Abstract This paper studies the tragic character of Macbeth in Shakespeare's play "Macbeth". The paper discusses how, true to Shakespearean tragedy, the character's downfall stems from his own actions. The paper examines Macbeth's murder of King Duncan and his role in instigating the demise of both Banquo and Fleance, as well as eventually engineering the deaths of Lady Macduff and her son. The paper also discusses the play's atypical elements in Shakespeare's tragedy formula -- such as the fact that Macbeth is more villain than hero in comparison to other well-known tragic characters. However, the paper concludes that since there is resolution for the survivors after Macbeth's death, the reader is truly able to see him as a tragic character.
From the Paper "The reader detects a sense of urgency as the murders evolve - another characteristic of the tragic play. Macbeth is desperate to realize his ambition of becoming and remaining king. But his obsession drives him even further as he attempts to exterminate all those who might challenge or succeed him. Even as he proceeds down this ever-darkening course, Macbeth is aware that his flaw may prove fatal."
Tags: duncan, banquo, fleance, macduff, lady, tragedy, king
Abstract This paper looks at how the banquet scene in Macbeth is not just the dramatic culmination of the play's action; but the events occurring at the banquet represent a culmination of many of the themes found in the play. The author examines some themes and how they are symbolized at the banquet.
From the Paper "The banquet scene in Macbeth, Act III scene 4, can be seen as the climax of the play. Beyond this point there can be no hope of recovery for Macbeth. The scene is the climax of the story line for the play, but also goes beyond this. It is a culmination of all the themes and metaphors that run through the play. By combining the culmination of all these events in this scene, the deeper meanings to the events of the play are truly demonstrated."
Abstract The author of the paper shows Shakespeare's skillful use of imagery in developing the character of Macbeth in the play. The paper shows that although imagery is used throughout the play, it is most dominant in appearances with clothing, light and darkness imagery, and blood imagery.
From the Paper "Using clothing imagery, Shakespeare develops Macbeth's character. This is evident, as, imagery of clothing shows us Macbeth's ambition, and the consequences thereof. We see this ambition, through Banquo, when he says, "New honors come upon him, / Like our strange garments, cleave not to the / mould" (144-146), meaning that new clothes do not fit our bodies, until we are accustomed to them. Throughout the entire play, Macbeth is constantly wearing new clothes, that are not his, and do not fit. "
Abstract This essay discusses the changes in the relationship between Macbeth and his wife, Lady Macbeth in Shakespeare's tragic play, "Macbeth". It shows that as the events of the play progress, so too does their relationship progress from a loving one to an abnormal and unhappy relationship.
From the Paper "In the beginning of the play, Macbeth and Lady Macbeth seem to be deeply in love with one another, as proven by such things as his referring to her as his ? dearest partner of greatness? and his wanting to go ahead of everyone to get to his home quickly. In the beginning of the play, Macbeth seems to be the "lesser of two evils" as it may be, and Lady Macbeth seems to be domineering. After the murder of Duncan, Lady Macbeth tries to calm Macbeth down by telling him "These deeds must not be thought"so it will make us mad?, which is ironic because her own thought so of the murder eventually drive her to suicide. Lady Macbeth begins to manipulate Macbeth and challenges his feelings of guilt and pity for King Duncan and replaces them with malicious and spiteful feelings "look like th'innocent flower, but be the serpent under't". Lady Macbeth now instructs Macbeth on how he should act, encouraging him to be deceitful to Duncan. Macbeth becomes so absorbed in his mixed feelings about the murder that he withdraws from the loving relationship that he had with Lady Macbeth in the beginning of the play."
Abstract This paper discusses the more complex character and motives behind Macbeth's actions which characterize him as a tragic hero. The paper shows that Shakespeare's Macbeth must have seemed like nothing more than a butcher to his victims but upon careful analysis of the text, one realizes that Macbeth was not fully evil, but a potentially great man who was led to evil through errors and forces beyond his control.
From the Paper "In the culmination of Shakespeare's Macbeth, Malcolm refers to Macbeth as "this dead butcher". Superficially, Macbeth is nothing more than a butcher ? he murdered his king, his kinsmen, even innocent women and children. From Malcolm's perspective, Macbeth is no more than a heartless killer gone mad, Key lines in this play show that Macbeth is not heartless or a butcher. Macbeth had a potential for greatness, but tragic errors led to his downfall ? both in his death and his "fall from grace". Macbeth also experiences intense remorse for what he has done. The character of Macbeth is a tragic hero."
Abstract The paper examines the use of lying among the various characters in the play "Macbeth" by William Shakespeare. It discusses how lying and deception spreads from a supernatural phenomenon to become entrenched as a human modus operandi among the characters, especially Macbeth and Lady Macbeth.
