Macbeth the Tyrant - 2310 Words

Shakespeares shortest play, Macbeth, is also, consequently, his most shocking and intense. We see the essence of tragedy: in this case, the protagonist transforms himself from a noble warrior who is loyal to his king and fights for his county to a reduced tyrant by the plays end. Macbeths divided soul which is in turmoil is the cause of his deterioration from a respected warrior to a despised tyrant. Initially, Macbeths turmoil within himself is apparent from the beginning of the play when we see that even his ambition is scattered, in a sense. Our first image of Macbeth is that of a courageous and selfless warrior by the wounded captain whom he had saved from certain death on the battlefield. But Macbeths selflessness is†¦show more content†¦Although ambitious thoughts may have creeped within him before, sparked by the damaging prophecies of the Weird Sisters, it is here that he finally resolves to commit the murder of his king. When Macbeth weighs the crime before it is committed, he concludes that he has only vaulting ambition to set forth the plan in motion (I, vii, 27). Secondly, it is not simply his own disorganized ambition which leads Macbeth to tragedy and tyranny. He is fueled by a sense of ambition, but it is fear through which he secures his place as a tyrant. Macbeth is now helpless to the darkness within his soul and is harrowed by the fear of the consequences which retribution should bestow. He has no ethical system within to reason with himself and he allows fear to consume and drive him to commit the other murders. He fears punishment here as well as in the afterlife and this is what sets forth the chain of murders to follow. Macbeths Christian beliefs, thus, help to delve him deeper into tyranny. It is interesting to see that now the roles have seemed to reverse for Macbeth and Lady Macbeth. Â…will these hands neer be clean? (V, i, 4). Whereas she was once the driving force behind evil in the beginning of the play, she slowly goes insane with guilt while Macbeth grows stronger in evil. The fear that causes all things around him to b e paralyzed causes Macbeth to become even more tyrannical. His own private disharmony isShow MoreRelatedMacbeth As A Tyrant Essay1281 Words   |  6 PagesThe Downfall of a Tyrant Shakespeare wrote Macbeth in 1606, during the reign of James I, who was James IV of Scotland before he became the King of England. James I, was a sponsor of Shakespeare’s theatre, so it is clear that Shakespeare’s work was affected by James I’s sensitivities. Murder and intrigue was a part of the Scottish Reign when James was growing, and in fact, James’s father was murdered when he was just a baby. Macbeth tells the story of a Scottish general who, through prophecies receivedRead More Macbeth - Macbeth The Tyrant Essay examples723 Words   |  3 Pages At the beginning of the play Macbeth is seen as a courageous soldier who is loyal to the King but is corrupted from the witches prophecies and by his and Lady Macbeth’s ambition. Their marriage is of convenience for Lady Macbeth, but for Macbeth it is more than that. He loves his wife, and she takes advantage of that. She is continuously making him feel guilty, for being weak, and challenges his manhood, with these words quot;When you durst do it, then you were a man, and, to be more than whatRead MoreIs Macbeth a Tyrant or a Tragic Hero?650 Words   |  3 Pagesis demonstrated by Macbeth in Shakespeares play Macbeth. Macbeth is portrayed as a courageous, brave and noble man who was haunted by superstition and an overpowering ambition. 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Like Macbeth, OsamaRead More Essay on the Tyrant in Richard III and Macbeth1831 Words   |  8 PagesThe Tyrant in Richard III and Macbeth  Ã‚   In Richard III and Macbeth Shakespeare used the title characters to reveal the typical characteristics of the tyrant such as limited foresight, mental instability, paranoia, the alienation of allies, and a clearly defined persona of evilness. Both Richard III and Macbeth are noblemen that usurp the crown through treachery, deceitfulness, and murder. Their rule is short-lived, though, because the reign with fear and terror. This clearly sets themRead More Macbeth - Noble Soldier to Bloody Tyrant Essay1335 Words   |  6 PagesMacbeth - Noble Soldier to Bloody Tyrant    The purpose of tragedy is to arouse in the audience emotions of fear or pity, and to produce a catharsis-a relieving cleansing-of these emotions. Macbeth is the most horrific of Shakespeares tragedies because the protagonist commits such bloodthirsty acts. Apart from on the battlefield, however, this brutality is not evident when we first meet the hero.   General Macbeth is a man of military and political importance, the heroic Thane of GlamisRead MoreAt the Beginning of the Play, Macbeth Is Hailed as a War Hero, by the End He Has Become an Evil Tyrant.2265 Words   |  10 PagesAt the beginning of the play, Macbeth is hailed as a war hero, by the end he has become an evil tyrant. Explain: A) How Shakespeare conveys Macbeth’s moral decline. B) Why this decline was inevitable. Macbeth is a great example of how Shakespeare uses dramatic irony to convey the moral decline of a brave and admirable hero, into a regicide-committing evil tyrant. Macbeth is a great example as the character Macbeth starts the play as a brave and courageous war hero. However