Macbeth: Hero or Villain?

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Wajeesha Fernando, 11.4

Macbeth: Hero or Villain?

The play 'Macbeth' gives the audience plenty of opportunities to consider the reasons for the main character's actions. In this essay, I will consider the changes in Macbeth from the beginning of the play to the end. How the witches' interferences affected Macbeth's judgement.

In the beginning of the play, Macbeth is a well-known hero. Many praise him for his bravery and loyalty. The King, Duncan makes his appreciation very public. He calls Macbeth a "worthy gentleman" and makes his closeness to Macbeth clear to the audience by stating that he is a "valiant cousin!"

He also honours Macbeth with the title 'Thane of cawdor' since the previous thane is on trial for treason. Duncan makes there closeness clearer by inviting himself to Macbeth's castle. At this point Macbeth is the most popular man in Scotland. The brave and loyal soldier, who just happened to be the king's cousin.

Everything seems to be going well for Macbeth an at this point; I would consider him a hero.

The first time we meet Macbeth is upon the heath in stormy weather. He and Banquo (his best friend) are going back to the castle after winning the battle. He and Banquo meet three "weird sisters", witches.

In the first Act and scene of the play we meet these three witches again "upon the health"", in thunder, lightning and in the rain," "to meet with Macbeth". These are signs of evil, as normal human beings would not want to meet in these terrible conditions.

Macbeth and Bonquo meet these witches upon the heath in thunder, lightning and in rain. Just as the witches had said. These witches hail "Macbeth! Hail to thee, thane of Glamis!

All hail, Macbeth! Hail to thee, thane of Cawdor! All hail, Macbeth! That shalt be king hereafter!" Bonquo asked them of his future and they predicted that he shall be "lesser than Macbeth, and greater. Not so happy, yet much happier". They say that he will never be the king, but can father kings.

This news had sent Macbeth and Bonquo into a state of shock. Macbeth considers the situation carefully. He thought about being the thane of the Cawder but remembered that the thane lives a prosperous life. He does not even want to think about being the king; it is too farfetched and overwhelming. "To be king stands not within the prospect of belief". Banquo then wonders if he is hallucinating. Macbeth seems quite happy about of what he had heard about Banquo and himself. "Your children shall be kings".

Then Angus and Ross arrive. They announce that Macbeth has been honoured as the Thane of Cawdor. Banquo's reply is "can the devil speak true?" This indicates that Banquo has recognised that the "weird sisters" are not of good but evil. Macbeth however, is more willing to believe the witches. He asks Banquo if he does not want his children to be kings, just as they promised to make Macbeth the Thane of Cawdor, "Do you not hope that your children shall be kings, when those that gave me the Thane of Cawdor to me promised no less to them?"

Banquo is wiser. He says that usually evil let us have something good first to gain our trust, and then let us down in the end.

"And oftentimes to win us to our harm, the instruments of darkness tell us truths, win us with honest trifles, to betray's in deepest consequence".

Then Macbeth analyses the situation carefully, he thinks to himself, if

something is bad

or evil then it cannot be good. If it is evil then why does it give him success?

Then he says, "if good, why do I yield to that suggestion whose horrid image cloth unfix my hair, And make my seated heart knock at my ribs, against the use of nature? Presents fears are less than horrible imaginings: my thought whose murder yet is but fantastical, shakes so my single state of man that function is smothered in surmise and nothing is what is not".

This speech suggests that Macbeth is thinking of the unthinkable. He is imagining what it would feel like to be king. However, that would mean that his king is no longer alive. Macbeth's reaction is quite visible here because of the reaction he has against these thoughts. "Shakes so my single state of man that function is smothered in surmise". He does not want to think of such appalling thoughts, which I believe show his true loyalty to his king. Some may say that he should not have had that thought in the first place. But I disagree, as Macbeth experienced one of the key emotions humans have, greed, and selfishness.
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Macbeth and Banquo then leave to see the king. King Duncan again shows his gratitude and love by greeting Macbeth highly and inviting himself to Macbeth's castle. But the main event, which set off Macbeth is when the heir to the throne is announced; Malcolm.

This is when Macbeth's dark side surface. Macbeth decides to kill the king and to get rid of the Prince, whom he only thinks of as an obstacle, not a human.

"The prince of Cumberland: that is a step on which I must fall down, or else o'er leap". ...

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