Jacob Gleason Rough Draft

Jacob Gleason

Mrs. Wood

English 11A 5th Hour

22 February 2016

Macbeth’s Transformation

Macbeth’s personality and character undergoes an intense change throughout the play, fromm kind and respectful to evil and insane. This drastic change is very apparent in the play, as even other characters take notice of the change. Macbeth is very affected by what the witches told him about being king, and it affects him the rest of the play. Although Macbeth begins as a man with morals and goodness in his heart, with the insidious influence of Lady Macbeth he becomes a ruthless and cruel man with an unstable mind.

At the beginning of the play, Macbeth is a man with integrity and values that is highly respected by all. Macbeth is very loyal to the king and can’t imagine himself ever being king. When the witches tell him that he is to become king, Macbeth is shocked and says “to be king stands not within the prospect of belief” (1:i). This shows that the first thought to come to Macbeth’s is not a sense of relief or happiness, but instead shock and confusion. Macbeth doesn’t think that this could ever be true and demands the witches to tell him where they heard that information. Another example of Macbeth’s morality and loyalty is when the king praises Macbeth for his valorous fighting and Macbeth responds with humbleness. Macbeth responds by saying “The service and loyalty I owe,/In doing it, pays itself. Your highness’ part/Is to receive our duties: and our duties/Are to your throne and state children and servants;” (1:iv). He is saying that he doesn’t deserve a reward and that he is just doing his duty. Macbeth seems to be faithful follower of the king and a good, humble man.

Lady Macbeth greatly affects and greatly changes Macbeth’s personality, causing him to do terrible things.She convinces him to kill the king through mockery of his bravery and manhood. In reference to planning to kill the king, Macbeth tells Lady Macbeth “we will proceed no further in this business” (1:vii) and that he doesn’t want to kill the king. Lady Macbeth is outraged at this and mocks him saying “was the hope drunk wherein you dressed yourself?...and live a coward in thine own esteem,” (1:vii). She rips on him for not being strong enough to do what is necessary and calls him a coward. She eventually convinces him to kill the king and afterwards, Macbeth is very distraught and ashamed. He can’t bear to think about it anymore and won’t go and hide the daggers like they planned. He states “I’ll go no more/I am afraid to think what I have done/Look on ‘t again I dare not.” (2:ii). Lady Macbeth again is angry that Macbeth doesn’t have the courage finish the job and volunteers to go hide the daggers herself, saying “Infirm of purpose! Give me the daggers” (2:ii). Lady Macbeth greatly influences Macbeth to do her evil ideas and turns him into a monster.

Macbeth becomes a violent and harsh man after killing the king and becomes independent of Lady Macbeth in his actions. Macbeth decides on is own that he wants to kill Banquo and Fleance and organizes a meeting with a group of murderers. When the murderers are hesitant about doing the job, Macbeth makes fun of them and describing them as dogs saying “Ay in the catalogue ye go for men;/As hounds and greyhounds, mongrels, spaniels, curs” (3:i). Ironically, this is very similar to what Lady Macbeth did to Macbeth when convincing him to kill the king. Later, when Macbeth receives word that Macduff suspects Macbeth of killing the king, Macbeth sends the murderers to kill Macduff and his family. Macduff had already left the country, but his wife and son are killed. Macbeth orders these two deeds by himself without consulting Lady Macbeth, even telling her to “be innocent of the knowledge, dearest chuck” (3:ii). Macbeth’s ruthlessness and willingness to kill start to show at this point of the play, causing him to lose care not only for other people's’ lives, but his too.

Macbeth’s mind becomes very unstable and he starts seeing many hallucinations and visions. After killing Banquo, Macbeth sees his ghost sitting in a chair during a banquet with the other thanes. He starts to freak out and yells at the others, asking if they see the ghost, saying “Prithee see there!/Behold! Look! Lo! How say you?” (3:iv). Macbeth is obviously losing his mind and the thanes are unsure what to think of it. Later, after Lady Macbeth dies, Macbeth doesn’t seem to care and starts talking as if his life doesn’t matter and is dull. In reference to Lady Macbeth’s death, he says “She should have died hereafter” (5:v) and later says “Tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow/Creeps in this petty pace from day to day,...Life’s but a walking shadow” (5:v). Macbeth sounds very depressed and distant, even though he is about to go to war. Macbeth starts to go crazy and seems to lose his mind at the end of the play.

Macbeth starts as kind and good man but turns into a violent monster while seemingly 
going crazy. Macbeth dies during a fight with Macduff in which he seems not to care that he is almost certainly going to die. He even sounds insane, saying “damned be him that first cries “Hold, enough!” (5:viii). This line shows how disturbed and crazy Macbeth has become. Macbeth’s story shows how much one bad action can ruin one’s life and can lead to even more bad decisions.