The Tragedy of Macbeth by William Shakespeare uses motifs throughout the play to drive the plot. Motifs such as violence, guilt, and the supernatural are used to manipulate the character’s minds that drives them to make horrific decisions. During the course of the play, these motifs interconnect; as a consequence they affect the actions of the character. Although each character has his/her own visions of their future, none seem to understand the driving forces behind their behavior and therefore settle into the comfort of their altered personality. These motifs further the plot by one connecting with another. Beginning in the first act, violence is destined to unfold. When Macbeth writes to his Lady explaining that the witches called out,
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Readers know that this was not according to fate because when the old man comes to the door he notices that the sky has been unusually dark and dreary. He had a sense that something was not in order in the natural world (Shakespeare II.iv). Macbeth battles with himself about the murdering of Duncan before he does it, “And when, finally, he does commit it, the impression we have is that… it is undertaken during a state of psychological entrancement signalled by the image of the dagger, ‘a false creation,’ which drags him along, prophesying ‘the bloody business which informs thus to [Macbeth’s] eyes’ (II. i. 48-49)” (Literary Reference Center 83). This false representation of a dagger “pointing” to the direction of Duncan’s room legitified Macbeth’s initiative to kill him. Once the killing is done, Macbeth “is shown to be undeniably fascinated with the symbolical and desecrated figure of his King. He takes pains to his silvery skin ‘lac’d with his golden blood’ (Shakespeare II.iii.115), but this morbidly aesthetic trait, infact, … is the image of the wounds inflicted by Duncan’s guards, to which, he says, he has blindly and violently reacted by killing the treacherous guards without awaiting the intervention of thought explaining how ‘the expedition of [his] violent love out run the power of reason’” (Literary …show more content…
Successfully, he kills Banquo, attempts to murder Fleance, and brutally kills MacDuff’s family. As his crimes increase, Macbeth’s freedom seems to decrease, but his moral responsibility does not. His actions become more cold blooded as his options disappear” (Foster). This cause of Macbeth’s downfall is carried out again and again as a repeated flaw in his character. “Even though Macbeth trespasses against the standards of human decency, he successfully claims our interest, understanding, and sympathy” (Boyce). It is apparent throughout this play that Macbeth has normal human flaws that causes the reader to be able to understand what he is thinking and going through, therefore he is easy to sympathize with and understand the guilt felt by him and Lady
Readers know that this was not according to fate because when the old man comes to the door he notices that the sky has been unusually dark and dreary. He had a sense that something was not in order in the natural world (Shakespeare II.iv). Macbeth battles with himself about the murdering of Duncan before he does it, “And when, finally, he does commit it, the impression we have is that… it is undertaken during a state of psychological entrancement signalled by the image of the dagger, ‘a false creation,’ which drags him along, prophesying ‘the bloody business which informs thus to [Macbeth’s] eyes’ (II. i. 48-49)” (Literary Reference Center 83). This false representation of a dagger “pointing” to the direction of Duncan’s room legitified Macbeth’s initiative to kill him. Once the killing is done, Macbeth “is shown to be undeniably fascinated with the symbolical and desecrated figure of his King. He takes pains to his silvery skin ‘lac’d with his golden blood’ (Shakespeare II.iii.115), but this morbidly aesthetic trait, infact, … is the image of the wounds inflicted by Duncan’s guards, to which, he says, he has blindly and violently reacted by killing the treacherous guards without awaiting the intervention of thought explaining how ‘the expedition of [his] violent love out run the power of reason’” (Literary …show more content…
Successfully, he kills Banquo, attempts to murder Fleance, and brutally kills MacDuff’s family. As his crimes increase, Macbeth’s freedom seems to decrease, but his moral responsibility does not. His actions become more cold blooded as his options disappear” (Foster). This cause of Macbeth’s downfall is carried out again and again as a repeated flaw in his character. “Even though Macbeth trespasses against the standards of human decency, he successfully claims our interest, understanding, and sympathy” (Boyce). It is apparent throughout this play that Macbeth has normal human flaws that causes the reader to be able to understand what he is thinking and going through, therefore he is easy to sympathize with and understand the guilt felt by him and Lady