‘Macbeth’ is an example of a Shakespearean tragedy as it fulfils all of the factors drawn by A. C. Bradley. It is a story of exceptional calamity, as we wouldn’t expect such events to happen in everyday life. The death of a man in high estate is the murder of King Duncan. The killing of a king is a sacrilegious murder and Duncan’s virtues ‘will plead like angels, trumpet-tongu’d, against the deep damnation of his taking off’. They will make people sorry for his death. After Duncan is dead he is talked about as ‘his silver skin lac’d with his golden blood’. This makes him seem as though he is like a precious treasure because gold and silver are expensive and valuable.
I believe that Duncan’s death was a tragedy, as he didn’t deserve to die, as he was a good and honest king. It was believed then that kings were chosen by God as they were given the heavenly gift to heal people who had scrofula, a form of tuberculosis. This was called ‘The king’s evil’ and it was also believed that this power was hereditary.
The troubled part of a life, that leads to the death of a hero or heroine or main protagonist is when Macbeth is having hallucinations and worrying about the prophecies. Before Macbeth murders Duncan he keeps imagining a dagger in front of him. ‘Is this a dagger which I see before me? The handle toward my hand? Come, let me clutch thee: I have thee not, and yet I see thee still.’ In act 3, scene 4 Macbeth sees the ghost of Banquo due to his guilt of having Banquo murdered. Guilt plays a large part in tragedy as Lady Macbeth starts sleepwalking, as she feels guilty about Duncan’s murder. Her guilt then drives her to kill herself, which is tragic.
Macbeth being king affects the well being of Scotland as in act 4, scene 3 Malcolm and Macduff discuss this. Macduff says ‘each new morn new widows howl, new orphans cry, new sorrows strike heaven on the face, that it resounds as if it felt with Scotland’ Scotland has become worse since Macbeth became king. There are women without husbands; children without parents and sorrows seem to get worse. ‘ I think our country sinks beneath the yoke; it weeps, it bleeds and each new day a gash is added to her wounds.’ Imagery of blood is used here to describe the effect Macbeth being king has on Scotland. Macbeth is associated with blood and death due to the murders he committed so as Macbeth is king of Scotland it is like he is murdering Scotland and making her bleed.
‘Macbeth’ shows the powerlessness of man and the omnipotence of fate and fortune as the prophecies predicted by the witches all came true. Some of them are fortunate for Macbeth, as he becomes Thane of Cawdor and then king as predicted. But some are fateful as Macbeth is beaten when Birnam Wood comes to Dunsinane Hill. This was one of the apparitions shown to Macbeth by the witches. The other apparitions are:
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1st apparition – armed (helmeted) head who warns Macbeth about Macduff.
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2nd apparition – a bloody child who tell Macbeth he needn’t fear any man who is born by a woman
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3rd apparition – a child crowned holding a tree. Macbeth won’t be conquered until Great Birnam Wood comes to Dunsinane Hill.
- Macbeth then sees a parade of 8 ghosts which shows all the descendants of kings from Banquo’s line
The supernatural is involved in ‘Macbeth’ and I believe this is the main cause of tragedy as if Macbeth hadn’t have heard the prophecies then he wouldn’t have believed them and wouldn’t have done all he could to make them true or untrue. This again shows the powerlessness of man and that what is meant to happen, will happen.
‘Macbeth’ fulfils my expectations of a Shakespearean tragedy as it follows all the factors given by A. C. Bradley. ‘Macbeth’ leaves a feeling of catharsis in its audience as I felt upset by the events of the story yet was left with a feeling that it was for the better as evil had been defeated (Macbeth) and good had overcome it (Malcolm). Scotland was a happier place after Macbeth had been defeated. Order was restored and Malcolm brought harmony back to Scotland as he was rightfully king because he was the son of Duncan. I personally found ‘Macbeth’ quite a tragic story as there is a lot if suffering and many people are killed.
