Essay on the book Macbeth PDF

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“Lady Macbeth is the real villain of the play.” Do you agree? Shakespeare's famous tragedy Macbeth details the downfall of a once powerful, noble Scottish general. The plight of protagonist Macbeth is shown through the play, as his own desires combine with external influences to cause his undoing. Along this path, much death and destruction occur. These are directly caused by the Macbeth's own ambition, however he cannot be labelled as the true villain as he was rather a victim of humanity. Lady Macbeth, who blocks conscience and denies humanity, manipulates Macbeth into murdering Duncan. However, Shakespeare also challenges his audience to acknowledge that although Lady Macbeth’s actions are immoral, she is not malicious in nature. Thus, although both the Macbeths’ committed evil acts, they would not have occurred without the presence of the witches, who all show no sign of remorse and rather purposefully enact destruction making them the true villain of the play. Although Macbeth’s horrific actions of slaughter and murder characterise him as a tyrant, the deterioration of Macbeth’s moral orientation accentuates how the human condition has the capacity to commit murderous actions, making Macbeth a victim of humanity rather than a villain. After the initial battle, Macbeth is perceived by King Duncan as a “worthy gentleman” and “valiant cousin”. This portrayal suggests an inherent morality and benevolence within Macbeth, providing the impression that he is incapable of undertaking the deeds he would later do. In the same way, Lady Macbeth, Macbeth’s manipulative partner, admits that the protagonist “is too full of the milk of human kindness” and “not without ambition, but without the illness should attend it”. Macbeth is, thus, initially characterised as a moral exemplar within his own realm, insinuating an inability to perform actions rife with evil motives. Nevertheless, when provoked by the “supernatural soliciting” of witches, it is within the human condition for Macbeth to feel tempted to proceed with actions that will appoint himself a position of power and prestige. While Macbeth had the choice to not advance, his actions are reminiscent of the modern representation of humanity, in which good and evil coexist within each individual. Shakespeare uses the deterioration of Macbeth’s equilibrium as an example of the capability of mankind, and in doing so, depicts Macbeth as a victim of humanity rather than a villain. Moreover, Lady Macbeth’s rejection of humanity and conscience leads her into actions rife with corruption. This notion is crystallised in her soliloquy where she desires the spirits to “unsex me here and fill me…top-full of direst cruelty”. However, it would be remiss to ignore that whilst Lady Macbeth’s actions are egotistical and corrupt, she is not malevolent by nature. Lady Macbeth’s boast to Macbeth that she would have “dashed [the] brains out” of her child without hesitation is certainly blood-chilling but she had only said the things she would do, rather than something she had actually done. She also admits, “I have given suck, and know/How tender ’tis to love the babe that milks me.” In reality, she is capable of tenderness and warmth. Lady Macbeth too obtains a conscience though it may not be explicitly portrayed. She at first displays a complete and utter lack of sympathy after the death of King Duncan through her remorseless comment “the sleeping and the dead are but as pictures.” Although it may seem like she has successfully overridden her conscience, evidence of guilt is displayed in her remark “what’s done cannot be undone”. At this instant, Lady Macbeth’s facade is removed, and she is left vulnerable, discomposed, dishevelled, incoherent and ultimately remorseful. Hence, Lady Macbeth is clearly in possession of a conscience and her attempts to reject humanity were unsuccessful. On the other hand, from the beginning of the play, the witches are established as evil characters with enough power to predict and therefore influence the happenings of the play. From the first scene, where the witches are planning their later prophecy to Macbeth, they mention that they will play on

trust as this is “mortal's chiefest enemy.” This planning shows that they are aware of the influence they will have over Macbeth, and are deliberately choosing to play on the flaws of human nature in order to see the destruction they value take place shown as they repeatedly chant “double, double, toil and trouble!” The witches then give Macbeth his prophecy that he will be “king hereafter” which embeds into his mind the possibility of becoming king and ruling Scotland, which wouldn’t have been present if he hadn’t met the “instruments of darkness.” The “juggling fiends” mislead Macbeth deliberately through the use of “equivocation” and despite their limited powers they are still able to beguile Macbeth into believing their prophecies a second time making him believe he has a “charmed life.” This further demonstrates the malignant desire of the witches. As Banquo later states, they present Macbeth with “honest trifles” so they can “betray in deepest consequence.” The three witches clearly and deliberately influence Macbeth's actions, meaning that they are partially to blame for the death and destruction he creates, labelling them as the actual villains of the play. In essence, both Macbeths’ are never able to completely block their conscience signifying that they are not entirely immoral. In contrast, the witches, an embodiment of pure evil, never show a glimpse of remorse or guilt for their actions and instead gain amusement from all the chaos. Macbeth and Lady Macbeth also cannot be solely responsible for their actions since the ambiguous role of the witches in prophesising and foretelling the future also lead to the atrocities they committed. Thus, without the presence of the witches, all the death and destruction within the Macbeth realm would have never occurred. As the true instigators of the entire plot, the witches are the ultimate villain of the play. As such, it seems fitting to recall Banquo’s description of the witches as “instruments of darkness.”...