How Does Macbeth Change Throughout The Play

Macbeth was dealing with extreme feelings of unease and guilt even before he committed the murder. For example, in the play it states “And, on thy blade and dudgeon, gouts of blood,/Which was not so before. There’s no such thing./It is thy bloody business which informs/ Thus to mine eyes.” Macbeth is so overcome with guilt at the simple thought of having to kill King Duncan that he hallucinates a bloody dagger. Interestingly, Macbeth seems to actually calm down after killing Duncan.

Unfortunately for Macbeth, the plan does not go as he hopes. Immediately following the murder, Macbeth hears a voice ”There’s one did laugh in’s sleep, and one cried ‘Murder!’” (2. 2. 25-26). This causes Macbeth to panic and fear that the guards saw him commit the murder.

Macbeth recognizes the rapid and drastic downfall of his life and by making the comparison to a poor player that is no longer heard from, he thinks that life is meaningless and lacks purpose. Understanding how his deception leads to destruction, his perspective on life shifts to a cynical view. His existence is merely a performance and his inability to continue the honorable act illustrates Macbeth’s undoing of his former nobility. As his destructive nature changes his attitude, his carelessness will continue to spike as he reaches the end of his life. Shakespeare uses Macbeth to give attention to the reckless attitude that results from allowing deception to

Shakespeare reflects Macbeth’s descent into moral corruption by shaping Macbeth’s thoughts to acknowledge himself as immersed in deep bloodshed. Macbeth’s belief that it would be difficult to turn back from his actions, as Shakespeare intended, illustrates his egocentric trait. Macbeth either doesn’t want to or doesn’t see any other path than to continue his heinous acts. Macbeth only thinks about the actions that benefit him to continue as king. Shakespeare ruins Macbeth’s ego by having his desires unchecked or seen by anyone else, leading him to corrupt himself further and harm

This shown during the battle between Scotland and Norway when the Captain describes Macbeth when he states “if I say sooth, I must report they were/ As cannons overcharged with double cracks,/ So they doubly redoubled strokes upon the foe./ Except they meant to bathe in reeking wounds.” 1.2.39-45 This shows that Macbeth can use his ambition for good. Here, he strives to be a good noble for his king and to please him, by helping to destroy the enemy.

In this quote, “My thought, whose murder yet is but fantastical, shakes so my single state of man that function is smother'd in surmise, and nothing is but what is not.” (1.3.152-155) Macbeth mentions that the idea of murder scares him. The 3 witches never mentioned anything about murder. The fact that his first thought about his fate is murder is suspicious; almost as if the 3 witches have awoken a murderous ambition.

Not only did the Captain praise him, but also the king of Scotland himself, King Duncan. King Duncan praised and applauded Macbeth as he brought his country to victory and brought honor to everyone. King Duncan put Macbeth on a pedestal for his achievements during war and honored his nobility. King Duncan acclaimed “ O valiant cousin , worthy gentleman!” (I.ii.26).

Macbeth’s impatience for power leads to drastic actions. He murders the king in the belief that “this blow might be the be-all and end-all” (1.7.5). This assassination could never “trammel up the consequence” (1.7.2-3), as Macbeth believes, but only leads to more trouble. Although Macbeth seizes the throne, Macbeth had to betray his loyalty to the king whose “virtues will plead like angels” (1.7.18-19), and his morality has paid the price. Macbeth has now lost all sense of what honor is by using such dishonest ways to become king.

Macbeth is a tyrant during his rule, manipulating the minds of the people and using murders to clear out anyone that stood in his way, so that he can stay in power. Malcolm worries about the state of Scotland as he exclaims, “I think our country sinks beneath the yoke./ It weeps, it bleeds, and each new day a gash/ Is added to her wounds. I think withal…” (Shakespeare 4.3.49-51). Malcolm notices the true state of Scotland under the rule of Macbeth, as he has forcefully gained his

To the point, he manipulated murderers to kill Banquo and Fleance. Macbeth wants Banquo and Fleance dead for the fact that he believes that they suspect him of the death of Duncan. Macbeth says, “Know that it was he, in the times past, which held you so under fortune, which you thought had been our innocent self. This I made good to you in our last conference,” (3.1, 79-83) The way Macbeth manipulates the murders by trying to point fingers at Banquo that he is the root to all of their problems and made them poor.

Macbeth’s ambition is one of the most prominent things that drive Macbeth in the play and truly becomes evident when he hears of the Witches prophecies. When the witches stop talking, he demands to know more. “Stay you imperfect speakers, tell me more” (I, III, 73-74). This portrays his excessive curiosity on the subject as well as his craving for more desirable prophecies. This ambitious nature and craving for power is also demonstrated only moments after hearing the witches, when he starts formulating a plan to kill Duncan in order to make the third prophecy come true.

Introductory paragraph: General statement: Macbeth… husband of Lady Macbeth, Scottish general, later on being king of Scotland looked to be like a tragic hero, but really he was weak male controlled by his ambitions and thirst for power. Commits crime to climb the food chain, but is never comfortable in each crime he does. Not being able to bear the psychological consequences of his atrocities, he continues to them until he is at the top of the food chain with nothing in his way. claim1: Believes he is a great leader and gives into his tragic flaw: ambition. Which leads him to commit a series of crime.

Macbeths guilty conscience makes him unable to play the ‘true’ role of a villain of the play. Macbeth begins to see ‘false creations’ before murdering Duncan; the image of a floating dagger taunts Macbeth’s senses. Macbeth is devoured in his anxiety he starts to hallucinate the crime before going through with it. Macbeth is unable to dispose thoughts of his guilt and doubt, which prevents him from being stuck at the point where it is too late to turn back, yet the fear of his nature prevents him from turning completely into a ruthless coldblooded

The witches and Lady Macbeth together push him over to do what his innate nature will let him do, his inborn courage and goodness, and they motivate him to do things that are not by any means in his tendency. It is his feeble mindedness, his simple weakness to recommendation and enticement that is his lamentable blemish. That is the reason, once he shows out the way of homicide, he can't take it; he is overcome by blame, apprehension and suspicion exactly in light of the fact that executing for individual increase is not in his tendency. Lady Macbeth, who knows her spouse very well emasculates him and makes him do what she wants while the witches makes Macbeth mess with his own

Some might believe that Macbeth is the true villain because he kills innocent people, but in actuality the only reason Macbeth killed those people is because of Lady Macbeth. By making Macbeth feel emasculated, Lady Macbeth was able to persuade him to kill innocent people so she could get what she wanted. After he decides to go along with his wife’s plan, Lady Macbeth tells him to keep his promise to kill King Duncan. She exclaims that if she had made a promise to him, she would keep it. Even if the promise is that she must pluck her “nipple from his boneless gums And dash'd the brains out” of her own baby(1.7.57-60).