Characterization in Shakespeare's "Macbeth"

Paper Summary:

This paper reviews and analyzes William Shakespeare's cleverly written "Macbeth" while focusing on the three aspects of the title character's personality that leads to his eventual downfall. The three character traits detailed in this paper are: Pride, tyranny and envy. By describing the title character as a proud warrior, tyrannical leader and envious man, Shakespeare proves Macbeth's actions as not only believable but also understandable.

From the Paper:

"The first personality trait that Shakespeare reveals in Macbeth is pride. It is evident at the beginning of the play that the citizens of England regard Macbeth as a fearless fighter. While this is often a good trait, it leads to his downfall in two ways. First, Lady Macbeth is able to use his pride to coerce him into killing Duncan: "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." (I,vii,49-51). Lady Macbeth knows that pride is one of Macbeth's weaknesses, and she exploits it well. Macbeth's pride again gets the better of him when the witches tell him his fate for the second time. When Macbeth hears that he will be safe until the Birnam Wood rises up against him, his pride overcomes him, and he is not as suspicious as he should be: "That will never be./Who can impress the forest, bid the tree/Unfix his earth-bound root? Sweet bodements, good!" (IV,i,94-96). Macbeth's pride leads him to overconfidence, which leads to his downfall."

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• Analytical Essay # 149503 : "Macbeth Commentary: Act I, 115-155"

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