Macbeth Story Essay, Research Paper

MacBeth is the story of a great warrior who is tempted by evil and allows his

ambition to corrupt his strength. MacBeth himself begins the story as being the

greatest general in all of Scotland, but by the end is merely a shadow of his

past self as he is the detested tyrant who is slain by Macduff. Although MacBeth

is physically strong in the beginning of the story, he turns out to be

emotionally weak. MacBeth’s physical strength is not just encompassed by his

might, but also by his keen sense on the battlefield and his devotion to the

people around him. MacBeth begins the story by killing a traitor himself, the

Thane of Cawdor, Macdonwald, through seemingly impossible odds. Because of this

act, King Duncan proclaims MacBeth the new Thane of Cawdor. It is generally

accepted at this point in the story that MacBeth is the most skilled warrior in

all of Scotland, and is recognized as such by all characters. His strength was

the one thing that allowed him his rise to power, but it was that rise to power

that eventually sapped him of all his strength. MacBeth’s strengths soon became

his weaknesses, as his ruthlessness when it came to whom he perceived to be his

enemies came back to him as Macduff slew him towards the end of the play.

MacBeth was also easily duped, as his wife was able to convince him to kill the

King, even though MacBeth had already decided to not kill Duncan. MacBeth’s keen

mind was brought down by the guilt he felt over killing Duncan, and this guilt

was compounded when he ordered the killing of his best friend, Banquo. This

became highly evident as he began seeing visions of the bloody daggers he used

to kill Duncan and the vision of Banquo’s ghost at his feast. MacBeth also

becomes disillusioned with his marriage as the story moves on. He referred to

his wife as "my dearest partner of greatness" (1.5.11) in the

beginning, yet when he is informed of his wife’s passing, he says, "She

should have died hereafter. There would have been more time for such a

word." (5.5.20) showing his emotional instability, something that he was

always able to keep in check. MacBeth’s character changes from a physically,

mentally, and skillfully strong General of the Scottish army to a tyrannical,

despised and defeated King of Scotland. MacBeth as a play captures the complete

and utter fall from grace of a man not able to deal with the temptations of

evil.