Describe Macbeths Character as it appears and changes in act 1 and act 2.
Describe Macbeth's Character as it appears and changes in act 1 and act 2.
Macbeth is a general in the king's army, and Thane of Glamis. In Act 1, a battle has taken place, and three witches plan to meet Macbeth, to tell him some important information. Macbeth is shown to be very brave, dominant, and plays a very important part in the king's army.
"For brave Macbeth (well he deserves that name)"
Act 1, Scene 2, Line 16
Later on in Act 1, the witches meet with Macbeth. The witches have a supernatural power and in Act 1, Scene 3, the first witch relates to how she will torment a sailor whose wife had been rude to her. This would show that the witches are not just able to see into the future, but to actually cast a form of power upon people who they choose. This adds fear to Macbeth, who until now has no idea of what the witches have in store for him. The witches recount to Macbeth three prophesies: That Macbeth will be Thane of Cawdor, Thane of Glamis and King. These prophesies introduce Macbeth to ideas of greatness. Macbeth will eventually follow through on killing king Duncan, a destruction of the natural order; it was sometimes thought that the witches had the ability to reverse the natural order of things. This brings into the play idea of fate and the role with which it has in the play. From this point on, Macbeth has his mind set of four filling the deeds which he has been told to do, and can not stop thinking about them.
Once the witches have presented Macbeth with the prediction that he will be Thane of Cawdor, and King, Macbeth known that the deeds must be done. Banquo also asks the witches to predict his future, of which they tell him that his descendants will be kings, though he himself will not. Later on in Act 1, Scene 3, Macbeth is addresses by Angus and Rosse as Thane of Cawdor, even without Macbeth needing to do anything.
"And, for an earnest of a greater honour,
He bade me, from him, call thee Thane of Cawdor:
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Once the witches have presented Macbeth with the prediction that he will be Thane of Cawdor, and King, Macbeth known that the deeds must be done. Banquo also asks the witches to predict his future, of which they tell him that his descendants will be kings, though he himself will not. Later on in Act 1, Scene 3, Macbeth is addresses by Angus and Rosse as Thane of Cawdor, even without Macbeth needing to do anything.
"And, for an earnest of a greater honour,
He bade me, from him, call thee Thane of Cawdor:
In which addition, Hail! Most worthy thane,
For it is thane"
Act 1, Scene 3, Line 104 - 107
Macbeth and Banquo are amazed that what the witches said was true. From then on, Macbeth realises even more, that to forfill what has been said by the witches, he must do the deeds immediately, at which point, he will be king, and Thane of Cawdor and Glamis.
In the beginning of Act 1, Scene 4, Macbeth decided to conceal his thoughts from Banquo. Cawdor faced his execution with dignity, which makes Macbeth the full worthy Thane of Cawdor. Macbeth is now almost becoming greedy with this way of him earning power. It is as if he is now unable to stop. So far, Macbeth has faced no barriers in letting what the witches say come true, until later on in Act 1, Scene 4. Macbeth is told that Malcolm will succeed Duncan as king. This means, that Macbeth will have to kill Malcolm in order for him to become king. Macbeth would not have usually done such a deed, even though he was such a noble warrior. This is has a major effect of the character of Macbeth; This is the turning point in the play, where Macbeth swings from doing what is right, to doing what is wrong, which would be the killing of Duncan.
Lady Macbeth is shown early in the play as an ambitious woman with a single purpose. She can manipulate Macbeth easily. This is shown in the line
"That I may pour my spirits in thine ear".
Act 1, Scene 5, Line 25
She is selfless, and wants what is best for her husband. Before the speech that Lady Macbeth gives in act one scene five, Macbeth is resolved not to go through with the killing of the king. However, Lady Macbeth manipulates Macbeth's self-esteem by playing on his manliness and his bravery. This then convinces Macbeth to commit regicide. It is like a child who is easily guided. Lady Macbeth knows this and acts on it accordingly.
Although Macbeth has the final say in whether or not to go through with the initial killing, he loves Lady Macbeth and wants to make her happy. Lady Macbeth is the dominating individual in the relationship that is shown in her soliloquy in Act 1 Scene. It seems that she can convince him to do anything as long as she "pushes the right buttons in." Lady Macbeth says:
" Art thou afeard/ To be the same in thine own act and valour, As thou art in desire?"
(Act 1, Scene 7, Line 39 - 40)
On the other hand, as the play progresses, and Duncan is killed, there is a reversal of natural order, and Macbeth becomes the dominating partner again. Lady Macbeth becomes subservient. She becomes pathetic and only a shadow of her former self. Ambition plays a large role in this tragedy. Both Macbeth and Lady Macbeth have "vaulting ambition" that drives them. Lady Macbeth's ambition drives her to manipulate Macbeth into committing regicide. Macbeth's fierce ambition is present before the witches' prophesies. He would never have thought seriously about killing Duncan without the witches. Yet the combination of both his ambitious nature and the initial prophesies leads him to kill the king. It is Lady Macbeth who states "Thou wouldst be great/ Art not without ambition." Macbeth states that it is "his besetting sin: I have no spur/ To prick the sides of my intent, but only/ Vaulting ambition." Macbeth's continued ambition is present in his wanting to have a succession of kings after him. Macbeth's ambition is deep within him and because of this, both the witches and Lady Macbeth are able to sway him to evil. It is this ambition that gets him into so much trouble initially.
Once Macbeth kills for the first time, he has no choice but to continue to cover up his wrong doings, or risk losing everything he has worked so hard for. In the end, it all comes to Macbeth himself. Everyone is responsible for his own destiny. This is an essential theme in this tragedy. Macbeth chooses to gamble with his soul and when he does this it is only him who chooses to lose it. He is responsible for anything he does and must take total accountability for his actions. Macbeth is the one who made the final decision to carry out his actions. He made these final decisions and continued with the killings to cover that of King Duncan. However where as some facts show that the results were all of his own doing, in act IV he returns to the witches voluntarily to find out his fate in order to see what actions he should take. This shows that maybe the witches did have a great influence on his actions.
The killing of Duncan starts an unstoppable chain of events in the play that ends with the murder of Macbeth and the suicide of Lady Macbeth. Macbeth chooses to murder Duncan. Macbeth, in the beginning had all of the qualities of an honourable gentleman who could become anything. This is all shattered when his ambition overrides his sense of morality. Although Macbeth is warned as to the validity of the witches prophesies, he is tempted and refuses to listen to reason from Banquo. When the second set of prophesies Macbeth receives begin to show their faults Macbeth blames the witches for deceiving him with half-truths. While the witches are not totally responsible for the actions of Macbeth, they are responsible for introducing the ideas to Macbeth, which in turn fired up Macbeth's ambition and led to a disastrous and unnecessary chain of events