Macbeth Essay Examples

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Macbeth: His Journey to the Dark Side Macbeth, by William Shakespeare, is one of the greatest Shakespearean tragedies written in the 18th century, a drama full of murder and revenge. By these mysterious prophecies of the three mystical witches, Macbeth is prompted to kill his dear ruler, and friend, Duncan, in order to seize the throne. This leads to ghosts, hallucinations, more murders, and other unnatural events, eventually resulting in the downfall of Macbeth.

Macbeth develops and changes greatly, from a loyal, trustworthy person to corrupted and murderous man throughout the course of the play. Many factors affected the shaping of the character of Macbeth, including the witches’ prophecies and foil character, Banquo. This character shift caused by the witches’ prophecies and Banquo demonstrates how from supernatural powers to one of his closest friends, Macbeth is an easily affected person, which is leads to, and is the cause, of how significantly his character changes throughout the play.

In the beginning of the play, Macbeth starts out as loyal and trustworthy person. To Duncan, he states, “… our uties / Are to your throne and state children and servants, / Which do but what they should, by doing everything / Safe toward your love and honor” (Act 1 Scene 4, pg 10). Here Macbeth uses a literary device, analogy, where he compares the relationship between Duncan and himself to those of a child and father, or servant and master.

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Who Besides Banquo Knows Of The Witches’ Prophecies

He states how he believes that as a subject of King Duncan, he owes respect to Duncan like a child would to their father, or a servant to their master. He is expected to be loyal and serve the King, along with everyone else, and must treat Duncan with onor. This portrays how loyal Macbeth is to his king, and how he regards Duncan with dignity and respect. Macbeth calls Duncan “cousin” ( Act 1 Scene 4, pg 10) as well, representing how Macbeth and Duncan are close friends, like brothers. Knowing that Duncan is like a family to him, Macbeth hesitates greatly before murdering Duncan. He’s here in double trust: / First, as I am his kinsman and his subject, / Strong both against the deed; then, as his host, / Who should against his murderer shut the door, / Not bear the knife myself. Besides, this Duncan / Hath borne his aculties so meek,” (Act 1 Scene 7, pg 15). This quote exhibits how Macbeth is Duncan’s subject and kinsman, therefore he must protect him, and save him from murder, rather than murder him himself, for Duncan had been such an humble leader, free of corruption.

Although Macbeth had seen many deaths during the times of war and battle, he had always been faithful and true to his companions and rulers. Because of his natural dutiful state, Macbeth is hesitant about killing Duncan, for they had always been such close companions, and taking away his dear friend’s, and uler’s life would mean that Macbeth must go against his own values and beliefs. This great hesitance displays Macbeth’s faithfulness and honesty towards Duncan, showing how a loyal, trustworthy person Macbeth is.

As the play goes along, Macbeth gradually turns into a corrupted, murderous man. He begins to commit terrible deeds of murder in order to fulfill the witches’ auguries, including the murder of his beloved ruler. “l go, and it is done. The bell invites me. / Hear it not, Duncan, for it is a the scene of Macbeth as he decides to go murder Duncan. It shows how murderous e has become, for he states that the murder is “as good as done”; that he is determined and has fully prepared to murder Duncan, as if it has already been done.

All thats left is the actual murder. Macbeth states that the bell invites him, that the bell is telling him to do so, as well. This displays how Macbeth is hesitant, for he is stating that the bell is telling him to kill Duncan. That murdering Duncan was not his true intentions, but because the bell, representing the witches’ prophecies and his strong desire and ambition of becoming King, is inviting him and luring him to do so, e must complete his mission of murdering the King. Here we start to see the becoming of Macbeth as a corrupted, evil person.

Going against his own belief of how a subject must treat his king with dignity and respect, Macbeth murders Duncan. This brutal action is the result of the prophecies from the witches, which turns Macbeth into a corrupted man, bringing Macbeth’s ambitious and selfish nature out. Because of the witches prophecies of “All hail, Macbeth, that shalt be king hereafter” (pg 6), Macbeth is fixated on the idea of becoming king, and decides to do hatever is necessary, even murder, to take over the throne.

