Macbeth, Evil Essay, Research Paper

A critic has written that Macbeth wells up from a deep awareness of evil. This means that Macbeth, written by William Shakespeare, shows what evil really is and what it can do.

The imagery of Macbeth really is very dark throughout the play. There is a constant atmosphere of evil and gloom. When Macbeth says in lines 125-126, Act Three, Scene Four, Blood will have blood , the idea that killing will lead to only more killing is given. Using blood to show this really gives the gruesome image of violence. This is true in how Duncan s murder leads to Banquo s murder, which leads to Lady Macbeth s suicide and finally Macbeth s death.

The evil and cruelty of people is portrayed really well in the play. A character can appear trustworthy and brave and turn out cowardly and evil. As the witches say in the first act and scene, fair is foul and foul is fair(line 8). Macbeth in the beginning of the play is shown as a hero. He has just returned from a victorious battle. Macbeth then turns to a darker side due to his vaulting ambition , which leads him to murder the king. Macduff and Malcolm appear to be traitors, but when it is found out that Macbeth is the traitor, then they are thought of as heroes. Things are not as they seem in this tragedy. Characters who appear good really are evil. In this way, the characterization is shown to vary a lot while supporting a theme.

The tragedy Macbeth wells up from a deep awareness of evil. Shakespeare portrays the evil of the human being in a very complete way. He shows how dark Macbeth s heart would be, and the literary elements of imagery and theme support this idea.