Macbeth Essay Practice

Macbeth by William Shakespeare is a play which follows the downfall of the titular character after his killing of the king in order to seize power. His descent into despair is accelerated by the power of three witches and by his own ambition, which leads to the corruption of his character as he must kill more and more to maintain the throne. The author uses a variety of literary techniques such as foreshadowing, personification and metaphor to give the reader a nuanced and thoughtful portrayal of corruption and what power can do to a person’s character. The character of Macbeth is essential in revealing the theme of power, conscience and the retribution of crime.

Macbeth is a quintessential Shakespearean tragic hero and thus is revered as ‘good’ and noble at the beginning of the play. This respect for Macbeth is shown in a soldier’s words: ‘For brave Macbeth - well he deserves that name - disdaining Fortune with his brandish’d steel’. This illustrates that even soldiers who do not necessarily personally know Macbeth recognise him as a hero and as someone to be looked up to. As well as this, Macbeth has many other characteristics of a classic tragic hero in Shakespeare’s plays, including his hamartia: his ambition for power. Macbeth is not an evil character in the exposition phase of the play, however from the very start he is portrayed as power-hungry; and especially for the throne of Scotland. He states ‘I have no motivation to prick the sides of my intent, but only vaulting ambition which o’erleaps itself and falls on th’other’. Here he demonstrates that he truly has no willing to kill King Duncan, as he has not yet fallen deep enough into the spiral of corruption to want to commit a crime so massive, yet he still yearns for the power that committing murder would grant him. The character of Macbeth at the beginning of the novel is an example of how people with ambition for a position of authority are not always evil; however the awfulness of the deeds they commit gradually increase, until they are suffering from the misery of their guilty conscience.

Like all Shakespearean tragic heroes, Macbeth has a moment of peripeteia. This is the banquet scene, where, after Macbeth’s killing of Banquo, the former confronts what he thinks is the latter’s ghost in front of all the lords of Scotland and appears to be insane. At the ghost, he shouts ‘Avaunt, and quit my sight!’, which shows how the guilt of committing such a horrific crime has driven him to hallucination. This moment in the play is important to the theme as it is not only when the lords begin to see Macbeth as mad and start to turn against him, but it is also the point where the reader sees the impact the murders Macbeth has committed has had on him. The next point in Macbeth’s downfall is when he is told by the witches a prophecy: that he cannot be killed unless Birnam Wood comes to Dunsinane and he can be killd by no man born of a woman. Of course, he believes that this is impossible, when he states ‘That will never be: Who can impress the forest, bid the tree, unfix the earthbound root?’. Here he shows his arrogance and foolishness; he believes he is safe from all harm, and forgets to protect himself. Here, the reader can see how Macbeth’s corruption has affected him, and how he believes himself invincible. As showcased by Macbeth in this scene, ambition and having a position of power can stop a person from being able to notice danger: this will later have a devastating effect on Macbeth and his crown.

Near the end of the play, with Malcolm’s English army looming closer and closer, the scenes quickly change from the army’s perspective to Macbeth’s point of view in the castle. Macbeth continues to believe he is safe from harm while the army encroach, brandishing branches from Birnam Wood to camouflage themselves, thus proving the witches’ prophecy that Macbeth would be killed when Birnam Wood comes to Dunsinane. When told by a servant that the army were approaching, Macbeth arrogantly replied ‘Go prick thy face and over-red thy fear, thou lily-livered boy. What soldiers, patch?’. This shows that Macbeth thinks the boy an idiot for even suggesting that their lives may be in danger. Macbeth continues to believe he is safe until he sees the army, and is forced into the realisation that he is indeed not safe; and now he must fight. He says ‘They have tied me to a stake; I cannot fly, but bear-like I must fight the course’. This is a reference to the ‘sport’ of bear-baiting, where a bear is tied to a post and forced to fight. It is also a reference to the beginning of the play, where Macbeth is still respected and considered as noble; instead of fleeing, although he admittedly has no choice, Macbeth chooses to fight the oncoming army even though he knows he surely cannot defeat the sheer number of soldiers marching into the castle. When confronted with his nemesis, Macduff, Macbeth learns that Macduff was born by Caesarian section, therefore he was not ‘born of a woman’ and so can kill Macbeth. Macbeth is forced to accept his death and says, ‘And be these juggling fiends no more believed that palter with us in a double sense. that keep the word of promise to our ear and break it to our hope’. This shows that Macbeth is not only going to die; he is going to die a fool who was tricked into believing he was safe by the witches. This acts as a moment of catharsis for the reader, who cannot help but pity Macbeth as he is forced to face the consequences of his actions. Ultimately, Macbeth’s death shows how people with too much ambition, those who come by power through crime, often meet an untimely end.

Macbeth by William Shakespeare is a play which actively illustrates how power can change a person and how coming into power through illegitimate means, however ambitious the person, can break somebody. The impact of a guilty conscience is shown by the character of Macbeth, king of Scotland, whose character is revealed through the use of various literary techniques such as foreshadowing, personification and metaphor. Macbeth is sometimes portrayed as a gentle, poetic character, who chooses words carefully and with diplomacy. Shakespeare successfully gives the reader a balanced and nuanced interpretation of the story of Macbeth and his tragic downfall. Macbeth can serve a purpose as a cautionary tale which warns the reader of the horrors of committing crimes and giving in to ambition; many people yearn for power without thinking of the consequences or how they may gain it. The play leaves a lasting impression on the reader and makes one consider if they have been unknowingly lusting after a position of power; it makes one question if they really want everything they think they desire, and think if they have really considered what effects it could have on themselves and others. As stated by Bradley, ‘Macbeth leaves on most readers a profound impression of the misery of a guilty conscience and the retribution of crime’. Macbeth is an incredibly relevant piece of literature to this day as it forces the readers to consider themselves in Macbeth’s position: would they obtain power virtuously and without violence, or would they do all he did to keep the power they so desired? It is a very thought-provoking play whose impact stays with the reader long after they have finished it.