Macbeth Critical Essay

Macbeth Literary Critic Essay
The definition of a tragic hero, as stated on dictionary.com, is a literary character that makes an
error in judgment that, combined with fate and external forces, brings on a tragedy. It has been
argued for years whether Macbeth from Shakespeare's, The Tragedy of Macbeth, can truly be
considered a tragic hero or whether he is solely a villainous tyrant. Although there are some valid
arguments for the Macbeth is pure evil viewpoint, by looking at Macbeth in a holistic way you can
see the tragic, the heroic, and the tragic hero within him. Macbeth is a tragic hero in every sense
of the definition. Macbeth would not be the best first choice of literary character to use as an
example of a hero. He is a hero in the beginning of the play and...show more content...
This is Macbeth's tragic flaw, he is so worried about what Lady Macbeth thinks of him and wants
so badly to please her, because he loves her endlessly, that he is willing to do whatever she says. As
Shanley points out, "She [Lady Macbeth] could sway him because she understood him and loved
him, and because he loved her and depended on her love and good thoughts of him." affirming that
Lady Macbeth was able to convince Macbeth to do anything (308).
Lady Macbeth had a very powerful hold over Macbeth. Just by questioning his valor she could shift
Macbeth's whole thought process and second–guessing of the murder of Duncan (Booth, 24), and he
allows it because he cannot bear to disappoint her. His love for her and need for her approval is
what ultimately leads him to commit each and every one of his crimes. She is the center of his
world and if she does not see a problem in the murders than why should he. This is naГЇve ignorance
caused by a blindness that is induced by love, and that is both heart breaking and tragic. It takes
both the audience's pity and fear to make a tragic and heroic character become a tragic hero.
Macbeth earns both. The audience can fear Macbeth because they know that he is capable of
murder. He lacks the ability to stand up to Lady Macbeth when he knows something is not morally
right and that is frightening, but even after all the pain and suffering of other characters the audience
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Ambition And Corruption In Macbeth
When one wants something bad enough, the lines between right and wrong tend to blur. In William
Shakespeare's "Macbeth," the relationship between ambition and corruption is explored. Firstly,
Macbeth's inability to control his urges to know his fate leads him to listen to The Weird Sister's
prophecies, which eventually causes his unhealthy desire for power. Next, Lady Macbeth's strong
ambition to kill the King leads to a corruption of her mental state and behavioural standards. Lastly,
Macbeth's aspiration to rule Scotland leads to a harmful greed for power and the betrayal of his
morals. In summary, one's demonstration of an overly ambitious nature can lead to corruption and
an excessive desire for power.
Firstly, Macbeth could not...show more content...
And what noise is this?" (4:1.115–117) Macbeth was pressuring the Witches for more information
and claimed he would rather watch the universe be turned to chaos than be denied his wishes, even
though the Weird Sisters warned him not to ask for more predictions. The next prophecy that they
showed Macbeth caused him to kill Banquo and further added to his overwhelming desire for power.
In conclusion, the difficulty that Macbeth had controlling his need to know more about his fate lead
him to listen to dark forces that messed with his mind.
Secondly, Lady Macbeth's ambition to kill the King lead to a corruption of her mental state and
behavioural standards. Lady Macbeth was suffering from nightmares and a loss of appetite because
of her unhealthily strong ambition that lead to the murder of King Duncan. When Lady Macbeth
expressed her concerns to Macbeth, he said that he had been feeling the same and told her, "But we
let the frame of things disjoint, both the worlds suffer, ere we will eat our meal in fear, and sleep in
the affliction of these terrible dreams that shake us nightly..." (3:2.18–21) This quotation proves that
both Macbeth and Lady Macbeth had suffered because of their sinful act. Macbeth was explaining
that he too had lost his appetite and could not sleep because of his terrible nightmares, which further
exemplifies how Lady Macbeth's deleterious ambition had corrupted her mental state. Additionally,
Lady Macbeth was known to be