From the Paper "Even Duncan himself is unwittingly drawn into the witches' web of equivocation, saying that "what the Thane of Cawdor hath lost noble Macbeth hath won" (I ii 67). He means to say that Macbeth has inherited the title which the Thane of Cawdor has relinquished by rebelling against the king. As the play unfolds however, this statement takes on an added dimension as it becomes evident that Macbeth has inherited not just Cawdor's title, but also his role as the traitorous murder of the king and usurper of the throne."
Abstract The paper analyzes the tragic play, "Macbeth" by Shakespeare. The paper explores several aspects of the play including: The images and symbols used in "Macbeth"; gender contradictions in Act V; interpretation of the phantasmagoric aspects; male anxiety about maternal issues and why "Macbeth" is more than just a story about a heartless, ambitious murderer.
From the Paper "Male anxiety about maternal issues is addressed in the play. Macbeth mentions maternity in some form in many of his speeches. An example is where he describes sleep saying, "the innocent sleep, / Sleep that knits up the ravelled sleave of care, / The death of each day's life, sore labour's birth" (II,ii). This is relevant as a reference to the power of women, a maternal force that Macbeth does not have. It is relevant that the witches and Lady Macbeth both lead Macbeth into murder and then madness. These references to birth can be seen a reference to wanting to avoid the power of women, but being unable to. It is also relevant that Lady Macbeth and the witches both take on maternal roles with Macbeth. In many ways they treat him as a child, especially by uses his weaknesses to trick him."
Abstract The paper shows that although "Macbeth" (Shakespeare) and "Oedipus Rex" (Sophocles) are great tragedies from two very different time periods, the similarities that exist between the two are remarkable. It discusses how Shakespeare and Sophocles both understood exactly what it took to write great tragedy. By comparing how fate plays a part in each play, the paper examines whether perhaps Sophocles and Shakespeare were on similar wavelengths. It also examines whether the tragic heroes of each play are doomed to live out their fate or whether there is an element of free will that causes each of their downfalls.
From the Paper "Oedipus believed that the prophesies of Apollo may full well come true and in an effort to outfox fate, he fled his home and vowed to never let the prophecy come to pass. In doing so, he played right into the hands of Apollo and set off a chain of events that would eventually lead to the prophecy being fulfilled. But was it fate that led Oedipus to commit these horrid acts or was it Oedipus? own strong will and determination to prove it wrong that caused his downfall? Could it be Oedipus? own bullishness that led to his imminent demise? Could it have been Oedipus? ego that forced him to kill his father, then a stranger, on the road?"
Abstract This paper emphasizes the hallucinations of Macbeth when he sees the dagger floating in midair before him and when he sees Banquo at his coronation banquet. This paper also emphasizes the hallucination of Lady Macbeth when she sees blood on her hands that won't come off. This paper has references to the play, as well as references to two critics.
From the Paper "In the beginning of the play, MacBeth and his wife have total control over their own lives. But, MacBeth loses his self-control, which makes him see a dagger floating in midair, before he kills Duncan. He also loses his self-control when he hallucinates that Banquo is at his coronation banquet. Lady MacBeth loses her self-control at the end of the play when she hallucinates that she has spots of Duncan's blood all over her body. The hallucinations of MacBeth and his wife symbolize a loss of self-control by those characters in the play."
Abstract This paper discusses how Shakespeare uses several techniques to make act II scene ii dramatic. It analyses the theatrical and rhetorical methods used with examples from several quotations. In particular, it looks at how Shakespeare uses the themes of the supernatural, madness and religion, to show that the murder of Duncan is wrong and that only bad things will come of it. It also takes into account the fact that "Macbeth" was written for King James I, who was fascinated by witches and the divine right of Kings and the fact that it was written to be performed rather than read.
From the Paper "Macbeth then claims to have heard a voice cry out that Macbeth has murdered sleep and that every one should wake up. This reveals that he is very nervous as he is hearing voices in his head proclaiming his crime. This is another link to a recurring theme in "Macbeth" ? that of nature proclaiming his crime to everyone. One quote to illustrate this is ?for fear thy very stones prate of my whereabouts.? Incidentally, the number of times sleep is mentioned in this soliloquy is thirteen ? a number that was, and still is, associated with evil. Furthermore, this continues the theme of sleeplessness started by Banquo in Act II Scene ii with ?Yet I would not sleep,? and continued later in the play with Lady Macbeth's sleepwalking."
Abstract This paper argues that the witches in "Macbeth" are diabolical beings who possess humans. The paper suggests that the characters in the play unconsciously echo the witches in the beginning, though not one of the characters had actually met the witches, suggesting something a little deeper than the average witchery that people think happened in "Macbeth".
From the Paper "William C. Carroll's description of the witches in his introduction to Macbeth is that of "malevolent external figures" (Carroll 2) who "symbolize the dark inner mental state of Macbeth himself" (2). The key point in Carroll's argument to be made is that while the witches can influence Macbeth's actions, they cannot compel him to commit evil deeds. The witches represent the dark powers that have the ability to influence men's decisions, but, more importantly, they are an outward representation of Macbeth's inner evil. It is this evilness and greed within his own human nature that persuades him, rather than it being the fate of the witches. The witches represent what Macbeth has hidden inside himself. He has already contemplated killing Duncan, but the witches have given Macbeth a motive for committing the murder."