To demonstrate how brutal Macbeth had actually become, he starts committing murder again, this time his dear friend Banquo and his son, Fleance. He states “Who wear our health but sickly in his life, / Which in his death were perfect… So is he mine; and in such bloody distance / That every minute of his being thrusts / Against my near’st of life. ” (Act 3 Scene 1, pg 36-37)” This quote shows how much Macbeth has come to loathe and despise Banquo, for as long as Banquo lives, he is in danger. Banquo had heard the rophecies of the witches, and, as one of his closest companion, knew much about Macbeth.

Therefore, Macbeth believes that Banquo might put “two and two together” and fgure out that the one who murdered Duncan was Macbeth, which would put Macbeth in great risk. As Banquo was informed about Duncan’s murder in Act 2 Scene 3, he had vowed “In the great hand of God I stand, and thence / Against the undivulged pretense I fight / Of treasonous malice. ” (Act 2 Scene 3); to go after and slay the murderer. Macbeth knows that Banquo would come after him if he fgures ut that Macbeth was the murder of Duncan, for Banquo is dependable and secure enough to stick to his own virtues and promises, unlike himself.

Yet, Macbeth stating how much he hates Banquo is quite bizarre, for Banquo and Macbeth had been good friends toward the beginning of the story. Macbeth and Banquo together were loyal, righteous, and magnificent warriors. They seemed to work well together in the kings army, and seem to be friendly and confide each other. However, here in Act 3, Macbeth talks as if Banquo and himself were enemies from the start, detesting him o much that Macbeth states that it’d be for the better good for him erased from this world.

This all relates back to how hysterical in his actions and evil Macbeth has become, which is a result of the witches prophecies. For not only is he going against his own beliefs and ruler, but he is going against one of his dearest friends as well, changing him into an entirely different man. This overall demonstrates how Macbeth is an easily affected character. From mystical and paranormal features such as the witches’ prophecies to close, devoted friends such as Banquo, Macbeth is quickly eceived, which causes his major character shift throughout the story.

Banquo, a foil of Macbeth’s character throughout the course of the play. Despite the fact that both Banquo and Macbeth had heard the witches’ eerie prophecies in Act 1 Scene 3, Banquo stayed serene, not believing in the prophecies, and let things flow naturally in life. “… oftentimes, to win us to our harm, / The instruments of darkness tell us truths, / Win us with honest trifles, to betrays / In deepest consequence. ” (Act 1 Scene 3). This quote portrays how Banquo is aware of the decivious ways of the witches’ and heir prophecies, and that he would not be easily fooled by them.

On the other hand, Macbeth, overly fixated on the prophecies, is easily fooled by the prophecies, and takes action right away, causing everything to slowly break down, and eventually fall apart at the end, resulting in the downfall of Macbeth. They both started at the same point, but began to go in opposite directions. Banquo followed the better path, as Macbeth wandered into the dark side. Banquds calmness, in comparison, makes Macbeth seem even more urging and ambitious as well, wanting to become king right way by any means necessary; even if it meant murdering some of his dearest companions.

Macbeth develops and changes greatly, from a loyal, trustworthy person to a corrupted and murderous man throughout the course of the play. This change of character of Macbeth, from good to evil, shapes the story of Macbeth, making it one of the well known Shakespearean plays of all time. In the beginning, Macbeth was a loyal and trustworthy subject, a brave general and a great friend. Yet, because of the witches prophecies, his character changes. Brutal murders came to being, causing verything to go wrong, and resulting in the downfall for Macbeth.

Foil characters, such as Banquo, assist in the development of Macbeth’s character as well. This character shift caused by the witches’ prophecies and Banquo demonstrates how from mystical powers to one of his closest friends, Macbeth is an easily affected man, which leads to the cause of how outstandingly his character changes throughout the play. In the end, from a noble man, Macbeth had become a corrupted, murderous person, full of ambition, and had ended the lives of many good-hearted men for foolish reasons.