Macbeth Critical Analysis
State Theatre Company's Macbeth is a modern take on a Shakespeare classic. In its best moments,
Macbeth is an adrenaline–packed and harrowing psychological thriller. It leaves the audience on the
edge of their seats as leads Nathan O'Keefe (Macbeth) and Anna Steen (Lady Macbeth) intoxicate the
theatre audience through their pursuit of the "golden round".
However, the play as a whole doesn't match up to its best moments, as Brookman's butchering of the
original text leads to some serious pacing issues. The inconsistency between fast paced thriller and
monotonous slog is so prevalent, that even Geordie Brookman's focus on the psychological decay of
the Macbeths isn't enough to enthral the audience – ultimately resulting in a severely
underwhelming production with doses of theatrical gold.
State Theatre Company's Macbeth, for all of its faults, feels very personal as a production. This is
the result of very intentional creative choices, which include some of the small cast of actors
doubling up many of the minor roles in the play, as well as deciding to focus on the Macbeth's
trauma from losing their infant child. These decisions have profound effects on the audience as they
continue to observe Macbeth's descent into moral decay, often leaving the theatre in silent sweat as
the harrowed ghosts of his enemies continually haunt him – lingering on the set, always watching,
always judging.
Furthermore, the themes of the supernatural in Macbeth manifest in the form of the Witch

Critical Influence On Macbeth
Easily Swayed
Arthur Koestler, a British journalist and author once said, "Courage is never to let your actions be
influenced by your fears." This quote would prove true in the story of Macbeth, written by William
Shakespeare. Macbeth is one of the leaders in King Duncan's army, and is known as a fierce warrior
with great ambitions. Three witches tell Macbeth that he will one day be king, which leads Macbeth
to kill Duncan for the throne. Macbeth travels down a path which eventually leaves him distraught
and paranoid. One flaw Macbeth displays is that he can be very easily influenced, and it is this flaw,
that eventually leads to his inevitable downfall. Macbeth is negatively influenced by three different
sources: Lady Macbeth, The Apparitions, and the three witches.
Lady Macbeth has a significant, apparent influence on Macbeth. Accordingly, she is able to convince
him to kill Duncan. This is evident when Lady Macbeth says,
"O, never Shall sun that morrow see!...show more content...
Macbeth goes to see the witches in order to learn more about his future. He then meets the first of the
apparitions which tell him, "Macbeth! Macbeth! Macbeth! Beware Macduff. Beware the thane of
Fife..." The apparition warns Macbeth that Macduff is indeed a threat, and he should beware of
Macduff. Then later in the scene, the second Apparition appears and speaks to Macbeth, saying: "Be
bloody, bold, and resolute. Laugh to scorn The power of man, for none of woman born Shall harm
Macbeth." The Apparition is reassuring Macbeth, telling him that no man born of a woman will
harm him, which influences Macbeth's decisions throughout the rest of the play. Macbeth believes
someone, or something he has never seen, which further proves that Macbeth is easily influenced.
Although the Apparitions did negatively influence Macbeth, they are not considered to be the most
influential of all the characters within the play,

