Macbeth Essays (1058 words) - Characters In Macbeth, Free Essays

Macbeth Essays (1058 words) - Characters In Macbeth, Free Essays Macbeth English 11 Honors Paper on MacBeth Due Feb 22nd The tragedy of MacBeth is a story of courage and honor. It gives an interesting mix of love, Machiavellianism, and has a good storyline. MacBeth is a loyal subject to his king, Duncan, but goes terribly wrong when he listens to 3 witches that tell him he will rule someday. MacBeth wishes to get to power quickly with the help of his wife, Lady MacBeth, he kills Duncan, and everyone else in his way. He takes his throne but is soon overturned by his former subordinates. In MacBeth, Shakespeare creates characters who parallel other characters either through their words and actions, or through similarities in characters lives. Each character in the story has a double, through either their similarities, or through their differences. Each character also has something about them that makes them unique. MacBeth and Lady MacBeth are the epitome of an interesting parallelization. At the beginning of the story, the two characters are complete opposites. MacBeth takes the feminine role, while Lady MacBeth is masculine: Lady MacBeth Come, you spirits That tend on mortal thoughts, unsex me here, And fill me, from the crown to the toe, top-full Of direst cruelty! Make thick my blood, Stop up th access and passage to remorse That no compunctious visitings of nature Shake my fell purpose, nor keep peace between Th affectand it! Come to my womans breasts, And take my milk for gall, you murdring minis- Ters, Wherever in your sightless substances You wait on natures mischief! Come thick night, And pall thee in the dunnest smoke of hell, That my keen knife not see the wound it makes, Nor heaven peep through the blanket of the dark, To Cry hold, Hold! (I,v,41-54) Lady MacBeth basically states here that she wants the gods to make her a man. She wants to kill Duncan herself. On the other hand when MacBeth hears of Lady MacBeths seriousness in her actions he comes back with: MacBeth We will proceed no further in this business: He hath honored me as of late, and I have bought Golden opinions from all sorts of people, Which would be worn now in their newest gloss, Not cast aside so soon. (I,vi,31-34) Nearing the end of the story, Lady MacBeth and MacBeth switch roles. Lady MacBeth becomes feminine and MacBeth becomes masculine. Lady MacBeth becomes week and pitiful while MacBeth, carrys out his plans to help him remain king: Lady MacBeth Out damned spot! Out I say! One: two: why, then tis time to do t. Hell is murky. Fie, my lord, fie! A soldier, and afeard? What need we fear who knows it, when none can call our powr to accompt? Yet who would have though the old man to have had so much blood in him? (V,I, 36-41) MacBeth is now fully masculine and trying to keep the kingdom together. When Lady MacBeth commits suicide near the end of the story, he pushes it off and continues with his plan to remain king: MacBeth She should have died hereafter; there would have been a time for such a word. Tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow Creeps in this petty pace from day to day, To the last syllable of recorded time; And all our yesterdays have lighted fools The way to dusty death. Out, out, brief candle! Lifes but a walking shadow, a poor player That strits and frets his hour upon the stage And then is heard no more. It is a tale Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury Signifying nothing. (V,v, 17-28) The second pair is also interesting. This pair deals with time frames during the story (i.e. MacBeth from the Beginning, Macduff throughout). MacBeth from the beginning of the story is the loyal thane of Glamis. He protects the king and is awarded a second territory called Cawdor. The king trusted him, and MacBeth was a loyal servant. Then, he met the three witches, which pumped prophecies or, seeds of evil into his head. These prophecies are very tempting but are ultimately destructive. Macduff on the other hand, is faithful and loyal to Duncan and his heir Malcolm. MacDuff knew what MacBeth was plotting and he went to Malcolm to help him stop MacBeth: Malcolm Let us seek out some desolate shade, and There Weep our bosoms empty. MacDuff Let us rather Hold fast the mortal sword, and like good men Bestride our down-falln birthdam. Each new morn New widows howl, new orphans cry, new sorrows Strike heaven on the face, that it resounds As if