Macbeth was also very loyal and trustworthy. Duncan, who was later murdered by Macbeth said “O valiant cousin, worthy gentleman”, meaning how kind, loyal and trustworthy they all were, as Macbeth fought for the King which is obviously ironic because in the end he actually killed the King which was at that time, Duncan.
“What he hath lost, noble Macbeth hath won”. Because of this, Duncan made Macbeth Thane of Cawdor because Duncan thought of him as being so loyal and trustworthy – obviously Macbeth wasn’t because in the end Macbeth killed him.
Macbeth knew all along that Duncan was a good man, we know this because Macbeth said about Duncan “He hath honoured me of late”. This shows that Macbeth does know right from wrong and is therefore moral. Macbeth has his doubts about whether he should murder Duncan; we know that he has his doubts because he says “If we should fail”, thinking that if he does fail he should maybe have a back-up plan or something. We also know that he is forced against his better judgement to kill Duncan because Macbeth says, “Is this a dagger which I see before me”. This just shows that he was very hesitant and unsure about whether he wanted to kill Duncan. The dagger was like encouraging him to take it and then use it to kill Duncan. After Macbeth committed Duncan’s murder, he had a guilty conscience because he says “Me thought I heard a voice cry sleep no more”. This means that he was worried whether he would every sleep peacefully again because of his guilty conscience over the murder of Duncan.
Although ambition turns out to be a bad quality, it is also a good quality. Macbeth says “My thought whose murder yet is but fantastical”. This shows enthusiasm and of course ambition; he is just thinking about murdering Duncan. Macbeth also says, “If chance will have me King, why chance may crown me”. This is basically saying that if his chances make him King then chance will make him crowned. It is because his is filled with wonder at the predictions.
Macbeth, throughout the play, shows devotion to his wife, Lady Macbeth. We know that Macbeth listens to her advice because he says, “I am settled and bend up”, meaning that he is settled with what his wife may have just mentioned. Macbeth admires his wife also; he says, “Bring faith men – children only”. Macbeth loves his wife that he tries to protect her from knowledge of his plot to kill Banquo. He says to her, “Be innocent of the knowledge, dearest chuck”, meaning that he doesn’t want to know Macbeth’s plan.
During the play “Macbeth”, some of Macbeth’s good qualities become corrupted and turn into bad qualities. At the start of the play, Macbeth is considered as brave and skilful but when the witches interpret his future, which is the chance to be King of Scotland be then loses his bravery and skilful qualities and instead becomes over ambitious and blood thirsty because he wants to start killing his friends just to fulfil his dream of becoming King.
Macbeth is extremely devoted to he wife which is obviously a good thing in most cases, but, when we realise how evil Lady Macbeth actually is it isn’t such a good thing. Because of this, Macbeth finds himself easily influenced by his wife because he is so devoted to her. He becomes very two-faced because of this as well.
Ambition is a good quality, but, too much of it can lead to trouble as Macbeth discovered. Macbeth had ambition throughout the play but he was getting more and more ambitious over time until he became over confident. Macbeth believed the witches when they said that he could become King. This also made him feel a little bit uneasy and naïve because he was just getting carried away with all his ambitions and bloodthirstiness.
Everyone has bad qualities, but Macbeth seemed to gain more and more towards the end of the play. As Macbeth is easily influenced, his wife persuades him to murder Duncan and Macbeth just says, “I am settled”. This just shows that he doesn’t really think and he just seems to agree with his wife.
Macbeth believes everything the witch’s say and that is why he becomes so ambitious. Macbeth says, “Bring me no more reports, let them fly all; till Birnam Wood remove to Dunsinane, I cannot taint with fear.” This means that he is fearless and he says that he knows what is going to happen and just wants the events that witches promised would happen and let these events take place.
Macbeth finds himself tempted into evil. We know this because Macbeth says, “I will tomorrow – And betimes I will – to the weird sisters. More shall they speak?” Here, he is basically saying that he wants to speak to the witches once again, so that they can make more predictions about Macbeth.
In the play, Macbeth kills Macdfuff’s family; this just shows how bloodthirsty he was. He even says, “Give to th’edge o’th’sword, his wife, his babes and all unfortunate souls,” meaning that he wants the sword and he will kill all the unfortunate people and Macduff’s wife and children.
Macbeth got very bloodthirsty over anything, even his castle! He was trying to defend his castle alone and he said, “I will not yield. To kiss the ground before young Malcolm’s feet”.
After Macbeth finds out all the terrible things he has done, he finds it difficult to face up to the facts. After he murders Duncan, he says, “I am afraid to think what I have done, look on’t again, I dare not”. This just shows how much he regrets it and that he doesn’t want to face up to what he has done. Also, he can’t face up to the fact that he will be defeated at the end. He says, “What’s the boy Malcolm? Was he not born of a woman”? This is because the witches said that a man who was born of a woman could only harm him. This is why Macbeth felt so determined because he thought he wouldn’t get harmed. Malcolm, who killed Macbeth in the end, was not born from a woman, he was born from a caesarean section! So that is why Macbeth tried to defend himself for so long.
Both Macbeth and Lady Macbeth are very deceiving and two-faced because they are plotting to murder Duncan, but when he goes to visit them, Lady Macbeth says “See, see, our honoured hostess”, showing that Duncan is their friend even though they are going to murder him later on.
Banquo tries to tell Macbeth not to listen to the witches or believe anything that they say and Macbeth just says, “I think not of them” when of course he is thinking of them. In fact his whole world is revolving around what the witches say.
We all know that Macbeth was very over-confident, but even near the end he is still very confident because he says, “The mind I sway by and the heart I bear, shall never sag with doubt nor shake with fear”. The reason why he was so confident was because he believes in the witch’s predictions. This is why he is so confident.
We also know that Macbeth became over ambitious towards the end until he is prepared to murder Duncan, Banquo and the whole of Macduff’s family! Macbeth says “To be thus is nothing, but to be safely us, “ meaning that it is nothing if you just murder them because he thinks he’ll be safe because of the witches predictions. He says, “The castle of Macduff I will surprise”. This quote also shows his bloodthirsty nature.
Macbeth’s death was tragic because he was a potentially heroic man and he got so caught up with trying to defend his castle against ten thousand men and because he had to do this, he couldn’t even mourn his wife’s death.
At first he had fine qualities because he was so well admired and respected because of his courage when he fought in battle. He was even made Thane of Cawdor by Duncan! The witches and Lady Macbeth, his wife, later corrupted these fine, essential qualities. The witches just predict that he could become King so he plans to murder Duncan and his evil wife just kept on encouraging him. He just turned evil. In the middle of the play, we witness his suffering because his conscience troubles him. We know this because he sees the ghost of Banquo where he feels he regrets murdering Banquo. He feels that he had to keep killing people to get what he wants and there was no one there to help him or hold him back because his wife is so evil! Macbeth also sees hallucinations of daggers before he kills Duncan and it is like he doesn’t want to do it but he feels that he wants to be King so badly that he’ll do anything. After he killed Duncan his hands are covered with blood. When he tries to wash the blood away, it doesn’t wash away, the blood just stays. It is as if he was trying to wash his guilty conscience away
I think Macbeth feels very insecure because he feels he has to keep killing to feel safe and secure. Near the end we know he has lost his finer feeling when we realise that he was unable to mourn the death of his wife. At the end we see him very angry and deluded because when he receives the crown, no joy or satisfaction was achieved. He realises that he has lost his wife and friends and nobody likes him and all he has left is his position of King.