of King Duncan in his mind. This would open a room for him to assume the throne (Bloom 8). Macbeth is though not solely and ambitious as seen in his fright of the murder image that thoroughly defiles his loyalty. Macbeth is portrayed as deeply thinking about being the king. He is though undecided whether...
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...Ambition – A Tragic Flaw Macbeth by William Shakespeare highlights the blinding powers of ambition demonstrated within its characters. Ambition has the potential to prompt a character to build determination and fulfill many achievements. On the other hand, ambition can also become a character’s leading tragic flaw. The main plot of the play displays the various acts Macbeth carries out in order to dismiss the threats between him and the throne. Although he implements the murder of King Duncan, Lady Macbeth is the intelligence behind his violent actions. Since she is the most influential individual in Macbeth’s life, Lady Macbeth manipulates her husband using belittlement and emotional blackmail in order to achieve her own ambition, to gain...
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...Name Institution Professor Date Macbeth: Character and Synopsis Review At the start of the Shakespearean play “Macbeth†the character Macbeth; also, the protagonist features a dichotomy in strength and weakness. This is though conformity that several characters in the play are emotionally unstable and tortured. Macbeth, like other characters, has his mind pulled in to conflicting directions consequential to compelling desires, obligations, ambitions, and desires. Three attributes that cause a strain in Macbeths life are ambition, self-doubt, and bravely. Shakespeare uses Macbeth in showing how personal ambitions and guilt terribly affect people who lack a strong personality. The aforementioned three attributes illustrate the struggle for mastery of Macbeth through the play. We first hear of Macbeth in the wounded captain’s description of his battle boldness hence get an impression that he is a capable brave warrior. His nobility and rank are valuable aspects that make him seem fit for his status. However, his encounter with three witches provokes a deep impatient ambition. Soon after the first prophecy on being Thane of Cawdor, Macbeth gets a nasty image of the murder of King Duncan in his mind. This would open a room for him to assume the throne (Bloom 8). Macbeth is though not solely and ambitious as seen in his fright of the murder image that thoroughly defiles his loyalty. Macbeth is portrayed as deeply thinking about being the king. He is though undecided...
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...In the play “Macbeth” written by William Shakespeare, the main character Macbeth was faced with Misplaced Ambition. Shakespeare's character Macbeth was a brave and faithful soldier. King Duncan was very fond of Macbeth who admire his bravery and consider Macbeth and outstanding general. The prediction that was preordained by witches was that one day Macbeth would be King and the mistake of confiding to Lady Macbeth about his destiny drove her to become power hungry. This mistake lead to Macbeth killing his cousin and close friend King Duncan. Macbeth’s decision to kill the king drives him mad and eventually leads to his timely demise. William Shakespeare uses Irony and Satire to show how Misplaced Ambition can lead to the rise and fall of...
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...Whether the feeling is a tinge or consuming, the effects of it may be deadly, to say the least. In the tragic play Macbeth, written by the infamous William Shakespeare in the 1600s, the sense of fear within Macbeth was one that had been engraved onto his mind; not shying away from demolishing all bits of sanity. The anxiety of losing all power, in which he gains through colourful acts, is what provokes Macbeth to dive into the pit of insanity. The relationships an individual has in their life can often set the path to a battle with their own power, which then shapes the critical events...
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... Shakespeare uses this treacherous reptile in Macbeth to convey the same evil. In his poetic prose, Shakespeare may not speak of a character's malevolence directly; rather, he alludes to it through serpentine imagery. I analyzed four images of this type in Macbeth. What is their purpose, and what do they signify? A deep undercurrent of meaning flows beneath each image. In act one, scene five, Lady Macbeth tries to instill invisible evil into herself and her husband in preparation for Duncan's murder. She asks for supernatural unsexing, for a thickening of her blood that will "stop up th' access and passage to remorse." She fears her husband is too weak to murder Duncan, which she believes is Macbeth's only path to the crown. After tauntingly questioning her husband's manhood, she convinces him to follow her gory plan and gives him instructions to do so. "To beguile the time, look like the time. Bear welcome in your eye, your hand, your tongue. Look like the innocent flower, but be the serpent under it." She says that to succeed, they must feign mediocrity amongst their guests, concealing their sinister desires. Appearing normal will not invoke suspicions. The serpent Lady Macbeth speaks of is the evil ambition Macbeth has, craftily slithering out of the shade of the virtuous flower when the deed is to be done. This image is used in a traditional manner, denoting mischief and concealment. It represents Macbeth's hidden ambitions and his wife's plans. This is the first example...
