Preview

How Does Macbeth's Character Change

Better Essays
Open Document
Open Document
1419 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
How Does Macbeth's Character Change
The Report on Macbeth 's Character Change
Pride is a very dangerous trait. It can take you over, make you feel self conscious, and eventually change you altogether. When put under pressure, pride will make a decision for you. In the book of Genesis in the Bible, Eve, along with the serpent, manipulates Adam to eat the fruit from the tree. She teases him and because of his pride he eats the apple and is thrown out of Heaven, just like in Shakespeare 's play Macbeth. Macbeth is full of pride and as Lady Macbeth manipulates him and makes him feel pathetic, so his character slowly but surely changes from a War Hero into an Evil Murderer.
The Main Idea of Macbeth
In the Play Macbeth by William Shakespeare, we see how the character Macbeth changes
…show more content…
The Change of Macbeth
At the beginning, Macbeth is a noble hero of Scotland, he is like today 's Will Smith, he is the person everyone wants to be with and know, and he is basically 'Mr Popular '. Macbeth is an important figure of the Scottish kingdom. He has bravely fought in Norway for his Proud Scottish kingdom. Macbeth is such an honourable man under the eyes of King Duncan and Scotland that he has been given the title of Thane of Glamis for his hard working and brave leadership skills. To reinforce this point, the king of Scotland praised him and said ' 'For brave Macbeth, well he deserves that name. ' ' This quote shows us that Macbeth is like King Duncan 's pet, a person that is highly regarded by the king. This gives us evidence to believe that Macbeth is an honourable and noble war hero. But this all changes when he meets the witches, Macbeth meets the witches with his best friend Banquo, they question
…show more content…
Almost from the moment of the murder, the play depicts Scotland as a land shaken by inversions of the natural order. Shakespeare may have intended a reference to the great chain of being, although the player 's images of disorder are mostly not specific enough to support detailed intellectual readings. He may also have intended an elaborate compliment to James 's belief in the divine right of kings, although this hypothesis, outlined at greatest length by Henry N. Paul, is universally accepted. As in Julius Caesar, though, perturbations in the political sphere are echoed and even amplified by events in the material world. Among the most often depicted of the inversions of the natural order is sleeping. Macbeth 's announcement that he has "murdered sleep" is figuratively mirrored in Lady Macbeth 's sleepwalking.
Macbeth 's generally accepted indebtedness to medieval tragedy is often seen as significant in the play 's treatment of moral order. Glynne Wickham connects the play, through Porter, to a mystery play on the harrowing of hell. Howard Felperin argues that the play has a more complex attitude toward "Orthodox Christian tragedy" than is often admitted; he sees a kinship between the play and the tyrant plays within the medieval liturgical

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Satisfactory Essays

    Use this graphic organizer to collect your thoughts about characterization in Macbeth. As you read each scene record what you learn about the character. Add the line from the play that supports your idea.…

    • 581 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    William Shakespeare ‘permeates almost all aspects of our society,’ and speaks ‘to us through his plays’ by commenting ‘on his life and culture as well as our own’ (Sir George Williams University, 2000). This is no different in his acclaimed play Macbeth, which tells the story of nobleman Macbeth and his wife, Lady Macbeth who plot and murder the king of Scotland in order to obtain the throne, exposing “human nature, ambition, evil, gender, human relationships, kingship,” (Sir George Williams University, 2000) and supernatural forces. The play explores the ideologies and cultural assumptions of witchcraft, gender roles, the great chain of being, divine…

    • 2044 Words
    • 9 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    The play "Macbeth" shows how the character Macbeth changes through the choices he makes. Throughout the play, it describes how Macbeth changes into a tyrant after hearing his prophecy.…

    • 328 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    In the beginning of the play, Macbeth shows high self esteem because he is appreciated and loved by everyone. Macbeth never even thought of changing his position in life. He seems completely satisfied being the thane of Glamis. However, he meets with the three witches; Macbeth’s life starts to change. After the witches inform Macbeth of his prophecies, his ambition start to accumulate. The witches greet him calling him “All hail, Macbeth! hail to thee, thane of Glamis! All hail, Macbeth! hail to thee, thane of Cawdor! All hail, Macbeth! that shalt…

    • 1283 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    Theme Of Power In Macbeth

    • 997 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Macbeth, a dark and gruesome tragic play written by William Shakespeare primarily discusses the concept of greed for more authority. Emasculation and the Great Chain of Being are some core components of this play that are discussed through gothic poetry. Macbeth and Lady Macbeth are the main characters in the play. Through Macbeth’s catalyst, his wife, he found the strength to kill King Duncan. Lady Macbeth was his agent in many of the scenes in the play. Their compatible pairing lead to many “successes”, but also to their own deaths. Shakespeare brilliantly uses garment metaphors throughout the play as well as the innocent flower and crafty serpent motif to express Macbeth’s mindset and tragedy.…

    • 997 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    Shakespeare's Macbeth, considered as one as of his most brilliant plays, is a definite pleasure to read, particularly for fans of the "medieval-setting" and Old English literature. His style is unique and creative, which, all in all, makes for a very appealing storyline. Regardless of such optimistic facets, Shakespeare's signature mark within most of his plays is his combination of various assorted themes merged together within one captivating scenario. In this case, Macbeth is an ideal paradigm representing this talent. Unlike most his past plays, this particular storyline consists especially of gloomy and sinister themes: infidelity, treachery, lust for power, and ironical situations used to emphasize scenes of tragedy form most of Macbeth's foundation.…

    • 789 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Macbeth's inner turmoil

