Macbeth Essay, Research Paper

Macbeth

Much literature examines individuals who, as a result of choice or circumstance, find themselves in situations that significantly affect the course of their lives. These individuals make some wrong choices that later result in the downfall in their lives. In the play Macbeth by William Shakespeare the main character Macbeth changes the course of his life by the choices he makes, and the circumstances that influenced him. These changes can be the result of Macbeth’s own doing, they can be the result of the influence of Lady Macbeth, or they can be the result of the three witches.

The first element to result change in Macbeth’s life is influence of his own doing. Macbeth was an honourable and well-respected person until Macbeth decided to make some choices that caused his life to change. Macbeth chose to believe the prophecies: the thane of Glemis, the thane of Cawdor, and later a king. Macbeth got captures in the moment and he could not awake himself. Once Macbeth heard that he became the thane of Cawdor he got to believe the witches that they were telling the truth and that later he would be a king. Later in Macbeth made a choice to listen to his wife, Lady Macbeth, and murder Duncan to become a king. He chose to listen to his wife despite of what he thought was right. Macbeth also made other choices like those to kill both Banquo and Macduff’s family. Macbeth killed them because he felt threatened by them. He killed Banquo because Banquo was going to be a father to the line of kings and Macbeth will have none. “They hail’d him father to a line of kings: upon my head they placed a fruitless crown.” Macbeth felt that Banquo knew that he killed Duncan and therefore would betray him. Banquo knew that the witches told Macbeth that he will be king, and therefore did not trust Banquo. Macbeth also killed Macduff’s family to pay Macduff revenge for fleeing to England. All of the choices that Macbeth made have influenced his life greatly.

The second element to result change in Macbeth’s life was Lady Macbeth’s influence. In the beginning of the play Lady Macbeth had a great amount of influence on Macbeth. She had a way to control him, and she did this by questioning his manhood. “When you durst do it, then you were a man; And to be more than what you were, you would be so much more the man.” When Lady Macbeth found out about the prophecies she could not wait for them to come naturally, but instead chose to influence Macbeth into killing Duncan. Macbeth did not want to kill Duncan because he thought that it was not right. Lady Macbeth then told him that he was not man enough to kill Duncan. Lady Macbeth was very strong at the beginning, but after the murder of Duncan she became weak. The horrible dreams that she had every night weakened her. From that time Macbeth started doing his own thing and his wife no more had any influence on him. Lady Macbeth’s influence cause Macbeth to commit the murder, and therefore change his life from being an honourable man to a hated by everyone monster.

The third and final element to change Macbeth’s life was the influence of the witches. The witches were these three very evil women that did not do anything better but trick innocent people and to cause them harm. The victim of the witches’ was Macbeth who easily got tricked into believing that their prophecies were changes to a better life for him. Macbeth was told that he would be the thane of Cawdor and then a king. When Macbeth became the thane of Cawdor he thought that his other prophecy about him becoming a king must be true too. “Glemis, and thane of Cawdor: The greatest is behind.” Macbeth got tricked the most when the witches told him about the other prophecies. The witches told him that he should fear Macduff, that he will not be killed by anyone born of a woman, and that he will not be defeated until the Birnum wood comes to Dunsinane. Hearing these prophecies Macbeth closed his mind to reality and chose to believe that he was invincible. The three witches used the prophecies to trick Macbeth and then lead him to his tragic downfall. ” Shall raise such artificial sprites, as, by the strength of their illusion, shall draw him on to his confusion.” If Macbeth was not so blind he would have realised that the witches were just leading him into a dead end. The witches used prophecies to influence Macbeth into making most of his decision that later drove him to a tragic downfall.

Macbeth was a character who was a victim of a tragic life. His life took a drastic downfall because of his own doing, the influence of Lady Macbeth, and the influence of the three witches. Macbeth was a victim of his own doings. Macbeth chose to listen to Lady Macbeth and the witches and to commit those murders. Then Macbeth was influenced by his wife, Lady Macbeth, because of his weakness as a man. Last Macbeth was influenced by the witches because he was too blind to see the reality behind the prophecies. Macbeth chose to make these choices and later he had to take the responsibility for them.

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