Abstract This paper studies Shakespeare's usage of evil in his plays. The essay attempts to reveal the function of this device by analyzing its usage in seven Shakespeare plays: "Macbeth", "Henry VI", "Hamlet", "Julius Caesar", "Richard III", "King Lear" and "Othello". The author includes complete character and plot summaries, and supports his theses with quotes from the texts.
From the Paper "'Fair is Foul and Foul is Fair'. Unfortunately for Steve Bartman and the 2003 Chicago Cubs, this famous phrase does not apply to baseball playoffs. William Shakespeare wrote this line to describe the relationship between good and evil in his play Macbeth. By casual definitions, good is right and evil is wrong. However, Shakespeare operated with larger concepts that go beyond passive terminology. In his works, balance, harmony, justice and righteousness represent good. Evil is represented by disorder, temptation, corruption and immorality. There is inherent tension created when these principles collide."
Abstract This paper studies the conclusion of the Shakespeare play "Macbeth". The paper states that, while some critics have asked whether Macbeth is being punished at the conclusion, the appropriate question is not whether he is punished, but why? And by whose authority? This paper therefore studies the motivating principle behind Macbeth's punishment, and why his punishment had to include the deaths of so many innocents. The paper attempts to answer this question by examining the structure of the play and the moral and spiritual constructs within which it operates.
From the Paper "We are alerted to an element of the supernatural early within the play; the play introduces itself with the eerie dancing and meeting of the three weird sisters. These witches, we later realise, serve as the mouthpiece of the structure of the play, giving us, in their predictions, the outline of the play. The power of ordering reality is initially given, not to human agents, but to supernatural beings. Although the play has references to Christianity, there is no direct mention of a Christian God or Christ. Instead, the play is full of references to omens, demons and spiritual beings, and it is these who possess the power of manipulating reality. The weird sisters, and their mistress Hectate, personify the dual constructive and destructive elements of nature which define Macbeth's universe, and which must constantly be realigned and balanced. On the one hand, they appear to us as evil hags, murmuring words of black power to inflict harm on humans, as when the sisters collude to shipwreck an innocent sailor out of vengeance against his wife (1.23.15-21). Yet on the other hand, they subtly remind us of the constructive elements with which they are also tied, through their very alignment with the four elements of earth, water, air and fire, all of which are neccesary for germination and growth as well as destruction. The sisters themselves seem to be but personifications of neutral nature, which can be used negatively or positively, depending on the intent of the users. "Users" may be too strong a term: perhaps "recipients" is more accurate. The sisters voice this duality of their nature, invoking the mingled terms of evil and goodness when they sing "Fair is foul, and foul is fair" (1.1.10). Macbeth echoes this understanding of the sisters and their work when he first says "So fair and foul a day I have not seen" (1.3.38), and again when he reflects that "This supernatural soliciting/ Cannot be ill, cannot be fair" (1.3.131-132)."
Abstract In this article, the writer explains that in Shakespeare's world, extreme wealth and comfort were enjoyed at their ultimate peak generally only by royalty. The writer relates that people today, like Macbeth in Shakespeare's play, are realizing that material wealth is, after all, not the ultimate pathway towards true happiness. The writer discusses that Macbeth wants the power of being king so badly that he would do anything to fulfill the prophesy, even if it means sinking to levels that are out of his character. The writer concludes that while spirituality takes a different form in the modern-day world than in Shakespeare's time, there is still the separation of pure materialism from the higher, inherently human values.
From the Paper "True to the prophesy of the above words, Macbeth destroys both his security and power by succumbing to the illusion of security. The appearance of extreme wealth and power blinds him to the true danger around him and to the false promises of the witches. In this way the play acts as a warning for the audience: wealth and power are likely to bring more grief and danger than they are worth. They also destroy any meaningful connection that might exist between the human being and the divine."
"In modern-day works of art, the same warning is issued, although in a more light-hearted, redeeming fashion. Furthermore, material wealth and the divine come closer to each other than in Shakespeare's play, suggesting a new paradigm of wealth and its relationship to divinity. Aristotle's assertion in terms of modern humankind may therefore hold less truth than may have been the case for the average Shakespearean audience."
Abstract This paper searches to illuminate the reasons for the rise and fall of Macbeth, owing to the role played by the witches. It discusses how their effect on him and the significance of their presence contribute to understanding Macbeth's actions throughout the play.
From the Paper "Banquo is not at all disturbed or even intrigued by the witches' predictions and seems to forget about their emergence as quickly as they had vanished. Macbeth is mesmerized and as he said in the last sentence, he wishes they had stayed, obviously so they he could pry more predictions from them because they were in his favor. From this point on in the play, Shakespeare begins to reveal Macbeth's insanity, showing that he is caught up in his own world which he is trying to create based on the witches' forecasts for his future."
