Preview

Macbeth Soliloquy Analysis

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
486 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Macbeth Soliloquy Analysis
Macbeth commentary, Chosen Act 1, scene 7 lines 1-45,

This extra describes Macbeth, in his castle, where he dwells on the idea presented to him by the witches. He is then later joined by Lady Macbeth, who helps convince him to commit the act. He voices his thoughts in the beginning monologue, allowing the audience to sympathize with him. As in many common scenarios that king is often regarded to be very close to god because in that era and the king was selected by god to be king.

On the other hand, Macbeth in a way challenges god, given that Macbeth says “the be-all and the end-all”. This can also be interpreted at first sight to be Macbeth’s inner thoughts being projected onto the audience. This soliloquy also shows Macbeth’s doubts about killing the king. Taking account of the fact that he heavily relies on the prophecy delivered on to him by the witches. He even goes to the extent of which he starts listing the good qualities of Duncan further adding to the doubts of his planned murder. To the audience this shows Macbeth as a moral character divided upon the idea of the murder, and his lust for power and his loyalty to the king “I am his kinsman”. Thus allowing the audience to align and support Macbeth in his endeavor.
…show more content…
This further enhances the point that Macbeth is still unsure of his future crime. From a different point of perspective, this soliloquy can also be seen as Macbeth’s conscience speaking because it begins with hints of arrogance and leads to self doubt, as a consequence of which he looses his motivation which previously was from the words of strange women. “I have no spur to prick the sides of my

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    Before Macbeth gives his famous “Is this a dagger which I see before me” soliloquy, he has decided that he was not going to kill the king. Lady Macbeth wants to become queen, so she has an argument with Macbeth. During the argument Lady Macbeth says, “When you durst do it, then you were a man”, saying that Macbeth is not a man unless he kills king Duncan. Lady Macbeth’s words make Macbeth perplexed and he goes into his soliloquy where he debates whether or not to assassinate the king.…

    • 480 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    "Macbeth a play based on treason loyalty and knowledge consists of many different characters one unlike the other.…

    • 249 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Explanation: Lady Macbeth is describing how Macbeth should behave. She tells him to look like a innocent, and kind person on the outside, but be a clever, deceitful person beneath. Her commanding Macbeth to be and act a certain way adds tremendous amounts of pressure to him. All of these thoughts Lady Macbeth is putting into Macbeth's head are causing Macbeth to start considering the murder of Duncan. He used to be a good person, but Lady Macbeth's significant influence is changing the way Macbeth thinks.…

    • 1460 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    In the passage it begins off as Macbeth questioning whether he is hallucinating or not, and if the dagger that he sees is actually there or just there to lead him to Duncan, throughout the passage he continues to hallucinate and at the end is ready to murder Duncan.…

    • 303 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    From Act one, Macbeth portrays the theme of how greed consumes a person’s mind by the thoughts he has when told important information. With the Weird Sisters, witches, prophesize “All hail Macbeth; Thane of Cawdor, Thane of Glamis, that shalt be king afterward,”(1.3). When Macbeth heard this his immediate reaction was a tell me more, inferring that he is intrigued by the potential he has. This hints a piece of his mind from the beginning of the whole story told; that he has a spark of ambition “If chance have me king, why, chance may crown me, without my stir,” (1.3). By Macbeth saying this his desire is shown to be a king, however to be king he has to get rid of the one present. This also foreshadows to the audience that King Duncan will be…

    • 197 Words
    • 1 Page
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Lady Macbeth is more evil than Macbeth, as illustrated through her speech and mischievous temperament. The first appearance of her attitude was after Macbeth’s soliloquy about his intentions of killing Duncan or not. Lady Macbeth states to Macbeth that if he does not kill Duncan, then he will “live a coward [in his own self-esteem]” (1.7.47). The connotation of the word “coward” said by Lady Macbeth emphasizes the cruel tone of Lady Macbeth. Her criticizing is unnecessary as Macbeth is deciding between a life changing inhuman action of assassinating his own king. The cruel tone indirectly characterizes Lady Macbeth to have a mischievous temperament and overall to be more evil than Macbeth, because Macbeth is emotional suffering about killing Duncan or not, while Lady Macbeth does not portray any grief over an action so relentless. Later during the same conversation after Macbeth’s soliloquy, Macbeth says “if we should fail,” and Lady Macbeth’s response to his question is “screw your courage to the sticking place/ And we’ll not fail” (1.7.68, 70-71). The dialect by Lady Macbeth in “screw your courage to the sticking place” means for Macbeth to not be hesitant in the kill. This indirectly characterizes Macbeth to be kinder than he appears, because Lady Macbeth is doubting that he will not kill Duncan, making her emphasize the murder by stating it directly to Macbeth.…

    • 406 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    I should have been the one to confront Macbeth. I should have been able to figure out what Lady Macbeth and Macbeth did. I spent hours upon hours analyzing and scrutinizing the Lady’s strange speech from her sleep. If only I had realized it sooner, if only I had just put the pieces of the puzzle together quickly I could have been king. But no, Malcolm took over, and Malcolm got the power. But, I cannot think this way, just look at what happened to Macbeth and his wife. “Stars, hide your fires; Let not light see my black and deep desires.” But it was so obvious! The washing of her hands, her cries over the blood and her stained hands, her eagerness to hide or cover up what she had done. If only I had put the parts together I could have realized…

