Macbeth portrays feelings of uncertainty and anxiety when he asks the question “Will all great Neptune’s ocean wash blood Clean from my hand?”. This quote shows Macbeth talking about Duncan’s blood on his hands, Duncan’s blood symbolised guilt; foreshadowing the events later on in the…
Macbeth Essay Examples and Topics
by William Shakespeare
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The reasons and effects of Macbeth turning into the king is the perfect example of a character’s trait leading them to fail as king. Macbeth’s trust for the witches and him taking it all into his own hands so he would have the power over…
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Often unchecked power has a negative effect on people and could cause corruption leading to one’s own destruction. Macbeth by William Shakespear, is a malevolent play depicting the downfall of Macbeth and Lady Macbeth who were corrupted by power. In the beginning of the play,…
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Decisions all people have affected their lives; and in the play, Macbeth, we perceive how Macbeth’s poor decisions joined with desire and absence of character can have unfortunate outcomes. This isn’t specific to Macbeth’s decisions as we view how choices can have a noteworthy negative…
People in this world have been murdered by their loved ones because they’ve been called “mad”. Some victims survive by having the “discerning eye”, which is an ability to feel a bad vibe around people that aren’t “normal”, and it can be a really good…
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Best topics on Macbeth
We can only congratulate you if you have just finished reading the famous Shakespeare’s tragedy and plan to write an awesome essay on Macbeth. You might want to highlight quotes
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and a set of ideas to incorporate. The most important thing is to get it right and follow a grading rubric or at least a basic essay structure. Check our Macbeth essay for inspiration and an example of how the direct quotes must be used. Do not forget to mention the psychological and physical effects of power on a human being as it is the core element of the play. After all, we talk about tragedy, so talk about what makes it fit within this genre.
Date
1623
Author
William Shakespeare
Type
Plays
Genre
Literature
Major Characters
The main characters in Macbeth are Macduff, Banquo, Macbeth, Lady Macbeth, King Duncan, and Malcolm.
Based on
Macbeth is based on Holinshed’s Chronicles published in 1577. The Holinshed’s Chronicles describes British history in several volumes. The first one was published in 1577 and the second in 1587.
Symbols/motives
- Blood symbolizes guilt and murder
- Light and darkness symbolize good and evil
- Weather to symbolize tone
- Water purification symbolizes cleaning or removal of guilt
Influence
Macbeth gets easily persuaded due to his lack of judgment. He convinces himself not to kill Duncan but retracts fast after Lady Macbeth convinces him otherwise. The play is a reminder to the people who lack self-principles. They can develop them and live a different life.
Plot
Macbeth receives a prophecy from three witches that he will become a king in Scotland. Lady Macbeth encourages him to kill King Duncan so that he takes his throne. Convinced, he carried out the plan but, in the confusion, he kills many more people. There is civil unrest as citizens fight to overthrow the new king. Due to this, more people die.
Why is this topic important?
The quest for power can be dangerous if not kept under control. Macbeth desperately wanted to be king but it only resulted in a civil war and more deaths. The play teaches people that the desire for greatness is good but if it lacks good principles, it becomes destructive.
Main Ideas
Every individual should develop ambition. However, behind the ambition, there must be constraints. Lack of constraints is destructive in many ways. In ordinary situations, Macbeth is a good general who thinks well about his country but when he becomes obsessed with the desire for power, he becomes a different man.
Key Quotes
- King Duncan: “Which bloody man is that?”
- Banquo: “The current fears are lesser compared to horrible imaginings.”
- Lady Macbeth: “The milk of human kindness.”
- Macbeth: “This is a sorry sight.”
- Macduff: “One fell swoop.”
Interesting facts
- The original Macbeth killed the original Duncan in 1040
- After Macbeth killed the real Duncan, he ruled the land for 17 years and was killed by his stepson Lulach the Idiot. He reigned for a year and Malcolm III became king.
- The day Macbeth died is like the very same day he became king.
- If you mention the name Macbeth in a play, you are supposed to walk in circles three times anticlockwise after which you must spit or speak a rude word
Why should this topic be used?
The topic has multiple lessons to be learned by the audience. The golden rule of life that “Do to others what you would like done to you” is real in this play. Macbeth kills Duncan to take the throne. He is killed by his stepson who takes his throne. The step-sone is killed by Malcolm. If Macbeth had listened to his conscience, such a trend of murders could have been stopped.
Arguments for
- Fate is tied to free will. There is a series of fates versus free will that follows the line of kings in Scotland. It starts with Macbeth and progresses to the third king from him.
- The three witches gave word to Macbeth that he would be king but they don’t tell him how. He doesn’t wait for the right time because fate was upon him.
- Macbeth is unable to make strong decisions. Even though he decides not to kill Duncan, his wife convinces him to kill.
Arguments against
- Macbeth had to kill Duncan to fulfill fate. From the trends that follow Macbeth down to his step so and Malcolm, it is evident Duncan had to face the same fate. The best person to fulfill it was Macbeth.
- Lady Macbeth’s influence was catastrophic but she was only playing her role of an advisor to her husband. However, Duncan had a right to say no to the advice but he didn’t because he could not have fulfilled his main purpose.
