This is in contrast with the end of the play, when he is perceived as a “dead butcher”. Macbeth and Lady Macbeth are perceived as devilish and as tyrants. Another example of Macbeth’s diminished reputation is in Act 4 scene 3, “This Tyrant, whose sole name blisters our tongues”. Macbeth is seen as a Tyrant and a dictator who is ruining Scotland.
We discover that Macbeth has a high status, he is the ‘Thane of Glamis’, but Duncan promotes him another level of authority, “What he hath lost, noble Macbeth has won”. Duncan rewards Macbeth for his bravery and loyalty by promoting him to ‘Thane of Cawdor’. This is extremely ironic, however, because he is given the title of a traitor when he will become one himself. Duncan also feels that he cannot reward Macbeth enough for his bravery; “Only I have left to say, more is due than more than all can pay”. This shows Macbeth’s greatness because even Duncan, the King, feels he cannot repay him for his loyalty. Macbeth has greatness at the beginning of the play and this is a characteristic of a Shakespearean Tragic Hero.
Macbeth has many character flaws he is very ambitious; When Macbeth first hears that he might possibly become King he acts in extremely agitated way, Banquo says in Act 1 scene 3, “Why do you start and seem to fear things that do sound fair? -I’th’name of truth are ya fantastical, or that indeed which outwardly ye show?” Macbeth acts in this way perhaps because the witches have touched upon a secret ambition of Macbeth’s, to become king of Scotland. This shows that he is a very ambitious man. When Macbeth first hears the witch’s predictions Banquo thins that Macbeth, “seems rapt withal”. This suggests that Macbeth seems to be in a daze; maybe he is reacting in this way because he is thinking about how he will become King. Again another indication that Macbeth is ambitious is that is already planning how he will become king after the witches’ predicted it. In this early stage of the play Macbeth admits that he is imagining murder; “ My thought, whose murder yet is but fantastical, shakes so my single state of man”. Macbeth is so shaken by his thoughts of murder that he cannot act. We infer that it is Duncan’s he is imagining .Yet we also see that Macbeth is a rational thinker; “If chance will have me king, why chance my crown me without my stir”. Macbeth hopes that he won’t have to murder Duncan and that fate will make him King.
Another indication that Macbeth is ambitious is that he is thinking of evil deeds and murder to become king, even though Duncan is his close friend and possibly a relative,
“The prince of Cumberland: that is a step
On which I must fall down, or else o’erleap,
For in my way it lies. Stars hide your fires,
Let not the light see my black and deep desires,
The eyes wink the hand. Yet let that be,
Which the eye fears when it is done to see”
This shows that Macbeth is ambitious because Malcolm has just been named heir to the throne, this is an obstacle in Macbeth’s way. Macbeth’s “black and deep desires” are his thoughts of murder. Again, this is an indication that he will do anything to achieve his goal, to become king.
Macbeth battles with his conscience on numerous occasions throughout the play. Before Macbeth murders Duncan he tries to avoid murder.
Macbeth shows us that he does not want to commit himself further to the murder of Duncan by saying “We will speak further”. He also says to Lady MacBeth, “We will proceed no further in this business”, this shows that he wants to enjoy his good reputation and not kill Duncan. MacBeth is more concerned about the fact that he might be discovered than the deed being morally wrong; when he is convinced it is fool proof he is convinced.
Macbeth feels that he has a “heat oppressed brain”, due to battling with his conscience. After Macbeth has murdered Duncan, his guilty conscience starts to play tricks on his mind, “Macbeth shall sleep no more”. Macbeth believes he has heard a voice in his head telling him he will not be able to sleep. If Macbeth fails to sleep, it means that he will have no escape from his conscience. Another indication that Macbeth has a guilty conscience is when he says, “will all great Neptune’s oceans clean this blood from my Hand? No”. Macbeth realises that even if he washes the blood from his hands he cannot wash the guilt from his conscience, he will have a guilty conscience for the rest of his life.
We also discover that Macbeth regrets killing Duncan; “ Wake Duncan with thy knocking: I would thou couldst”, Macbeth is showing clear regret for his actions and wishes that Duncan was still alive.
Macbeth suffers throughout the play; he mostly suffers due to his own actions. In Act 2 scene 1 Macbeth is about to murder Duncan, at this stage he is battling with his conscience, “or art thou but a dagger of the mind, a false creation Proceeding form the heat- oppressed brain?” Macbeth is battling with his conscience and thinking about the murder is he about to commit. Macbeth begins to wonder if he will be damned because of his murderous actions towards Duncan; “But wherefore could not I pronounce ‘Amen?’ I had most need of blessing and ‘Amen’ stuck in my throat ”. If Macbeth could not say ‘Amen’ it means that he cannot pray to god, this therefore means that god cannot forgive him for his and Macbeth will be damned to hell. Macbeth admits that his conscience is plaguing him and that he is suffering to Lady Macbeth; “Full of scorpions is my mind, dear wife”. This is a powerful metaphor showing the psychological terror inside Macbeth’s head. Macbeth is also suffering because he still has not found true happiness even when he is king, “we have scorched the snake, not killed it” Being king has not brought happiness to Macbeth; he is plagued by his conscience and fears of civil unrest that will remove him from the throne. He is suffering because he lives in constant fear.
