‘For brave Macbeth (well he deserves that name)
Disdaining fortune, with his brandished steel,
Which smoked with bloody execution,
Like Valour’s minion carved out his passage,
Till he faced the slave;
Which ne’er shook hands, nor bade farewell to him,
Till he unseamed him from the nave to th’ chops,
And fixed his head upon our battlements.’
1.2.16-24
This shows that Macbeth at the outset of the play is thought to be extremely loyal and valiant. Furthermore we form an image of male protagonist, a brave warrior who is a man of action.
This is typical of Shakespeare technique in all major tragedies where he uses characters of less importance to introduce the hero. On arrival of Macbeth his first words are ‘So fair and foul a day I have not seen’ 1.3.38 which echoes the witches’ incantation showing that Macbeth and the supernatural are intrinsically linked. This implies that appearances can be deceiving. What appears to be good can be bad, and this is seen in such ways as the deceptive facade of Lady Macbeth and in the predictions of the witches.
Throughout the play the witches’ predictions are encouraging Macbeth to follow actions which are both wrong and immoral .They sow the idea of him becoming king with a plan in which they tell him half-truths, so that he will succumb to believing the false half of the lie since the latter half is true. During the third scene of Act I, Macbeth and Banquo, his friend, come across the three witches, who describe him as the “Thane of Cawdor” and he who “shalt be king hereafter!” Act 1 Scene 2. The reality that Macbeth will become the Thane of Cawdor is true. Yet, the prophecy that he would lawfully become king is false. This prediction gives him the confidence to murder King Duncan since the witches must have been true, as he thought, since they were correct regarding him becoming the Thane of Cawdor.
The weakness of Macbeth's character and the strong power of Lady Macbeth and how she is easily able to influence him is also instrumental as to how to and why his character changes. Her strength motivates him at the start but after he realises what he has done it is himself that continues in his murderous, bloody path, ‘I am in blood stepped in so far, that should I wade no more, returning were as tedious as go o’er
3. 4.136-138. At the beginning of the play Lady Macbeth appears as a kind wife of Macbeth's but underneath lies a scheming and treacherous woman.
Lady Macbeth who as in turn been overwhelmed with greed and ambition makes an attack on Macbeth’s manhood,
‘What beast was’ then
That made you break this enterprise to me?
When you durst do it, then you were a man;’
1.7.47-49
Macbeth still has a conscience at this stage because he is very hesitant about killing the King but his weak nature over comes him. This shows us that it is also Lady Macbeth’s ambition that is causing Macbeths character to transform. He has a conscience throughout the entire play as this is seen by the hallucinations of the dagger and the ghost of Banquo and his vivid imagination and his constant worry also provokes him. This is also evident in his terrible dreams which give the solid theme that he has indeed "murdered sleep". 2.2.33
Although these factors may influence him Macbeth also shows his cold-heartedness by setting up the murder of Banquo he ensures the death of Lady Macduff ‘It is concluded. Banquo, thy soul’s flight, if it find in heaven, must find it out tonight.’ 3.1.141-142.
Throughout the play there are a number of ideas and themes most notably these include nemesis, evil and blood, ambition, sleep, love, loyalty, courage, order and manhood. Each of these themes is integral to the plot of Macbeth. For example at the start of the play Macbeth is talked about as one the greatest soldiers and most importantly his mercilessness in his killing of the rebel leader Macdonwald who he ‘Useamed’ ‘from nave to the chops,’ which clearly shows his warrior mentality. After his meeting with the witches he makes killing a habit in which he kills Duncan King of Scotland and after this he has visions and hallucinations of his hands covered in blood "Will all great Neptune's ocean wash this blood / Clean from my hand?" 2.2.57-58. this blood comes to symbolise the guilt of Macbeth and Lady Macbeth and stains their consciences to there grave.
Furthermore nature and more specifically weather is and important theme in Macbeth, as when any evil event occurs such as the terrible storms that occur when Duncan is murdered and also on the arrival of the witches there is thunder and lightening. Also the witches being ‘so withered and so wild in their attire’ as described by Banquo seem to enjoy the foul thunder and lightning and also ‘…the fog and filthy air.’
Ambition and greed are obviously at the root of the play as it his Lady Macbeths and Macbeths desires that get the better of them and coax them into committing the murders of innocent children and women and also good friends. On one hand Macbeth finds it difficult to cope with his conscience after his immoral deeds Lady Macbeth seems to have a much stronger determionation to achieve her goals. Violence is also a theme which is latched onto ambition as the whole play is extremely violent and Macbeth finds it tempting to use violence to dispose of those Banquo, Fleance and Macduff who would be a threat to his ultimate goal to be an unquestionable king.
Manhood is also a theme as both Lady Macbeth and Macbeth himself use it to manipulate others and to achieve there goals for example Lady Macbeth Questions his manhood in order to make sure that he kills the king,
‘What beast was’ then
That made you break this enterprise to me?
When you durst do it, then you were a man;’
1.7.47-49
And Macbeth when trying to persuade the would be murderers of Banquo and Fleace whom they fail to kill and also the wife and children of Macduff.
Retribution is a theme which runs in the play; we can see that both Lady Macbeth and Macbeth got what they deserved after they started their life of evil. The retribution which they deserved did not happen all at once they are plagued by it through the play from Macbeth’s inability to say ‘amen’ to the madness and death of both Macbeth and Lady Macbeth.
Sleep in Macbeth offers a form of retribution has it is through sleep that one can often find a time of peace and healing and this is lost through Macbeth committing murders and is clearly shown through the phrase ‘….Macbeth hath murdered sleep.’ Macbeth is also haunted in his sleep as he has ‘terrible dreams that shake us nightly’ which shows although he is trying to forget through his sleep he cannot for his evil deeds are coming back to haunt him.
Through the play Macbeth and his wife’s love for each other deteriorate at the start they greet each other ‘Great Galmis, worthy Cawdor…..’
‘My dearest love…’
Which show their love for each other but near to Lady Macbeth’s death they are hardly speaking in this tone.
Disloyalty and treachery are also a theme because after Macbeth was disloyal to the king he got what he deserved through the forces of good. Because Macbeth an Lady Macbeth are haunted by the fact that treachery may dethrone them Macbeth orders the death of Banquo here again is deceit and disloyalty and because of this Macbeths subjects flee leaving him with untrustworthy subjects.
The language used by Shakespeare in the character of Macbeth or to describe him is
In conclusion Macbeths change from hero to villain encapsulated in his first act of murder, King Duncan. There are a number of factors which urge Macbeth to become a traitor, murderer and liar. The witches, Lady Macbeth, his own greed and ambition are all factors as it is the witches that make Macbeth feel that he can be king and it is also Lady Macbeth who convinces him to murder the king but after this it his won greed and ambition that make him kill his friends and their families.