    • 250 Words
    • 1 Page
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Macbeth Soliloquy

    • 805 Words
    • 4 Pages

    I see you, the imaginary ball, as real as this other one at my feet.…

    • 805 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    Macbeth then argues with his conscience on whether to kill the king or not, trapped by the delusion of ambitious virtue. Although he had many more reasons to not kill the king like his loyalty towards the king or the fact that since Macbeth is King Duncan’s host, Macbeth was to be the one saving him from the murderer than to be the murderer himself. Macbeth also argues saying that King Duncan is a king worthy of the loyalty of all his subjects and doesn’t deserve to…

    • 616 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Over the course of the play Macbeth the main character, Macbeth, advances the plot by believing the prophecies given by the witches’, trying to kill the king, attempting to kill people who could be king, wanting more prophecies, and struggling to stay king of Scotland.…

    • 444 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Macbeth shares information as important as becoming king with his wife, which one can assume he most likely would not have done if he believed the Weїrd Sisters to be telling lies. Even though Macbeth accepts what the witches have told him as truth, he still struggles with his free will and means of fulfilling the prophecy. When speaking with Lady Macbeth, he rejects her plan to kill King Duncan, the reigning King, and tells her that they will, “proceed no further in this business”(1.7.34). Macbeth begins this scene by having new information about his future proposed to him, and questioning how, and if, it is to come to be. By the end of the scene, he has accepted the inevitable outcome, yet still holds on to the means by which it is to happen.…

    • 892 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Macbeth Banquo Analysis

    • 396 Words
    • 2 Pages

    In the beginning Banquo is thinking well if the first thing the witches came true and made Macbeth king why can't his kids become king later. Then macbeth enters in the kings attire. Macbeth discusses his fear of the kids that left. Macbeth invites Banquo to the feast that night, and Banquo accepts his invitation. Banquo says he will make it, but he is going on a horse ride for the afternoon. Macbeth now is contemplating killing his best friend Banquo. The reason he worries is he doesn't want him or his family taking his power. He decides to hire the best assassins he knows to go kill Banquo will he is far away from the castle. They take off to get Banquo. They end up killing Banquo, then come back to the castle in the beginning of the dinner party. It is odd because Macbeth wants no one to know he was apart of the killing, but they pull him aside in the dinner party to talk about the killing. When he comes back to the dinner party he says where am I supposed to sit. They tell him right there there is a empty seat, and Macbeth sees Banquo’s ghost. They start thinking he is crazy. He then says it is weird Banquo is not here I invited him. Lady macbeth interrupts saying he has seen things he was a little kid, and not to ask questions that…

    • 396 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Macbeth Vs Banquo

    • 916 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Throughout the text, Macbeth’s internal concerns are repeated and emphasized as he toddles between right and wrong. At the beginning of the soliloquy, he worries about worldly punishment. “If it were done when ’tis done, then ’twere well It were done quickly… But in these cases we still have judgment here.” He then considers his duty and loyalty to Duncan, pondering, “as his host, who should against his murderer shut the door, not bear the knife myself.” Macbeth even goes on to state, “I have no spur.” He describes that his ambition is the only part of him that causes him to even consider such a horrible deed. He concludes his soliloquy by stating, “To prick the sides of my intent, but only vaulting ambition, which o'erleaps itself and falls on th' other.” Even after this, he remains unconvinced until his wife persuades him that he is obligated to murder the…

    • 916 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Macbeth Quote Analysis

    • 965 Words
    • 4 Pages

    In the play “Macbeth” written by William Shakespeare, the main character Macbeth faced misplaced ambition. Shakespeare's character Macbeth was a daring and trustworthy soldier. King Duncan was extremely fond of Macbeth, who admired his bravery and considered Macbeth an extraordinary general. The prediction, that was predetermined by witches, that one day Macbeth would be king. Afterwards, he mistakenly intrusted this to Lady Macbeth regarding his destiny. This turned into an obsession, which drove her to become power hungry. This mistake leads to the assignation of his cousin and close friend King Duncan. Macbeth’s decision to assassinate the king drives him insane and eventually leads to his untimely demise. William Shakespeare uses irony…

    • 965 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Lady Macbeth Analysis

    • 481 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Shakespeare creates a facade when he coats Lady Macbeth with feelings of love and compassion for her husband Macbeth. However, when Lady Macbeth finds out the witches prophesied Macbeth was to become king she immediately thought of ways she could achieve her ambition, committing the sinful act of killing King Duncan was the first to come to mind. Lady Macbeth challenges Macbeths manly hood by stating “It is too full o' th' milk of human kindness” The noun “milk”, a word of purity and motherly love is used to describe how she thinks Macbeth is too soft hearted and cowardly to kill King Duncan, she bullies Macbeth into going along with the plan. Lady Macbeth knew that Macbeth was a warrior and has killed before so she tries to unleash that inner…

    • 481 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays