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‘The Tragedy of Macbeth’ is one of Shakespeare’s most famous and most studied tragedies. ... The central character, Macbeth, a noble and loyal general, murders and deceives his way to the throne. ...
There are many influences that culminate in the evil atrocities seen in the play, and in my opinion there are three characters responsible: Macbeth, his wife, Lady Macbeth and collectively, the Witches.
The play opens with thunder and lightning on the end of a meeting between the witches where they agree to meet with Macbeth on the heath. The penultimate line of the opening scene, ‘Fair is foul, and foul is fair,’ is an early indication of the evil and order-destroying events to come. ... This too, will be a major influence as to why the acts are committed. ... This can be seen as a metaphor for the fact that the state of Scotland will be unstable with Macbeth at the helm.
It is the witches who prophesise Macbeth’s future by giving him three titles. ... ’ Macbeth already secretly harboured thoughts of kingship, and through these prophecies the witches have ‘planted the seed of ambition’ in him which will grow and will be firmly rooted in his mind. The witches know of Macbeth’s thoughts and speak them out loud, which convinces him that they will come true; it is just a matter of when, not if. ... Hecate, the lead witches questions why the witches ‘traffic with Macbeth in riddles’ without her. These riddles torment Macbeth, who believes things that are not true and they help to confuse his already muddled mind.
The witches set the stage for Macbeth’s downfall; he obliges and acts it out.
Macbeth’s first line in the play is ‘So foul and fair a day I have not seen.’ These were the same words that the witches spoke earlier in the play; Macbeth is already speaking their words, which shows the power they have over him. ... ’ It is not just the witches who Macbeth conforms to, his wife when she quashes his fears about killing Duncan. ...
Out of all the characters in the play, Macbeth undergoes the greatest transformation, from being a ‘valiant cousin’ and ‘worthy gentleman’ to a guilty and ruthless tyrant, by murdering the man who praised him. His gradual descent into the clutches of evil is what makes the play appealing to the audience; it is what makes him a tragic hero. When Ross informs Macbeth that he is the new Thane of Cawdor in Act 1. ... ’ This could mean at that time Macbeth was still noble, and did want anything that he did not rightly earn or deserve. As the play progresses, Macbeth’s ambitions grow and he does not care whom he has to hurt in order to keep hold of the power he cherishes.
Approximate Word count = 2332
Approximate Pages = 9.3
(250 words per page double spaced)
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