Autumn Cain Hour 1

Autumn Cain

Mrs. Wood

English 11A 1st Hour

12 February 2016

The Dynamics of Macbeth

In the drama script, The Tragedy of Macbeth by William Shakespeare, a loyal and heroic character is swayed by desire towards mass murder and cruelty beyond that of nature. After he is named the Thane of Cawdor, Macbeth realizes that he would rise to the position of king if he were to commit regicide.  The change of Macbeth’s character will give the script its main theme of the various consequences that result in hastened ambition. Part of Macbeth’s hastened ambition results from the women around him, including the three witches and his wife, Lady Macbeth, where they push him to become self-conscious and eventually commit murder. Although Macbeth has the traits of a valiant hero, his malleable mentality will cause him to be vulnerable to the words of women and go against his nature, thus leading to his downfall.

As the play opens, King Duncan and Malcolm talk of Macbeth’s bravery and courage stating,”For brave Macbeth, for well he deserves that name, disdaining fortune, with his brandished steel”(1.2.16-18). Macbeth is seen as a noble and trustworthy character that would be deserving of the title of Thane of Cawdor. The three wicked witches then tell their prophecy to Macbeth that he is to be king. From his noble character, a change occurs in the eyes of Macbeth, as he thinks of things “his hands” may do if he rose to the position of Thane. As the witches announce that Macbeth will be king, Macbeth states, “If good, why do I yield to that suggestion, whose horrid image doth unfix my hair...and make my seated heart knock at my ribs, against the use of nature…”(1.3.134-138). Here Macbeth is confused by the fact that he is so horribly nervous by the thought of becoming Thane (because he may have to kill to be king) when in reality it should be a great honor for someone so heroic. While Macbeth begins the first part of the play as a noble man with a trustworthy heart, he is taken over by the power of greed in sections to come.

Later in the script, Macbeth is under the impression that he is to be declared the Prince of Cumberland, of which would bring him one step closer to the throne. After Macbeth isn’t Prince of Cumberland, his devilish instincts begin to appear. As Macbeth watches Malcolm become the Prince of Cumberland, he states in an aside,”The Prince of Cumberland! This is a step on which I must fall down, or else o’erleap...Stars hide your fires; let not light see my black and deep desires…”(1.4.48-52). Macbeth says that he could lay aside and let Malcolm become the Prince of Cumberland, or find a way against the means of nature to take over the position. This line directs a turning point in which Macbeth decides he will take over the throne, if not with elegance then with regicide. As Macbeth begins to overthink every detail of their plan, Macbeth becomes insane as he imagines a dagger covered in blood in his hand,”Is this a dagger which I see before me, the handle toward my hand? Come let me clutch thee…”(2.1.32-35). This shows that Macbeth is so torn over his thoughts that he begins hallucinating murderous weapons in his hand. After Lady Macbeth says he must and will kill the king, Macbeth does the deed.

After Macbeth kills King Duncan, he becomes guilty as he regrets killing the king he had been so loyal to most of his life. Macbeth becomes more insane as he says,”Methought I heard a voice cry ’Sleep no more! Macbeth does murder sleep-the innocent sleep…’”(2.2.34-35). Macbeth states that since he murdered an innocent, he will forever lie awake a guilty man for the horrid deeds committed. Later on as Macbeth rules as king for some time, he becomes more maniacal similar to how Lady Macbeth was originally when she persuaded him to commit the act of treason. Moreover, during a banquet with Lady Macbeth and lords, Macbeth realizes Fleance is still alive and begins to panic and then talks of the “sights” he and Lady Macbeth have seen in front of the guests,”When now I think you can behold such sights and keep the natural ruby of your cheeks when mine is blanched  with fear”(3.4.114-116). This statement makes the others question who Macbeth has become, and what he has done to act in such a suspicious way. In scene five Macbeth is seen with absolutely no feeling of remorse, and when he is told his wife, Lady Macbeth, is dead, he hardly even flinched saying,”She should have died hereafter”(5.5.15). Near the beginning of the play, Macbeth and Lady Macbeth were deeply in love, but Macbeth is now shallow and doesn’t flinch at the thought of her death. As Macbeth ponders on what the point of the point of life is, he says that each day to come will come ever so slowly, with little significance,”Tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow, creeps in this petty pace from day to day... life’s but a walking shadow...signifying nothing”(5.5.18-28). Macbeth is now fully depraved and feels no guilt, and has but only a meaningless perspective on life.

Macbeth is an increasingly dynamic character, as he becomes persuaded by the glory of the power that comes with the control of the throne. From the beginning of the script, Macbeth is a kind, trustworthy, and noble character. As he is moved by the greed of his self-conscious and his wife, he becomes a devilish character that will murder his way to the throne. Through the changes Macbeth’s character undergoes, the ultimate theme of the script becomes prevalent in which unchecked ambition results in horrid consequences. In the end, acts of regicide take over Macbeth, as he is left a man with no sense of empathy.