Macbeth characterization essay

Morgan Wilkins

Mrs. Wood

English 11A - 2nd hour

21 February 2016

Macbeth Characterization Essay: Rough Draft

Just as the witches warned that all was not as it seemed (Fair is foul and foul is fair), so it was with Macbeth regarding strength and weakness: what appeared strong was at its root, a weakness, and what appeared weak, was in fact, what have saved him in the first place. This paradox is essential to the understanding of the complex character that was Macbeth.

Shakespeare uses Lady Macbeth to frame Macbeth has a weak individual. Throughout the play, Lady Macbeth is constantly putting Macbeth down and telling him that she’s more manly than he. “Yet I do fear thy nature; It is too full o’ th’ milk of human kindness…” (Shakespeare, 1:v 14-15). Shakespeare is showing the audience here that Lady Macbeth has the power of Macbeth to make him feel as though he isn’t good enough and too kind of a person to do anything bad. There are also many times during the play that Shakespeare shows Lady Macbeth shaming Macbeth for having the morals and good intentions that he has. “My hand are of your color, but I shame to wear a heart so white.” (Shakespeare, 2:ii 63-64). Lady Macbeth is shaming Macbeth for being so in control of his intentions and that she would be almost embarrassed to have an innocent, pure heart.

Macbeth's perceived weakness during the play is actually a strength. In the eyes of the people reading the play, Macbeth standing up to his wife may be construed as weak for not wanting to do a simple mission but Macbeth’s morals may be his hidden strength. “First, as I am his kinsman and his subject, Strong both against the deed; then, as his host, Who should against his murderer shut the door, Not bear the knife himself.” (Shakespeare, 1:vii 13-16). Feeling as though he would be betraying Duncan and himself, Macbeth feels as though it isn’t right to murder Duncan when he is a guest in his home, which shows that Macbeth is a moral person as long as not wanting to have the guilt bearing down on his shoulders. Macbeth finally stands up for himself to show everybody that he won’t be pushed around by Lady Macbeth and the will be respected. “We will process no further in this business: He hath honored me of late…” (Shakespeare, 1:vii 31-32). Macbeth is finally putting his foot down and is making it clear that the conversation will not precede any further. He knows where he wishes to stand on the situation. It can be perceived that he’s a weak individual for doing this but in his eyes he is being strong. During the play the idea is brought up to kill Duncan so that Macbeth could be crowned the new king. Macbeth seemed as though he didn’t want to do it so Lady Macbeth stepped up and acted as though she was going to do it. “Had he not resembled my father as he slept, I had done’t.” (Shakespeare, 2:ii 12-13). By looking at Lady Macbeth as a comparison, we see that Macbeth turned out to be the strong one. Lady Macbeth ended up not killing Duncan because she felt guilt that he looked like her father so Macbeth had to do the dirty work, though Duncan was much like a father to him.

Shakespeare used Lady Macbeth to show Macbeth’s supposed strengths as actual weaknesses. Lady Macbeth brought out the worst in Macbeth. Many may think that Macbeth wanting to kill people is a strength, showing his power over the weaker, but what if Macbeth really is the weak one? “Know Banquo is your enemy… So is he mine, and in such bloody distance that every minute of his being thrusts Against my near’st of life.” (Shakespeare, 3:i 115-119). Macbeth hiring people the kill Banquo, who was one of his most loyal friends, shows that he is trying to be strong and show his dominance over Lady Macbeth and everybody else but in retrospect he’s weak and he knows he’s weak. Macbeth knows that something isn’t the same about him anymore and he doesn’t quite seem know what to do anymore. “O, full of scorpions is my mind, dear wife.” (Shakespeare, 3:ii 36). Macbeth knows that his mind has been poisoned but doesn’t know what to do about it. He feels guilt for his actions. At this point Macbeth has given up all hope and doesn’t know what to do or how to fix anything. Everything in his eyes is just hopeless now. “She should have died hereafter… full of sound and fury, Signifying nothing.” (Shakespeare 5:v 17-28). Macbeth believes that there is no point in living anymore and has no feelings left, almost serial killer like. It’s like all of the guilt that has built up has just made him numb and lifeless.

Throughout the play, what Macbeth is portrayed as being strong is actually a weakness, and what is portrayed to be a weakness is actually a strength. Macbeth’s morals hold strong at the beginning of the play and they diminish towards the end, which essentially leads to his demise. Sometimes being in power isn’t worth the corruption you have to go through to get there.