Macbeth is haunted and suffers because he sees Banquo’s ghost:
“The time has been
That when the brains were out, the man would die,
And they’re an end. But now they rise again
With twenty mortal murders on their crowns
And push us form our stools.”
Macbeth is saying that once there was a time when men that were dead would stay dead, now ghosts rise to haunt him and threaten his position on the throne. Macbeth is seeing endless images of his horrific deeds, making his sanity suffer.
Macbeth’s actions do not just affect him, they affect others around him and Scotland. The first example of this is in Act 3 scene 1, “For Banquo’s issue have I filed my mind”. Macbeth murdered Banquo and Fleance because he was afraid that Banquo’s sons would rule Scotland. Macbeth asks Banquo how far he is riding because he plans to murder him. Macbeth also wants to murder him because Banquo is suspicious of him. Macbeth affects the natural order when he murders Duncan; “Our chimneys were blown down…. Lamenting heard in the air…. the earth was feverous and did shake. Another indication that the natural order has been disrupted after the murder of Duncan Is,
“A falcon tow’ ring in her pride of place
Was by a mousing owl hawked and killed.
And Duncan’s horses, a thing most strange and certain,
Beauteous and swift, the minions of their race,
Turned into wild in nature, broke their stalls flung out,
Contending ‘gainst obedience.”
Macbeth resorts to barbaric behaviour to stay on the crown, “ Seize upon Fife: give to th’edge o’th’sword His wife his babes, and all unfortunate souls that trace him in his line”. Macbeth has sent murderers to kill Macduff’s family even is small children. He does this because the witch’s apparitions told Macbeth to be weary of Macduff and Macbeth wants to make sure that he is not a threat. He has affected Macduff’s life in an emotional way; this makes Macduff want revenge as well as killing MacBeth for Scotland.
Scotland is greatly affected by Macbeth’s actions throughout the play. We discover that Scotland is in trouble; “I think our country sinks beneath the yoke; it weeps it bleeds, and each new day a gash is added to her wounds”. Macbeth has changed Scotland into a slave who is slowly dying from her wounds. We also get the impression that Scotland had changed for the worse; “It cannot be called our mother but our grave…. Where sighs and groans and shrieks that rend the air are made, not marked… Good men’s lives expire before the flowers in their caps”. Ross is explaining that Scotland has become a place of death and destruction, where violence and suffering has become a regular thing and no one notices it also where good men die at a young age all due to Macbeth being king. Macbeth had also affected Lady Macbeth, “unnatural deeds do breed unnatural troubles… More needs she the divine than a physician”. Lady Macbeth’s guilt has driven her to madness the doctor is saying that she needs God’s forgiveness rather than a doctor.
Throughout the play the reader feels sympathy for Macbeth. We feel sorry for him because his wife as the one who put pressure on Macbeth and eventually led him to murdering Duncan. Lady Macbeth is knows Macbeth is too good and kind to murder Duncan and make the most of the situation. “ I fear thy nature is it too full o’th milk of human kindness”. She is prepared to manipulate Macbeth until he becomes king, “That I may pour my spirits in thine ear”. Lady Macbeth also puts pressure on Macbeth by insulting him, “Would’st thou have that which thou esteem’st the ornament of life, and live a coward in thine own esteem”. Lady Macbeth calls Macbeth a coward, this is a very insulting toward Macbeth because he has been in many battles and has been brave. Lady Macbeth tries to taunt him. I believe that Macbeth was once a great man, and he has lost it all. Some people may argue that Macbeth lost all of his greatness due to his own actions but. Macbeth would not have lost it all if Lady MacBeth wouldn’t of pushed him and taunted him, MacBeth wanted to become king but was unsure about murdering Duncan.
At the end of the play Macduff kills Macbeth. I think that Macbeth had to be killed at the end of the play. I think this because Macbeth being king brought pain and hardship to Scotland and also the people that lived there. Also it was inevitable that he had to die at the end of the play because he had killed Macduff’s family and Macduff wanted revenge. Macbeth needed to be killed at the end of the play because of the injustice that he caused in Scotland. It was the just thing to do. Also he needed to be killed because of the concept of evil, evil needed to be destroyed to allow Scotland to function properly.