Macbeth Analytical Essay
In an effort to achieve, it is often in literature that the protagonist learns to accept his or her currently
fortuitous circumstances and rather than ambitiously seek what he or she wants, the protagonist
acquires what they need. This is a way in which an author can teach a moral lesson about the ill fate
of those bridled by ambition, hubris, greed, etc., without being overtly sententious. Shakespeare,
whether by intention or coincidence, wrote in a similar sense in regards to some of his most famous
and renowned tragedies. Often his works reflect a sense of morality, though rather than the
protagonists realizing the mistakes, their flaws become fatal and only after their actions take their
grievous course do they acknowledge their misjudgements....show more content...
Hamlet, one of Shakespeare's most beloved protagonists, shares character traits with well crafted
villains. Though he is supposed to be a tragic hero, he wittingly and cruelly hurts the people close
to him in his despair and thirst for revenge. Towards the end of the play he claims he loved
Ophelia more than her own brother did, a brother who did not play with her emotions and use her
for his own gain and bloody goals. Even if Hamlet did truly love Ophelia, he manipulated and
viciously abused her feelings, trust, and confidence, something one would find in a
power–imbalanced relationship where one is a villain and the other a victim. His downfall,
though, is his play at madness. He chooses to donne a facade of insanity in order to take revenge
for his father's sake, but meanwhile compromises his authority and ability to be taken seriously.
Had he rather been subtle and not abrasively distance himself from every potential ally, perhaps he
would not have met such a gruesome end. His own actions and selfish willingness to do anything to
satisfy his own lust for revenge was the direct cause of his death. His brash murder of Polonius, his
alienation of Ophelia, his disturbing confrontation and aggression towards his mother all lead to his
death and the death of other innocent people. Again, Shakespeare has

Political Criticism Of Macbeth
Jina Lim
Ms. Calimlim
Language and Literature
9 March 2016
Macbeth Literary Analysis Political issues can be criticised or approved with different point of
view. Shakespeare, a writer in all English literature, highly based on Scotland's politics in one of
his work. The beliefs of the reigning monarchy was his motivation. In 1606, Shakespeare wrote a
play called "Macbeth", with the theme of tragic death resulted from enormous desires by
prophecies from the witches. The play of "Macbeth" by William Shakespeare shows the impacts of
excessive ambitious behaviors characterized by Macbeth to criticise era's political issues. He made
the play as violent and tragic as he can to show that he was against to the politics and is criticising
that...show more content...
The setting of this play is in Scotland and England during the early 17th century. This is the time
when the transition of throne's trait from the house of Tudors to Stuarts (Sommerville.
"Tuduor&Stuarts"). Based on the history, King James I was the king at that time, and Shakespeare
was known as the critic of this monarchy. However, the playwright opted to send Malcolm to
England (2.3.153–137), who is the rightful throne heir of Scotland and an opponent of Macbeth, to
symbolize the troubled relationship between the two countries. Battle between English army lead by
Malcolm and a bunch of young Scottish men (5.2.1–5) indicates the Anglo–Scottish War happened in
1603 called the Union of the Crowns ("Education Scotland Foghlam Alba"). As a result, the effect of
violence is made with the background of battleship. Additionally, since ciriticizing against any
political subject concludes to an occurence of controversial issues amongst a nation, therefore, the
mood of tension between the play and reality is

Macbeth, A Review Essay
As a virgin to The Shakespeare Theatre, I was pleasantly surprised when my recent encounter with
Macbeth was a stimulating and enjoyable excursion. The two and a half hours I had predicted to be
less than enchanting were filled with symbolism, and an overall attitude towards the Shakespeare
classic that I had never contemplated before.
Upon entering the theatre, the audience was confronted with a stark stage, boasting only a large
hollow cube with a single, leafless tree standing alone within it. The stark set was relatively
consistent throughout the play, allowing the audience to focus on the characters. Another effective
set design choice occurs when Macbeth was crowned King, and he and Lady Macbeth sat down on
their throne. The...show more content...
Another interesting choice Kahn made was the staging of Lady Macbeth's death as a focus in the
second act. Normally only hinted at in the final scene, Kahn chose to portray Lady Macbeth's brutal
suicide outright, instead of just leaving it up to the audience to infer.
Notable performances from supporting actors were given by the three witches, and the young
boy who took on the role of Fleance (Samuel Bednar Schachter). The witches, whose screeches
and swaggers truly transformed them into creatures not of this earth, were enhanced by the
shadows and lighting used during their scenes, as well as the strobe light in the opening of the
play. The role of Fleance, more commonly interpreted as a young man, was played remarkably
well by a boy no older than twelve. His initial entrance alone was enough to start the wheels
turning in the minds of the audience, as many were forced to alter previous notions of a much
more mature Fleance. Despite his age, he was still convincing and effective in maintaining the
importance of his role, especially in the final scene, where he is incorporated to be the last image
visible before the curtain falls. The porter (Ted Van Griethuysen) also took on a memorable stage
presence when his brief comic relief gave the audience a necessary break from the intense emotions
circulating amongst all of the other characters.
In addition to the actors

