Macbeth Rough Draft

The character of Macbeth, as presented in Shakespeare's play, is a progressive one. As the plot proceeds his few good qualities disappear, while the evil becomes more and more developed. He goes from good to bad, and from bad to worse. Although Macbeth starts out as a brave and loyal man in the beginning of the play, he ends up being corrupted throughout the play by his wife’s need for power.

In the beginning of the play Macbeth starts out being brave and loyal. His fighting in Duncan's service is magnificent and courageous. Others can see his bravery throughout the battle as well. "For brave Macbeth — well he deserves that name —

disdaining fortune, with his brandish'd steel, which smoked with bloody execution, like valour's minion carved out his passage till he faced the slave." (1.2. 16-20). Throughout this passage, the captain describes Macbeth’s exceptional bravery and loyalty. Macbeth says,  "The service and the loyalty I owe, In doing it, pays itself" (1.4.22-23) this passage shows that Macbeth is loyal to the king.

Soon after Macbeth converses with the witches and realizing that he will eventually be king one day. He tells his wife, Lady Macbeth, and her want for power corrupts Macbeth. Lady Macbeth slowly put ideas into his head throughout the play. Macbeth begins to question how it could be possible that he could be king one day since King Duncan has chosen his son Malcolm to be heir to the throne. Macbeth says, “The Prince of Cumberland! That is a step on which I must fall down, or else o’er leap, for in my way it lies...when it is done, to see” (1.4.48-53). Lady Macbeth would like Macbeth to kill the king. She says, “look like the innocent flower, but be the serpent under’t” (1.5.60-64) with that being said, Lady Macbeth knows how weak her husband is and she plans she can manipulate him easily and have him turn on the king.

After being told by Lady Macbeth that he is a coward, Macbeth makes up his mind and performs the deed as his evil thoughts are occurring more frequently, he has murdered King Duncan. After committing acts of murder, the original character traits of Macbeth fade away and evil and insane thoughts evolve in his mind. “All full of scorpions is my mind” (3.2.36). As the two discuss the danger Banquo and Fleance pose. Macbeth hints that he has sent assassins to kill them. The good Macbeth was completely lost by the end of the play. The passage, “I have almost forgot the taste of tears” (5.4.9) shows Macbeth admitting that he has lost all of the good he once had and his good intentions.

Unfortunately Macbeth ends up being killed by Macduff, a man who was removed from his mother’s womb. With Macbeth dead, the kingdom is restored to its former glory. Macbeth starts as a brave and loyal man but turns evil. He had evil thoughts placed in his mind with the help of his wife. He was easily convinced by Lady Macbeth to do the evil deeds he did. Although Macbeth starts out as a brave and loyal man in the beginning of the play, he ends up being corrupted throughout the play by his wife’s need for power.