There is a sense of comparing of different characters that all have leadership qualities to see the difference. Also going back into history Shakespeare wrote the Macbeth in 1606 during two reigns Queen Elizabeth I and King James I. Shakespeare wrote this play to link…
Essays on Macbeth
by William Shakespeare
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‘Macbeth’ is a tragical play that was first performed in 1606 in Scotland. It is authored by the famous William Shakespeare. It showcases the damaging effects, both psychological and physical of political ambition and wanting to gain power to those who seek it for their…
Imagine a character in a story that starts off as a normal woman. Yet, as the story progresses, readers see that she represents a twisted and power-hungry woman who ends up letting her guilt get the best of her. This fully describes Lady Macbeth; at…
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…
In the final speech of the play, Malcolm describes the Macbeths as “this dead butcher and his fiend-like queen”. Is this the whole story? During the play, the Macbeths’ behaviour sometimes fits in with Malcom’s description of them as a “butcher” and “fiend-like” yet this…
Macbeth is a play written by William Shakespeare. Macbeth and the three witch sisters are linked in a refusal to come right out and say things directly. Instead, they rely on riddles, and ambiguity to evade the truth. Macbeth’s ability to change his language and…
There are many factors that determine manhood. For some manhood is the ability to complete hard tasks, for others manhood is the basic condition of being human. In Macbeth, however, manhood is a set of various undefined ideals. Throughout the play, there is a struggle…
Desire and morality are the deepest forces of human nature. In Macbeth, it’s widely believed that Macbeth’s tragedy was due to insane ambition. But Lady Macbeth’s tragic ending is more complex than Macbeth’s, all elements of which are due to her the perceptual and the…
Macbeth’s partner, girl king, is instrumental in his ambition, manipulating him, as they each theme for greatness. Driven by the desire to become King, king commits the murder here King dancer and endlessly murder’s people who suspect him. he’s a diode to his destruction as…
“Macbeth” the famous play written by Shakespeare is a story of the powerful and ambitious couple Macbeth and Lady Macbeth. The plot surrounds after another win for Macbeth on the battlefield the 3 weird sisters approach Macbeth and announce a prophecy where he will one…
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…
A lot of people deal with guilt, whether they are children or adults, everyone deals with guilt at least once in their lifetime. Lots of guilt is shown in Shakespeare’s play Macbeth. Since guilt affects you physically and mentally, some characters are affected by guilt…
Modern-day theatre and its conventions revolve around audience separation from the actors. Plays have developed the use of the proscenium arch as the norm for performance, with a silent, untouched audience. In directing this extract of Macbeth, I have discovered the ways in which audience-actor…
In the book of Genesis in the Holy Bible, a tough lesson the character Eve receives is to not always trust what is readily seen. Because she went against God’s orders, she accepted a lifelong punishment for eating the forbidden fruit, doing something realistically harmless….
William Shakespeare’s Macbeth explores the role of femininity and masculinity in Macbeth’s and Lady Macbeth’s desire for power by analyzing the extent to which the societal view of feminine compassion and kindred love threaten power. The feminine identity expressed throughout the play must be understood…
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.
