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Macbeth Essay
In William Shakespeare’s play Macbeth the main character, Macbeth goes through various changes in his character. The three changes I will be focussing on are Macbeth’s views on the witches and their prophecies, his relationship with Banquo and his deteriorating mental state.
At the Beginning of the play Macbeth is thane of Glamis and supporter to King Duncan. Upon his first meeting with the witches and hearing their prophecies he doesn’t believe them. He says “To be King stands not within the prospect of belief, no more than to be Cawdor.” Macbeth doesn’t think he will ever be King or Thane of Cawdor because at this point Macbeth would never think of murdering Duncan. By the end of the play many of the witches’ prophecies have come true and Macbeth has no doubt that the rest will be as well. Macbeth wants more information from the witches and receives further prophecies which Macbeth interprets them to mean that he is unbeatable. This causes Macbeth to become very confident. He says “the mind I sway by and the heart I bear, shall never sag with doubt or shake with fear.” Macbeth no longer thinks that anyone will defeat him due to his faith in the witches and their prophecies.
At the beginning of the play Macbeth is popular and has many friends, in particular Banquo who is Macbeth’s best friend and is with him when they first meet the witches and hear the prophecies. At first Macbeth wishes Banquo well, “do you not hope that your children shall be Kings, when those that promised Cawdor promised no less to them?” at this point Macbeth doesn’t consider Banquo’s descendants a threat and he genuinely wishes well for Banquo and his descendants. After the murder of Duncan has been committed Macbeth realises that if Banquo’s descendants inherit his throne that the murder of Duncan was a waste. “They hail’d him father to a line of Kings, upon my head they placed a fruitless crown.” Macbeth realises that his descendants will never be King. This belief leads Macbeth to have Banquo and his son killed. Macbeth’s paranoia that a descendant of Banquo will overthrow him turns him against his former friend.
Throughout the play Macbeth’s mental state is deteriorating. In the beginning Macbeth is horrified by the thought of murdering Duncan. He is conflicted between his ambition to be King and his loyalty to Duncan. “As his host I should against his murderer shut the door, not bear the knife myself.” Macbeth doesn’t think he should go through with the murder because he feels it’s his duty to be loyal to Duncan. As the play goes on Macbeth’s mental state continues to deteriorate due to paranoia and guilt over Duncan’s murder. By the end Macbeth has become a cruel tyrant yet he still has regrets. He asks his doctor if he can “raze out the written troubles of the brain.” This shows that Macbeth is still plagued by guilt and regrets the murder of Duncan.
Throughout the play Macbeth changes in many ways. He goes from being sceptical of the witches and their prophecies to believing them without the slightest doubt, from being loyal to his friend his friend Banquo, to having him killed out of fear and paranoia. It is these in combination with other factors that cause Macbeth to go from a noble and honourable person to a cruel and friendless tyrant. The dramatic story of a rise and fall from Greatness is still relevant today and is shown in cases like that of MP Chris Carter.
At the Beginning of the play Macbeth is thane of Glamis and supporter to King Duncan. Upon his first meeting with the witches and hearing their prophecies he doesn’t believe them. He says “To be King stands not within the prospect of belief, no more than to be Cawdor.” Macbeth doesn’t think he will ever be King or Thane of Cawdor because at this point Macbeth would never think of murdering Duncan. By the end of the play many of the witches’ prophecies have come true and Macbeth has no doubt that the rest will be as well. Macbeth wants more information from the witches and receives further prophecies which Macbeth interprets them to mean that he is unbeatable. This causes Macbeth to become very confident. He says “the mind I sway by and the heart I bear, shall never sag with doubt or shake with fear.” Macbeth no longer thinks that anyone will defeat him due to his faith in the witches and their prophecies.
At the beginning of the play Macbeth is popular and has many friends, in particular Banquo who is Macbeth’s best friend and is with him when they first meet the witches and hear the prophecies. At first Macbeth wishes Banquo well, “do you not hope that your children shall be Kings, when those that promised Cawdor promised no less to them?” at this point Macbeth doesn’t consider Banquo’s descendants a threat and he genuinely wishes well for Banquo and his descendants. After the murder of Duncan has been committed Macbeth realises that if Banquo’s descendants inherit his throne that the murder of Duncan was a waste. “They hail’d him father to a line of Kings, upon my head they placed a fruitless crown.” Macbeth realises that his descendants will never be King. This belief leads Macbeth to have Banquo and his son killed. Macbeth’s paranoia that a descendant of Banquo will overthrow him turns him against his former friend.
Throughout the play Macbeth’s mental state is deteriorating. In the beginning Macbeth is horrified by the thought of murdering Duncan. He is conflicted between his ambition to be King and his loyalty to Duncan. “As his host I should against his murderer shut the door, not bear the knife myself.” Macbeth doesn’t think he should go through with the murder because he feels it’s his duty to be loyal to Duncan. As the play goes on Macbeth’s mental state continues to deteriorate due to paranoia and guilt over Duncan’s murder. By the end Macbeth has become a cruel tyrant yet he still has regrets. He asks his doctor if he can “raze out the written troubles of the brain.” This shows that Macbeth is still plagued by guilt and regrets the murder of Duncan.
Throughout the play Macbeth changes in many ways. He goes from being sceptical of the witches and their prophecies to believing them without the slightest doubt, from being loyal to his friend his friend Banquo, to having him killed out of fear and paranoia. It is these in combination with other factors that cause Macbeth to go from a noble and honourable person to a cruel and friendless tyrant. The dramatic story of a rise and fall from Greatness is still relevant today and is shown in cases like that of MP Chris Carter.
