“And wakes it now, to look so green and pale
... Art thou afeard…live a coward”
Macbeth questions whether he really should go through with it and this gives us some hope as it looks as if good is winning over evil. We learn that his courage has vanished and Lady Macbeth manipulates him by emasculating him and asking if he is scared. Macbeth falls for Lady Macbeth’s manipulating ways and makes the decision to kill the king even though he is still uncertain about it. The fall of man takes place here as Macbeth is slowly changing from a brave and valiant soldier to a ruthless and heatless killer. The internal conflict that Macbeth faces is greatly influenced by his wife and she is another reason for him dilemma.
Our sympathy is engaged as Macbeth is portrayed as brave and valiant at the beginning of the play which provides us with a stark contrast to the evil character he has developed into by the end of the play. King Duncan speaks very highly of Macbeth:
“They smack of honour both”
This is an example of dramatic irony as Macbeth, in reality, has no honour as he goes on to kill the king a few scenes on in the play. It is clear that Duncan is a very good and trusting king but Macbeth betrays him in order to gain power. The theme of fall of man is expressed through Macbeth as after killing Duncan he deteriorates and faces extreme guilt and a moral dilemma. Furthermore the theme of battle of good and evil is represented through Macbeth’s moral dilemma. Shakespeare uses Macbeth to show the disastrous effects that ambition and guilt can have on a man who lacks strength of character. Macbeth, great warrior though he is, is ill equipped for the mental consequences of crime and this creates sympathy for hi
In the beginning of the play, the audience are naturally drawn to Macbeth’s character as he is portrayed as a loyal soldier and patriotic towards his king and country and this creates sympathy towards him. Macbeth states that:
“The service and loyalty I owe. In doing it, pays itself.
Your highness’ part is to receive our duties.”
Macbeth is a good and courageous man as he fought for the king who regards him as “noble”. However this image of Macbeth does not last long as he soon succumbs to his dilemma and kills Duncan. This is an example of dramatic irony as although Macbeth is addressing the king very politely and respectfully, we know his true intention is to murder Duncan and gain the throne. Even Macbeth understands that his flaw is “vaulting ambition which overleaps itself.” This situation is relatable to the reader as the temptation of great power is difficult to refuse and this creates sympathy.
Macbeth struggles with the decision of whether or not to kill Duncan, as he is torn between his hunger for power and moral responsibility, and thus the sympathy of the audience is further evoked.
“Why do I yield to that suggestion,
Whose horrid image doth unfix my hair
And make my seated heart knock at my ribs
Against the use of nature?”
There is an ongoing battle present in Macbeth between his desires for power versus his moral conscience. Macbeth desires to gain the power but despairs over the physical act of killing Duncan in order to obtain it. This also addresses the central concern of equivocation as Macbeth decides to kill the king as he believes he is “yielding” to it. Furthermore, this is the beginning of the fall of man as Macbeth’s moral stature falls. In addition, the moral dilemma faced by Macbeth represents the battle of good and evil. He hopes that he will not have to make a decision and fate will work in his favour but ironically in “Macbeth” the witches represent fate. The internal conflict arouses sympathy in the reader as we feel sorry for the torment that he is enduring.
From the outset, we can see that Macbeth is a violent character. This develops when he kills Duncan, and reaches a pinnacle when he orders the murders of his friends, countrymen and even children. Despite the bravery of his battlefield exploits, there is a brutality evident in the nature of his fighting. In the battle he is said to have:
“unseam’d him from the nave to the chaps, And fix'd his head upon our battlements”
Macbeth’s extreme allegiance to the king caused him to act very violently. It is clear that Duncan is very impressed by Macbeth’s act and he rewards him with the title of “Thane of Cawdor”. Amongst the bravery it is clear that Macbeth is capable of real violence. The theme of good vs. evil is prevalent here as we see both sides of Macbeth: the ruthless killer and the noble soldier. The bad weather in this section is an omen for the bad things to come and the blood motif also foreshadows and creates a foreboding atmosphere. Macbeth’s violent actions also foreshadow the evil deeds he will commit later on.
Despite the horrors committed by Macbeth in the course of the play, there is one moment of respite in the closing scene of the play, which offers a glimpse of redemption and the audience may feel sorry for Macbeth at this point because he is the archetypal fallen hero. The tempo of the play changes in Act 5 reflecting the rapid pace of the battle. Lady Macbeth commits suicide as Macbeths reaction is not one of grief but one of despair. He makes a deeper comment about life:
“Out, out brief candle.
Life’s but a walking shadow, a poor player
That struts and frets his hour upon the stage,
And then is heard no more.”
The comment reflects Macbeth’s feeling of hopelessness. He speaks in poetry to illustrate the idea that life is brief and each person’s life is very insignificant. He does not express any grief which is very unusual considering his wife has just passed away. Macbeth also comments that he has forgotten what it feels like to be scared which emphasises how evil he has become. In the battle Macbeth is lured into a false sense of security by the apparitions and he believes that he cannot be defeated. On realising the true meaning of the prophecy he realises that he has been tricked by the witches and he is killed. The battle of good and evil is represented by Macduff and Macbeth respectively and ultimately Shakespeare makes good triumph over evil. We may feel sympathetic towards Macbeth as his actions were ultimately down to bad circumstances and bad decisions.
Overall the moral dilemma faced by Macbeth is effectively conveyed through the creative use of dramatic irony and the effective portrayal of the central concerns of the play. Shakespeare successfully engages the readers sympathy for Macbeth through the exposition and the means through which he faces the dilemma are very clear.