Macbeth As Tyrant Essay, Research Paper

Thesis: To trace the degradation of Macbeth from a hero to a conscious villain

to an unrepentant tyrant. I. Macbeth as a Hero. A. Admired warrior B. Duncan’s

Admiration II. Macbeth as a Conscious Villain A. First tidings of villainy B.

Murder of Duncan C. Guilt-Ridden Soliquoy III. Macbeth as a non-repentant Tyrant

A. Murder of Macduff’s family B. Selfish thoughts of sleep C. Feelings of

Invincibility Macbeth, like most tragedies tells the fall of the protagonist

from grace. Macbeth, originally a hero, degrades into a conscious villain who

feels guilt and then into an unmerciful, non-repentant tyrant. A man once

heralded as a hero becomes the bane of the land and his people. At the start of

Macbeth we are introduced to him and it is implied that he is a great warrior

and a great man. He is the hero of the recent battle and is the subject of

rewards from King Duncan. In fact one critic describes him as "A great

warrior, somewhat masterful, rough, and abrupt, a man to inspire some fear and

much admiration. There was in fact, much good in him ? certainly he was far

from devoid of humanity and pity."(Bradley "Macbeth") This paints

the picture of an admired, somewhat inpersonable hero who was admired for his

bravery and courage. In fact even Duncan, his later victim, admired him. Duncan

gives him another kingdom and appoints him the Thane of Cawdor. The captain says

of Macbeth to Duncan that: For brave Macbeth – well he deserves that name –

Disdaining fortune, with his brandished steel, which smoked with bloody

execution, Like valor’s minion carved out his passage Till he faced the slave;

Which nev’r shook hands, nor bade farewell to him, Till he unseamed him from the

nave to th’ chops (I, ii, 16-24) These are the words of a man who admires

Macbeth, and at this point rightly so. This is the heroic Macbeth of whom we are

speaking. Unfortunately Macbeth soon begins his down fall and becomes a

conscious villain. Macbeth degradation to a conscious villain begins with his

first tidings of villainy. These tidings begin when Macbeth hears that the

Duncan’s son is the next in line for kingship. Macbeth says of this: The Prince

of Cumberland! That is a step I must fall down or else o’erleap. For in my way

it lies. (I, iv, 47-50) This is the point at which we see Macbeth start to

become a man driven by his ambition for the throne. A man willing to kill for

it. From this point in the story Macbeth’s villainy is not yet set in stone and

is urged onward by his wife’s calls of cowardice. Macbeth soon acts on this

ambition through the murder of Duncan. However his acts lead him toward a guilty

conscious. After he murders Duncan he is haunted by his guilt. He cries out that

"I’ll go no more. I am afraid what I have done; Look on ‘t again I dare

not."(II, ii, 49-51) In these lines it is clear that Macbeth regrets his

action. According to John Andrews this "is his first attempt to bring about

a ? transposition (to transpose "the structural conditions of his own

mind into the external world"); in parricidal terms making himself the sole

sovereign of his world." (Andrews #?) In other words his need for power is

so great that his ambition is willing to "o’erleap" his humanity to

get what he desires. His guilt from his murderous action continues throughout

Act II, scene ii. In Act II, scene iii we begin to see the cloud of guilt lifted

from him and he slowly becomes an unrepentant tyrant. Macbeth’s murder of Banqou

is the beginning of his descent into the abyss of true tyranny. He murders a man

with whom he once was a dear friend. He murders Banquo in hopes of securing the

crown of which he wanted so much. He says: They hailed him father to a line of

kings. Upon my head they placed a fruitless crown and put a barren scepter in my

gripe. (III, I, 60-63) He murders this time with little guilt and the only fears

that haunt him do so out of fear of discovery and not of guilt. At this point

"The idea of Macbeth as conscience-tormented man is a platitude as false as

Macbeth himself."(Scott ?#) Perhaps the most heartless act of Macbeth’s

reign is that of murdering Macduff’s family. He murders completely innocent

people for the sake of vengeance. His first instincts and feelings of his heart

overtake him. He states that: From this moment the very firstlings of my heart

shall be the firstlings of my hand ? to crown my thoughts with acts, be it

thought and done: The castle of Macduff I will surprise. (IV, ii, 147-150) And

amazingly from this horrendous action there appears to be no guilt. It is said,

"Macbeth has no conscious. His main concern throughout the play is that

most selfish of all concerns: to get a good night’s rest."(Scott ?#) He has

no feelings for others but envy, "He envies the murdered Duncan in his

rest."(Scott ?#) At this point after all his actions his main want is rest.

Truly he has become an unfeeling tyrant. The tragedy of Macbeth has a common

plot, that of a hero losing his heroism. Macbeth once the admired warrior soon

becomes the hated tyrant of Scotland. Through key points in the play you can

trace this devastating downfall. From Hero to Unfeeling tyrant, that is the

tragedy of Macbeth.

Consulted Bibliography Andrews, F. John, ed. William Shakespeare: His Work, II.

New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1985 Bradley, AC "The Character of

Macbeth." England in Literature. Ed. James E. Miller Jr., et. al. Illinois:

Scott Foresman and Co., 1973. Scott, Mark, ed. Shakespeare for Students.

Detroit: Gale Research Inc., 1992 Shakespeare, William. The Tragedy of Macbeth,

The British Tradition. Eds. Ellen Bowler, et. al. New Jersey: Prentice Hall,

1996