    • 418 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Macbeth's inner turmoil, highlighting his uncertainties, regarding the act of regicide, are prevalent throughout the play. The character who once was seen as a noble man to the king eventually becomes his murderer.…

    • 418 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    ‘Macbeth’ in particular, written in the 16th Century, is a mirror image of the themes and beliefs of Elizabethan times. Some of the themes and beliefs of the Elizabethan era are what some people in the 21st century still believe, like Karma, that is if you do something awful to someone it will eventually get you back worse than what you did to them, but some beliefs are not taken as seriously now as they were in the Elizabethan period, for example today you wouldn’t believe a witch if she told you that you were going to become King, if you did believe that then you would be considered strange. The Elizabethans believed that when the natural arrangement of the universe is disrupted by something terrible, the world is thrown into chaos and reflects…

    • 284 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    In the beginning of the play, Macbeth indisputably has a great deal of power, but he only has the title of the Thane of Glamis. The King and his noblemen look towards Macbeth and say, “For brave Macbeth--well he deserves that name…” (I, ii, 16). All look up to “noble Macbeth” (I, ii) and praise him for his superiority on the battlefield. Macbeth’s great virtue and worth at this point of the play lead him to be prosperous in power. Not only do the people of his country look up to him and afford him of his worth, but also the king sees him as his “worthiest cousin” (I, iv)…

    • 453 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Changes of Macbeth

    • 423 Words
    • 2 Pages

    At the beginning of the play, Macbeth was described as a noble, and worthy gentleman, who was also a loyal subject of the king. The first of the witches' prophecies bring out his ambitious nature, but he struggles with killing the king. By attacking his manhood, Lady Macbeth convinces him to commit the first of his evil deeds. Macbeth's evil deed causes him to suffer from fear and guilt, which leads to even more evil crimes. Then Macbeth becomes paranoid, suffering from hallucinations and sleeplessness. He becomes less human as he tries over and over to establish his manhood. His ruthlessness in killing Banquo and Macduff's family shows how perverted his idea of manliness really is. Macbeth's degeneration is also seen in the collapse of his marital relationship. They love and have a mutual respect for one another at first. Lady Macbeth becomes more and more unimportant to her husband after killing Duncan, however. He leaves her out of the plan to kill Banquo, Fleance, and Macduff's family. Macbeth allows the witches to take the place of his wife by allowing them to boost his ego, thinking any man cannot harm him. Macbeth is, of course, mistaken about the witches' prophecies, but this just that he now allows his evil nature to control his actions. By the end, Macbeth has degenerated into evil personified, totally inhumane in his actions. In Beowulf, heroism is violent and includes fighting Grendel, his mother, and the dragon. In this epic poem, you’re a fighter in your youth and you share your plunder with those around you. So, when you get old you will be taken care of. I think Beowulf’s heroism is really seen at the end of the epic poem, he is older and he should be taken care of but he goes and fights the dragon. The younger men have fled but he stayed to protect his people even though it was his time in his old age to be protected. Emerson states, “A man who is a hero has a warlike attitude towards external evil,” or “A man who is a hero declares that he can…

    • 423 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Throughout the play, Macbeth is presented as an unstable character who is driven by ambition and his lust for power.…

    • 552 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Change In Macbeth

    • 1441 Words
    • 6 Pages

    Macbeth as we all know has changed drastically from the beginning of the play up to this point in the play. From being a very heroic character he has become now this vicious and dangerous character. In Act 3 Scene 2 we see how him and Lady Macbeth express their feelings to each other and Macbeth gives a sneak peek of what is to come. Macbeth exclaims “ Thou know’st that Banquo and his Fleance lives” how he fears Banquo and his son because they will take the throne from him ( Act 3 scene ii line 42). What happens in this scene is that he tells Lady Macbeth about his fear for Banquo but fails to tell her about the plan to kill Banquo and Fleance. The reason why this is important because in act 5 scene 1, Lady Macbeth is seen sleepwalking…

    • 1441 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The Change In Macbeth

    • 595 Words
    • 3 Pages

    In the play, Macbeth, written by Shakespeare many mysterious things happen. In Scotland, a war rages on with Macbeth on the front lines. King Duncan hears of his bravery and decides to reward the bravery by making him the new Thane of Cawdor because of his traitorous. When news gets to Lady Macbeth she has mischievous thoughts to become the queen. Then hears news of King Duncan staying at the Macbeth household that night. The story of Macbeth is full of greed and anger. Macbeth is very greedy all the time, because of this greed he is anger at everyone trying to take what he has. Lady macbeth is also very greedy and angry. At the end of the story Lady Macbeth…

    • 595 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Equivocation In Macbeth

    • 1058 Words
    • 5 Pages

    The theatrical play ‘Macbeth’ written by Shakespeare during the Elizabethan period in 1606 utilizes different themes and dramatic devices to depict what is anticipated from a Shakespearean tragedy. Throughout the play, three centralised themes include ‘Ambition’, ‘Equivocation’ and ‘Order and Disorder’. During the sixteenth century people believed in the doctrine of ‘The Great Chain of Being’, which is portrayed in Shakespearean tragedies. The protagonist, Macbeth resembles a conventional tragic hero through the illustration…

    • 1058 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    In the story Macbeth, Macbeth decides to go a different path and change his destiny. Shakespeare wrote in Lady Macbeth's words to Macbeth "will you take the crown you want so badly, or will you live as a coward always saying, I cant after saying I want to?" Macbeth wants to be king but he has to kill the original king, king Duncan, in order for hi to be king, and he is thinking about taking that risk.…

    • 78 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays

Related Topics