Shakespeares Macbeth Essay - 603 Words

Laurence Sterne once wrote, â€Å"No body, but he who has felt it, can conceive what a plaguing thing it is to have a man’s mind torn asunder by two projects of equal strength, both obstinately pulling in a contrary direction at the same time.† This passage embodies one of the over arching themes of Macbeth. The character Macbeth, in Shakespeare’s tragedy Macbeth, could easily identify with this passage due to the fact that he is pulled in opposite directions by both his desire to do what is right and his desire for power. In Act 1 Macbeth is troubled by his desire to kill the king that is countered by his morals that state he should not kill Duncan for the fact â€Å"First, as I am his kinsman and his subject, Strong both against the†¦show more content†¦However, the fact that he must hire goons and he cannot do it himself shows that he has not fully conceded to the evil force. Also, when he sees the ghost of Banquo at the table and freaks out we can clearly see that he is not ok with what he has done. He says to the ghost, â€Å"Thou canst say that I did it. Never shake thy gory locks at thee†(III.iv.55,56). These are not the words of a guilt-free man. He does, at this point, feel remorse. In Act 4 Macbeth has taken another turn for the worse. He has become barbaric, ruthless and calloused. The witches have given Macbeth visions and caused him to become confident to a fault in his power. He believes that nobody can stop him. He heartlessly orders the killing of all of Macduff’s family because Macduff has fled to England. â€Å"Seize upon to Fife, give to th’ edge o’ th’ sword his wife, his babes, and all unfortunate souls that trace him in his line† (IV.i.158-160) Macbeth has passed the point of no return. His desire to have power has won. His good side is no more. Act 5 proves to be the demise of Macbeth. He has been told by the witches that no man born of woman can harm him. He has been told by the witches that he will not be defeated until Birnam Wood marches to fight him. Since all of these things are impossible he has nothing to worry about. He is preparing for battle against the English army and the armies of his former companions:Show MoreRelatedWilliam Shakespeares Macbeth749 Words   |  3 Pages1. Macbeth, the tragic hero in William Shakespeare’s Macbeth, suffers from the fatal flaws of insecurity and indecision, allowing him to easily be manipulated, which causes the audience to feel sympathetic toward him. 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This play is a perfect example of a promising relationship that messes with a power greater than themselves and in the end falls into a hopeless swamp with no way out, nowh ere to turn. We see the relationship between Macbeth and Lady Macbeth unfoldRead MoreEssay Lady Macbeth in William Shakespeares Macbeth1403 Words   |  6 PagesLady Macbeth in William Shakespeares Macbeth In act 1 scene, we see lady MacBeth reading a letter that her husband, MacBeth has sent her, it has been written as a soliloquy, she reads aloud to the audience how he has been given information about his future by a group of witches. MacBeth sent this letter to his wife quickly, he is was obviously pleased with the news and wanted her to know about it. This gives the audience the impression that Lady MacBeth was very dominant