In act 1, scene 2, Shakespeare represent Macbeth as a good fighter a brave, strong soldier. He was compared to the lion. Macbeth is a powerful and loyal man, however as the story progresses he displays his mental weakness especially as Lady Macbeth can easily influence him. I would call him a greedy person, because he always wants more and more and will do anything to satisfy his ambitious nature. The fact that Macbeth gets his title from someone who had been a traitor foreshadows that this will also happen to him.
The actual story and the tragedy begin in Act 1, Scene 3, when Macbeth and his friend Banquo coming back from the battlefield meet three witches who made the fateful prophesy. Just after Macbeth hears the witches’ predictions Angus tells him that he has been named Thane of Cawdor. Upon hearing this, Macbeth is shocked and he tries to sort things out in his head. He tells himself that the witches’ predictions are the hidden truth. He is drifted within his thoughts whether these predictions are good or bad for him Banquo doesn’t believe in their prediction and he calls them “The instruments of darkness….”After the witches prophesy, Banquo remained silent about the predicted future. The witches tell him that although he would not be the king himself his son would be in the future. As much as the predictions excite him, Banquo makes it clear to Macbeth that he will not do anything treacherous to achieve those ends but remains quite. Macbeth feels that Banquo is naturally superior to him and just being near Banquo makes Macbeth feel ashamed. Because of Macbeth’s predicted fate and destiny to become king he hires slaves to kill Banquo and his son, but fortunately his son Fleance escapes, which leaves the possibility of the prophecy becoming true.
The tragedy of Macbeth solely depends on the supernatural, specifically, the witches in the opening scene of the play. Their prophecy led Macbeth and Banquo to believe their fate was set. Their fate may have been something completely different, but their belief in the supernatural led them to make decisions that led them to a different place. If people of that time had not believed that witches were real, or credible, Macbeth would not have considered their prophecies as truth for even a minute. He would have dismissed their predictions because he would have believed them to be false.
If the sorceress’ first predictions had not come true, perhaps Macbeth would not have gone back to them to receive more guidance. If he had not received the second prophecy, he wouldn’t have become overconfident and set up the circumstances for his own death. If the witches hadn’t told Macbeth their prophecy, I do not believe that he would have ever had the thought to be king. Nothing else would have stirred in him the desire to be king. There is no plot if Macbeth does not plan to kill Duncan in his pursuit of the throne.
Shakespeare has portrayed women to be mentally strong to the extent that they are able to speak their minds and show that they have aspirations. Women were seen very differently to how they are in the present day. Lady Macbeth being the main female character in the play gives us an idea of Shakespeare's personal thoughts and views of women. She is seen to be the 'strong woman behind a great leader'. Shakespeare shows Lady Macbeth as an ambitious woman. We first see this when she receives a letter from her husband. We see from the letter that Macbeth treats her as an equal, "My dearest partner of greatness", and that he is pleased to tell her of the prophecy, from the three witches, that she will become queen.
From the beginning to the end, this is an extremely bloody and dark play. But it must be remembered that this type of conduct has not unknown in bygone times where rulers “disposed” of potential claimant to their thrones. Macbeth’s guilt was to some extent excusable. He did commit murders; In the first place he killed Duncan only to show his loyalty to his wife. However afterwards he murder more and more people to fulfil his desire and for his own ambition to rule Scotland.