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Macbeth
The title character of Shakespeare's Macbeth is one of its most evil villains. Macbeth and Lady Macbeth both plot a series of heinous murders, beginning with the cold-blooded killing of Duncan, to the chamberlains, Banquo, and Macduff's wife and children. Macbeth's only concern is to obtain and secure his position of power, and he rapidly descends into insanity as the play progresses. As the drama's main character, Macbeth is certainly the protagonist; all the action in the play centers on Macbeth, his character and his actions. However, unlike many protagonists, Macbeth is not the play's hero. Although he is a relatively minor character in the play, Macduff emerges as the play's true hero by Act II, scene three. Not only was he the first to become wise to Macbeth's nefarious nature, but Macduff takes decisive and successful action against the evil king. Were it...
Macduff delivers the final blow that ends Macbeth's life and restores Malcolm to the throne, and he does so without any attempt to seize power for himself. Because Macduff takes charge, demonstrates wisdom, and defeats Macbeth, all without falling into traps like egotism, he is the only true hero of the play.
In Act II, scene three, Macduff is the first person to break the news of Duncan's death: "O horror, horror, horror! Tongue nor heart / Cannot conceive nor name thee!" (lines 48-49). In addition to repeatedly calling the crime an act of "treason" his demonstration of initiative continues when, later in the scene he appears suspicious of why Macbeth would have murdered the chamberlains: in line 92 of Act II, scene three he directly asks Macbeth why he killed the two men. Macduff is therefore one of the most upfront and assertive characters in the play, a genuine leader and a hero. In Act III, scene…
She declares that a man who snatches what he desires is actually a true man. Lady Macbeth burdens herself by seducing his husband into committing the murder afterall. Although, initially she has the strength and potential to deal with the task of abetting in a murder and thinks she will be able to forget all about it once she becomes the Scottish Queen but eventually conscience overpowers her vices. She
/ He shall spurn fate, scorn death, and bear / His hopes 'bove wisdom, grace, and fear. / And you all know security / Is mortals' chiefest enemy." (Act III, Scene 5). True to the prophesy of the above words, Macbeth destroys both his security and power by succumbing to the illusion of security. The appearance of extreme wealth and power blinds him to the true danger around him and
It is the same in the Bible with the tragedy of King Saul, the first King of Israel. He has turned his back on God, but continues to seek advice before battling against the Philistines. For help, he sees a medium, or witch, and asks her to summon the spirit of the recently deceased prophet-priest Samuel, who used to help Saul he was serving God. In the same way
Macbeth had resisted temptation, befriended Duncan, and (for good measure) divorced his wife. Wouldn't he be the King of Scotland, in due course? Why didn't the Bard create a model of patient merit, instead of a form of vaulting ambition? Why not make Macbeth a hero, instead of a loathsome villain? In William Shakespeare's Macbeth, the playwright tells of a man whose ambition, not to mention the prodding of his
Macbeth REVISED Shakespeare's tragedy of Macbeth is, in some ways, the story of a disaster that everyone can see coming. After all, it opens with characters -- the Three Witches -- who can see the future. When Macbeth encounters them, the witches offer what Shakespeare terms "strange intelligence" or "prophetic greeting" -- predicting that he will attain the titles of Thane of Cawdor, Thane of Glamis, and King of Scotland (I.iii).
Shakespeare The Character and Relationship of Macbeth and his Lady In Act 1, Scene V of Macbeth, Lady Macbeth reads a letter from her husband and then reflects on his character. Use this letter and speech as a focal point for analyzing their relationship. What does the letter tell you about his view of the world? What does her subsequent speech tell you about hers? Stay with these few pages of the