Macbeth and Beowulf: The Insight to Human Emotion (Final Draft)
Can men as great as Macbeth and Beowulf, display human emotion? The answer of course is that they can; what many do not notice is that these characters can actually give an insight into real people. As a good close reader, one can pick up on many emotions in both Macbeth, by Shakespeare and Beowulf, the epic. The emotions displayed throughout the two texts can give the reader insight into the human mind. Macbeth is a powerful play showing that greed and power can affect men to make irrational decisions and lose all feelings of emotion for what is right and wrong. In Act one Scene seven, is the first time the reader learns of the plot to kill King Duncan. In this act alone …show more content…
He says that he heard two women praying and “could not even say Amen” (2.2.35-37). Now fueled with fear in Act three Scene three Macbeth goes on to kill his closest friend, Banquo, because he is sure that he knows of what has really happened to the king. This seems to be a good plan until the time of the party Macbeth is throwing. Here we see the highest point of Macbeth’s emotional distress. This begins with the initial stress of seeing Banquo’s ghost, and only strengthens after seeing the daggers float midair. So, Macbeth goes into a fit, which worries the rest of the lords. Lady Macbeth then asks the lords to leave so that Macbeth may recover from his fit, but the reader knows that it is all downhill from this point forward for Macbeth (3.4.37-122). Even at his time of highest remorse and guilt, Macbeth is still not finished murdering innocent people. He now goes after Macduff. So he sends out the murderers to kill Macduff and his family, but Macduff is not there. The murderers kill Macduff’s family anyway and now Macduff is fueled with anger to have revenge “once and for all” (4.3.81-85). This incident show just how little, of if any, emotion …show more content…
Beowulf as a young man was very full of pride, he was proud of himself and his accomplishments and had every reason to be. Also, as he ages he becomes a great leader for his people. It all begins when Grendel, a monster, attacks the mead hall where the Danes go to drink mead and celebrate battles won. The poor King Hrothgar has no idea what he can do to stop this terror, until he hears about Beowulf. Beowulf is sent for and he agrees to the job, because he is very upset for the king that his land is being terrorized. Once there Beowulf tells the king, “I consider myself no poorer in strength and battle-deeds than Grendel does himself; and so I will not kill him with my sword” (677-679). This statement is brave, but modest because Beowulf will defeat Grendel the way he kills men. Even though he is doubted Beowulf believes strongly in wyrd, and shows that his emotions are in check in even the face of death (455). So, that night Grendel comes back and kills the first man he sees, and then makes the mistake of grabbing Beowulf. Here Grendel is overcome with terror, as he has never met someone with a mightier grip than he had. Grendel attempts to flee to darkness but he cannot escape the grip of Beowulf. In the end Beowulf rips Grendel’s arm off at the shoulder, which mortally wounds
Can men as great as Macbeth and Beowulf, display human emotion? The answer of course is that they can; what many do not notice is that these characters can actually give an insight into real people. As a good close reader, one can pick up on many emotions in both Macbeth, by Shakespeare and Beowulf, the epic. The emotions displayed throughout the two texts can give the reader insight into the human mind. Macbeth is a powerful play showing that greed and power can affect men to make irrational decisions and lose all feelings of emotion for what is right and wrong. In Act one Scene seven, is the first time the reader learns of the plot to kill King Duncan. In this act alone …show more content…
He says that he heard two women praying and “could not even say Amen” (2.2.35-37). Now fueled with fear in Act three Scene three Macbeth goes on to kill his closest friend, Banquo, because he is sure that he knows of what has really happened to the king. This seems to be a good plan until the time of the party Macbeth is throwing. Here we see the highest point of Macbeth’s emotional distress. This begins with the initial stress of seeing Banquo’s ghost, and only strengthens after seeing the daggers float midair. So, Macbeth goes into a fit, which worries the rest of the lords. Lady Macbeth then asks the lords to leave so that Macbeth may recover from his fit, but the reader knows that it is all downhill from this point forward for Macbeth (3.4.37-122). Even at his time of highest remorse and guilt, Macbeth is still not finished murdering innocent people. He now goes after Macduff. So he sends out the murderers to kill Macduff and his family, but Macduff is not there. The murderers kill Macduff’s family anyway and now Macduff is fueled with anger to have revenge “once and for all” (4.3.81-85). This incident show just how little, of if any, emotion …show more content…
Beowulf as a young man was very full of pride, he was proud of himself and his accomplishments and had every reason to be. Also, as he ages he becomes a great leader for his people. It all begins when Grendel, a monster, attacks the mead hall where the Danes go to drink mead and celebrate battles won. The poor King Hrothgar has no idea what he can do to stop this terror, until he hears about Beowulf. Beowulf is sent for and he agrees to the job, because he is very upset for the king that his land is being terrorized. Once there Beowulf tells the king, “I consider myself no poorer in strength and battle-deeds than Grendel does himself; and so I will not kill him with my sword” (677-679). This statement is brave, but modest because Beowulf will defeat Grendel the way he kills men. Even though he is doubted Beowulf believes strongly in wyrd, and shows that his emotions are in check in even the face of death (455). So, that night Grendel comes back and kills the first man he sees, and then makes the mistake of grabbing Beowulf. Here Grendel is overcome with terror, as he has never met someone with a mightier grip than he had. Grendel attempts to flee to darkness but he cannot escape the grip of Beowulf. In the end Beowulf rips Grendel’s arm off at the shoulder, which mortally wounds