Polymath And Pain In Macbeth

Polymath, Pain in the Ass, Massive Pain In Shakespeare’s play Macbeth, we see the tragic downfall of a brave and noble hero. The extensive knowledge of his future drives his ambition to conquer the throne and become king. It is a commonly debated topic on whether Macbeth’s downfall was his own doing or the doing of his cunning, deceitful wife. Although he is greatly influenced by Lady Macbeth and the three witches, Macbeth’s downfall is ultimately his responsibility. As the play opens, Macbeth is revered for his bravery and courage in the king’s army. He is highly praised by the sergeant who describes him as “brave Macbeth- well he deserves that name- Disdaining Fortune, with his brandish'd steel, Which smoked with bloody execution, Like …show more content…
hail to thee, Thane of Glamis! All hail, Macbeth! hail to thee, Thane of Cawdor! All hail, Macbeth! that shalt be king hereafter”(Shakespeare ) thoughts of murder and deceit fill his mind. Macbeth foolishly believes the prophecy without proper evidence. He refuses to dismiss the witches, but instead he chooses to believe in the distorted reality they reveal. Although the predictions are somewhat responsible for influencing Macbeth's thoughts, they never suggested the murder of the king, that was a product of Macbeth’s own mind. Macbeth's “black and deep desires”(Shakespeare ) horrify him and he refuses to speak of them but only to his wife, Lady Macbeth. Lady Macbeth, receiving knowledge of their destiny, encourages murder as she sees it the only opportunity to obtain their ambition. Macbeth allows his wife to manipulate him by demeaning his masculinity and expresses that she would murder her own child to fulfill their desires; “I have given suck, and know How tender 'tis to love the babe that milks me: I would, while it was smiling in my face, Have pluck'd my nipple from his boneless gums, And dash'd the brains out, had I so sworn as you Have done to this”(Shakespeare ). However, Macbeth, being mentally and physically strong, does not put a stop to the murder plan. Instead of listening to his conscience, he suppresses his guilt which leads to the intoxication of his mind by the thoughts of murder and leads him to the kings room. “Is this a dagger which I see before me, the handle toward my hand? Come, let me clutch thee. I have thee not, and yet I see thee still”(Shakespeare