William Shakespeare’s gripping play Macbeth confronts its audience with a cautionary tale of a man overrun by power and brutality. Throughout the “fair...and foul” aspects of the narrative, the playwright portrays first the witches to be the ultimate controllers of fate; however, they never force it upon the characters, but rather position characters to make choices for themselves. Ultimately, the actions of individuals succumb to manipulation, and eventually murder, to fulfil their ambitions. Finally, the author portrays that all human beings have the capacity for good and evil, and are punished when they make selfish decisions.
Shakespeare begins the play by conveying how freewill can be taken out of personal choice. The weird sisters are …show more content…
Shakespeare’s’ characters reveal their motivations when they respond to fate’s course, but are often punished when they make selfish decisions. Macbeth is fair to his power, believes he was owed it, but ultimately has never felt guilty. He took advantage of the innocents by simulating cruelty and unnatural means, yet he was “afraid to think what [he had] done.” With his remorse and regret, Macbeth becomes utterly terrified. Shakespeare ultimately places the menacing image of Banquo’s “gory” ghost in Macbeth’s seat at the banquet table to unveil how his “firm nerves” have given way and starting to “tremble”, with his composure and courage disintegrating before the guests’ very eyes. It becomes clear that Macbeth, as a character, finally learns of the irreversible consequences of ignoring his c conscience, disregarding humanity and embracing brutality. Lady Macbeth, initially scared by the “pictures” of Duncan’s mutilated body, from retrieving the bloody daggers slowly deteriorates throughout the play and she becomes guilty of “wear[ing] a heart so white.” Sleepwalking and hallucinations in the night, Lady Macbeth in futile anxiety, attempts to wash “out, [the] damned spot” upon her hands, metaphorically referring to the invisible blood of Duncan, that stains her hands and conscience. Ultimately taking “off her own life”, with her own “violent hands” she frees herself from her self- inflicted
Shakespeare begins the play by conveying how freewill can be taken out of personal choice. The weird sisters are …show more content…
Shakespeare’s’ characters reveal their motivations when they respond to fate’s course, but are often punished when they make selfish decisions. Macbeth is fair to his power, believes he was owed it, but ultimately has never felt guilty. He took advantage of the innocents by simulating cruelty and unnatural means, yet he was “afraid to think what [he had] done.” With his remorse and regret, Macbeth becomes utterly terrified. Shakespeare ultimately places the menacing image of Banquo’s “gory” ghost in Macbeth’s seat at the banquet table to unveil how his “firm nerves” have given way and starting to “tremble”, with his composure and courage disintegrating before the guests’ very eyes. It becomes clear that Macbeth, as a character, finally learns of the irreversible consequences of ignoring his c conscience, disregarding humanity and embracing brutality. Lady Macbeth, initially scared by the “pictures” of Duncan’s mutilated body, from retrieving the bloody daggers slowly deteriorates throughout the play and she becomes guilty of “wear[ing] a heart so white.” Sleepwalking and hallucinations in the night, Lady Macbeth in futile anxiety, attempts to wash “out, [the] damned spot” upon her hands, metaphorically referring to the invisible blood of Duncan, that stains her hands and conscience. Ultimately taking “off her own life”, with her own “violent hands” she frees herself from her self- inflicted