Loss Of Humanity In Macbeth Essay

Nowhere is William Shakespeare’s essential sense of humanity more apparent than in his infamous play, Macbeth, in which he reveals that the darkest of evil transpires in the form a human; accordingly, no matter how horrible the notion, the concept in nature, ultimately becomes understandable and pitiable, as it relates to ideals of human temperament and character. Macbeth, a once noble hero and worrier, falls from his state of grace to a tragic demise, losing his humanity, he transforms into a serial killer – no pity or reverent awe attending his death, leaving the audience in a sympathetic state of confusion, questioning whether Macbeth is a cold-blooded murderer whose soul has been consumed by evil, or simply the victim of agents of destiny, …show more content…
As the witches’ prediction about Macbeth’s promotion to Thane of Cawdor comes true, Lady Macbeth decides that her husband should take matters into his own hands and murder Scotland’s beloved king, Duncan – who was also Macbeth’s cousin. Lady Macbeth proclaims that Macbeth should "look like the innocent flower, but be the serpent under 't" (Act I, Scene V); implying that her husband must seemingly prevail the image of a noble, and truthful man, while he stabs his king from behind and twists the knife, as he gilds Duncan’s groomsmen for his gruesome murder. Though at first hesitant, Macbeth eventually gives in to his temptations, believing that he is invincible and cannot be destroyed. Through this reference, as Macbeth’s ambitions and temptations get the best of him – despite his better sense of moral judgment, one can allude back to other notable figures whose enticement with ethically wrong doings resulted in their fall from state of grace. As Lady Macbeth devious statement follows, "The flower suggests Creation and links itself with the play 's many images of growing things. The serpent suggests the deception which slithered into Eden to tempt Eve-as the Geneva Bible calls it in the gloss to Revelation xii:9, 'That olde serpent called the devill and Satan ' which was hurled from Heaven by Michael and 'which deceiveth all the worlde. ' Lady Macbeth here is the tempting serpent and, of course, is also the deceived. In that Macbeth is a man in a fallen world, the play concerns the further fall of man-the loss of his soul. But in that Macbeth stands closest to royal favor (with the exception of Malcolm) in a potentially redeemable world, his fall parallels that of Lucifer, who stood closest to God (with the exception of the