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...Clothing and Accessories in Macbeth Of the many plays that William Shakespeare wrote, critics and theatre fanatics alike consider The Tragedy of Macbeth to be his most dark and brooding work. Taking place in eleventh century Scotland, the tragedy follows the main character, Macbeth, and all the unfortunate events that unfold around him. However, despite being the title character, Macbeth and his tragic flaws are what lead to the demise of many other characters in the story. A Scottish nobleman and general at the beginning of the play, he quickly manages to rise to power as the King of Scotland after hesitantly resorting to performing immoral acts, such as killing Duncan, the country’s previous king, to fulfill his ambitions. Ironically, this trait of his is exactly what leads to his death by the end of the play. Macbeth’s false ambitions that arose out of the desire to fulfill the evil witches’ prophecies end up pushing him to commit one murder, which quickly escalates into the slaughter of many residents in Scotland, solely for the sake of securing his rule and power. As one of Shakespeare’s most symbolic and psychological works, there are many motifs that foreshadow and lead to Macbeth’s downfall, such as the type of clothing and accessories that each character adorns. Throughout the play, many characters metaphorically refer to the different titles of Scottish nobility as various apparel. For example, when Macbeth asks Ross, “The Thane of Cawdor lives; why do you dress...
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...Macbeth Essay William Shakespeare’s play Macbeth is about a tragedy that takes place in Scotland. Macbeth murders Banquo, a good friend of his, King Duncan and Macduff’s family because of his greed for wealth and power, and his desire to become king. Throughout the play, Shakespeare uses symbols that represent different ideas and concepts. Although there are many, the most vital concept is the feeling of guilt. There are many instances that show the power guilt has played on the main characters, but there are three examples that show it the best. Firstly, Macbeth and Lady Macbeth are overwhelmed by the visions of blood after the murder of King Duncan. The blood is seen as the guilt they cannot overcome. Secondly, the Ghost of Banquo indicates the remorse Macbeth feels over killing his good friend. Although Banquo’s ghost may not exist, Macbeth’s guilt is making him see it. Lastly, Lady Macbeth begins sleepwalking, and then later commits suicide, all because of the burden of her guilt. The guilt is the consequence both Macbeth and Lady Macbeth will have to live with until they go to their graves. Once Macbeth and Lady Macbeth accomplish their quest to kill King Duncan, their feelings of guilt become conspicuous. The blood from killing King Duncan indicates their guilt, and they begin to feel that the murder will stain them and that they will be unable to be washed clean. The blood covers their hands, bodies and clothes, and as they try to wash it away, their...
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...Name] [Course Number] [Date] A comparison between Shakespeare’s Macbeth and Voltaire’s Candide. Introduction. Macbeth and Candide are some of the greatest literary works in history with strong themes that have echoed throughout history and are reviewed to date. They challenged the moral, political and religious affiliations of the times in which they were written. The proficiency with which the works were delivered while different, proved effective at addressing the issues conceptualized by the authors. While Shakespeare chose to deliver his work in the form of plays, Voltaire chose to deliver his as a novel. Candide and Macbeth depict several themes, some of which are common to them and others which differ. Though Shakespeare is famous for his various plays, Candide is widely regarded as Voltaire’s magnum opus. Thesis statement. While Shakespeare’s Macbeth and Voltaire’s Candide both depict a protagonist who is faced with challenges throughout their journey, Candide exhibits personal growth and willingness to change while Macbeth exhibits no real personal growth. Similarities between themes. Power corrupts. This is a major theme that transcends both literary works. In Macbeth, this theme is very evident when Macbeth is approached by the three witches while with Banquo. Their revelation of the future in which he would be named Thane of Cawdor and consequently the king of Scotland, sparks the ambitious ember in Macbeth. This spark is enflamed by the confirmation by king Duncan of...
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...For a story to be considered a tragedy, the protagonist has to experience a big loss, or in other words a downfall. William Shakespeare, who masters in writing tragedies, portrays the tragedy of a hero in the play Macbeth written in 1606. It is set in Scotland during its medieval times, where the main protagonist Macbeth is a person of nobility being known to be: Scotland’s greatest warrior, the Thane of Glamis, as well as the first cousin to King Duncan. His impending tragedy starts from the moment he is given prophecies by the three witches. Lady Macbeth who is Macbeth’s wife gives the push that drives him into killing King Duncan for the throne. Unknowingly lady Macbeth guides Macbeth towards his downfall, as the action of murdering Duncan...
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