Do you believe that Macbeth is a complete villain or does he have some redeeming qualities?

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Alex Nash
10E English Miss Rees

   

                                 Macbeth

Do you believe that Macbeth is a complete villain or does he have some redeeming qualities?

    This Essay will focus on the tragic tale of ‘Macbeth’, and by doing this I should be able to come up with both his villainous and redeeming qualities, which are shown from the very start of this play.
   He is a strong warrior along with the fact that people think highly of him, but in addition he is associated with the witches, as in one of the first lines a witch proclaims, “There to meet with Macbeth”, which to the reader gives a sign of potential evil with Macbeth.
   

At the beginning of the play, everybody is admiring Macbeth, which is essential information on how highly people think of him. Its essential because the reader first thinks that Macbeth is a very respected person. He is described as “brave Macbeth” which obviously gives him a redeeming quality. The captain tells Duncan that Macbeth and Banquo enjoy killing opponents on the front line, which gives Macbeth an evil quality that he actually enjoys murders. “They meant to bathe in reeking wounds”, indicates this. Blood is usually associated with evilness and hatred, which could give the reader a vision of evilness inside Macbeth.
   Macbeth’s attitude to his wife is rather bizarre as his actions towards her change constantly. “They met me on the day of success”, designates that Macbeth is telling Lady Macbeth about the witches. Therefore this goes onto the conclusion that for Macbeth to be telling his wife this ‘top secret’ information obviously gives the suggestion that Macbeth and his wife may be quite close, which gives Macbeth a redeeming quality because of his faithfulness to his wife. However Macbeth’s interaction with the witches adds some wickedness to Macbeth.
   Lady Macbeth describes that Macbeth is “ too full of the milk of human kindness”, which indicates that Lady Macbeth believes that her husband wouldn’t have the ability or the mind to kill Duncan just to become king. This describes Macbeth as, in a way, weak, which is neither a redeeming nor evil quality in his eyes, however in the reader’s eyes it shows Macbeth does have some dignity if his most treasured companion would say something like this. If you think about it Lady Macbeth is the only one who truly knows Macbeth.
    Banquo is Macbeth’s closest acquaintance, “worthy Macbeth” Banquo exclaims as a sign of respect for Macbeth. This illustrates the various contrasts to Macbeth; for example, Banquo is everything that Macbeth isn’t. This gives Macbeth an evil quality as we think of Banquo as heroic like Macbeth but we don’t usually associate evil with Banquo as with Macbeth.

     Macbeth meets the witches upon a heath looking for answers. The first word that Macbeth exclaims are associated with evil, “so fair is foul and foul a day I have not seen”, which is Macbeth literally repeating the witch’s words. In a way Macbeth is acting as if he has known the witches for some time. This adds an immense evil quality to Macbeth, as the witches are plain immorality.
     Macbeth reacts to the news that he shall become king very abnormally. Banquo asks Macbeth, “good sir, why do you start, and seem to fear?” which is implying, “why are you afraid about something so good?” This adds confusion to the play as we as readers all thought Macbeth would have been gracious about hearing this news. This sees to Macbeth as being off put by the witches, giving him a redeeming quality. He may know that there will be consequences.
   
Banquo reacts differently to the way that Macbeth does. He is in a way more interested. His attitude to the witches is strange as he is eager to know what happens to Macbeth. He wants the witches to predict into the future. “…Look into the seeds of time,” suggests this. But unlike Macbeth, Banquo dismisses the witches and is not ‘rapt’. He even acknowledges Macbeth of the holy-truths evil sometimes tells us in order to turn us from good to bad. Shortly after, Macbeth and Banquo both go to see Duncan. At the time Duncan has to make a very important decision, which is that he has to appoint the king after him. Although Duncan praises Macbeth, “thou art so far before…” that is not the decision he goes with. He also praises Banquo “Noble Banquo, thas no less deserved…” but yet again it’s not the decision that he goes with. His decision falls onto, Malcom. “Establish our estate our eldest, Malcom…”
Macbeth acts irritated at his decision,
“the eye wink at the hand, yet that be, which the eye fears, when it is done, to see”, implying Macbeth must now plan to kill Duncan without any one seeing him. This is an evil quality by far. Macbeth was told he would become king but that’s not been the outcome. He now realizes that he has to take matters into his own hands.
     
   Macbeth rides home. He arrives to find out that Lady Macbeth has decided that they must kill Duncan. She even thinks about killing Duncan herself. “And pall thee in the dunnest smoke of hell indicates this. When talking to Macbeth she immediately takes control of the plans and arrangements. “…Look like the innocent flower…” implies this. Macbeth reacts calmly to this as he says, “we will speak further”. He’s kept his sentence short, which is showing that he doesn’t really want to talk about it. It is shortly followed by Lady Macbeth once again taking charge-telling Macbeth to make sure he keeps an innocent face. “Only look up clear to altar favour ever is to fear” entails this. Referring back to the question, this provides Macbeth with a redeeming quality. Maybe he is thinking twice about the crime he shall be committing.         
   
Macbeth still has a conscience at this point as he begins to give himself reasons for not killing Duncan. “He’s in double trust: First as I am his kinsman and his subject” implies this, meaning that there are reasons why Duncan should trust Macbeth. One of them is that, Macbeth believes “Hath born his facilities so meek”, implying that, Duncan has used his powers as a king so humbly. Also he can see the reaction of the people, their eyes about to weep, which, “shall blow the horrid…that tears shall drown the wind”, implies. This is an evil quality for Macbeth as he does have respect for the king but those can take away the deceit, which he is about to commit.
   Although Macbeth gives reasons not to kill Duncan, he is persuaded to agree with the murder, by his own wife, Lady Macbeth.
“And live like a coward…” she exclaims, and tells him that he is like the cat who wants the fish but doesn’t want to get its feet wet. By doing this she gets into Macbeth’s mind. He doesn’t want her to think he’s a complete coward! He starts to realize what she’s doing. She is mocking his man hood because she knows he will not stand for this. She knows all of her husband’s weak points. This gives Macbeth a redeeming quality. Although he can be forced into this, there are instincts inside him that tell him he isnt one hundred percent sure whether he wants to go ahead with it.

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There’s a chance that Macbeth is not to blame for the death of Duncan. Lady Macbeth plays a key role in the death. After mocking him to persuade him to commit the evil deed she also takes charge and sets everything up. Also there are the witches who started the whole plot by predicting the future to Macbeth.
His own conscience plays a part as well. He has in a way confused himself of the facts that he wants to be come king but in order to do so he has so murder Duncan. However these thoughts he has are pushing ...

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