Critical Analysis Of Macbeth
By committing these acts, one may argue that Macbeth begins to lose his courage to an extent. He
fears for the future. Take Macbeth's final duel with Macduff for an example. He is all too confident
when the duel with Macduff began, for he still thinks that he is invincible since he believes that all
men are women born. But when Macduff announces that he was "from his mother's womb untimely
ripped" Macbeth lets his guard down (8.19–20).
In director Robert Goold and Bogdandov's interpretations, both directors show Macbeth lowering his
gun, and Polanski's interpretation has Macbeth lose his sword. (Although it should be noted that the
fight resumes after a moment's pause and Macbeth recanting his yield.) Therefore, Macbeth breaks
another...show more content...
Macbeth may have felt that the "hours are absorbed into a terrible dream that is not a refuge but
an inferno", but it is not until after Lady Macbeth's death that he has a moment to reflect on his
deeds (Sypher 105). With the arrival of Birnam Wood, Macbeth realizes that his time is coming to
an end. It is not something that he takes lightly, in fact (depending on the actor) he could take a long
time expressing these feelings. "Tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow, creeps this petty pace from
day to day...all our yesterdays have lighted the way to dusty death. Out, out brief candle" (5.5.22–6).
What leads to Macbeth's death has been interpreted in many ways. Polanski has Macduff stab
Macbeth through a gap in his armour before beheading him, with Macbeth having an expression
of relief. Goold has Macbeth see the witches before his beheading. The most intriguing version of
Macbeth's end is director Nikolai Serbryakov's version. Serbryakov has Macbeth see a vision of
Macduff's wife and children. Macbeth's facial expression is one of sorrow and shock as he cries,
"Enough" (5.8.39)! Thus Macbeth's candle is snuffed out.
Macbeth lost everything in Shakespeare's Macbeth. He lost his innocence when he succumbed to
temptation, his purity when he murders and lies to his people, and his joy when his guilt became
a great burden. Perhaps we would be a little harsh on Macbeth if we called him a rare monster. For
even if we did not follow Macbeth's path, do we not face our own

Influences On Macbeth
Macbeth Analytical Essay
In life, there are two types of people: those who do the right thing and those who don't. In the play
Macbeth, by Shakespeare, the main character Macbeth is given a prophecy by three witches that
says he will become king; however, there is no descending line of kings of his own blood. With the
knowledge of the Witches' prophecy,Macbeth's ambition, and manipulation from his wife, Lady
Macbeth, Macbeth is quickly dragged into a never–ending, bloody murder rampage to obtain the
crown and get rid of those who stand in the way of obtaining it as well. Macbeth constantly battles
with his moral dilemmas; however, he easily falls victim to influences that go against his morals.
Influences on major characters emphasize how easily one's decision making can be negatively
affected, resulting in one going against his or her morals/integrity.
The influence of the Witches' prophecy used by Shakespeare, change Lady Macbeth's and Banquo's
decision making which goes against their integrity. After Lady Macbeth receives a letter from
Macbeth describing his experience with the three witches' and their prophecy, she speaks about
Duncan's fatal death. She says to herself, "Fill me from the crown to the toe top–full of direst
cruelty. Make thick my blood. Stop up th' access and passage to remorse, that no compunctious
visitings of nature `shake my fell purpose" (1.5.49–54). Because of the witches' prophecy, Lady
Macbeth obsesses over acquiring inhuman traits to be able

Macbeth Critical Essay

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Macbeth Critical Essay