William Shakespeare’s Macbeth is best characterized by his ambition, which leads him to commit heinous murders and eventually causes him to become insane. In “Macbeth”, one of the greatest tragedies ever written, the protagonist transforms from a valiant nobleman to an insane and violent tyrant, whose downfall comes as a relief by the end of the play. The tragedy is a literary genre which tackles a serious or somber topic, and in which the protagonist has an unhappy fate, usually brought about by a major flaw in his character. In the play, Macbeth first kills Duncan to take his throne, in an attempt to have the witches’ prophecy fulfilled, and spends the rest of his life killing everyone who could remove him from power, including Banquo, his best friend. At the end of the play, Macbeth dies violently, which sends a strong moralizing message to the audience, regarding the dangers of being too ambitious. The protagonist’s yearning for the throne, which is first awaken by the witches, and then efficiently fed by his wife, begins to dominate him, and eventually leads him towards insanity.
In the beginning, Macbeth is not insane but on the contrary, he is a rational and likeable character, whose life as a favored nobleman at the court seems perfect. As a general in the king’s army, Macbeth has a crucial role in defeating the armies of Norway and Ireland, which enhances the king’s admiration for him. Duncan says of Macbeth: “O valiant cousin! Worthy gentleman!” (Shakespeare 7). Thus, Macbeth distinguishes himself on the battlefield and enjoys the king’s affection for this reason. However, despite his qualities, Macbeth suffers from a dormant flaw, which he may not be aware of, namely his ambition. The idea of becoming a king arouses in Macbeth when the three witches greet him, ““All hail, Macbeth, thou shalt be king hereafter!” (Shakespeare 12). Macbeth does not dismiss the witches’ words immediately, but demands to know more: Stay, you imperfect speakers, tell me more:/ By Sinel's death I know I am thane of Glamis; /But how of Cawdor?and to be king /Stands not within the prospect of belief,/ No more than to be Cawdor (Shakespeare13). These words suggest that, even though Macbeth does not entirely believe the words of the witches, he is still attracted by this idea. In his words, there is a first sparkle of the ambition that will eventually consume him.
Tempted by the witches’ prophecy, Macbeth sees no way to make it come true but by murdering the king, an idea which is encouraged by his even more wicked but no less ambitious wife, Lady Macbeth. However, in the beginning, he is fully aware of the fact that he has no other motivation to do so, than his rising obsession for the throne. In his monologue of Act I, Scene VII, there is a final glimpse of his morality and self-awareness, when he lists all the reasons why he should not kill the king, such as the fact that he is the king’s relative, his subject, and his host. Ass these qualities make him dutiful towards the king. Furthermore, he recognizes to himself that Duncan is a good and virtuous king. Consequently, Macbeth admits that “I have no spur/ To prick the sides of my intent, but only/ Vaulting ambition, which o'erleaps itself /And falls on the other (28). His conflicted thoughts reflect his complex personality, and suggest that he is not an entirely morally despicable character. However, Lady Macbeth’s manipulations and her dominative personality eventually overwhelm Macbeth.
The evilness of the deed is further emphasized in the text, in order to understand the enormity of Macbeth’s decision, and the fact that this may cost the protagonist his own humanity. In the play, Shakespeare clearly condemns the feelings that pushed the protagonist to commit murder, by having one of the characters say,“ 'Gainst nature still! /Thriftless ambition, that will ravin up /Thine own lives' means! /Then 'tis most like/The sovereignty will fall upon Macbeth (Shakespeare 51). While Ross here refers to the king’s sons, Malcolm and Donalbain, who are directly impacted by the murder, the audience can interpret these words in reference to Macbeth, who is also related to the king by blood. Ironically, after condemning the murderer for displaying such unworthy and despicable traits, he unknowingly names him as the next sovereign
One murder leads to another as Macbeth now feels the great need to protect his power and with each, ever more outrageous murder, he falls into madness. Even his best friend Banquo, and small children who may one day claim the throne like MacDuff’s child become Macbeth’s victims. With each murder, he becomes even thirstier for power, and he gives up his last traces of humanity and morality. He thus states, “For mine own good,/ All causes shall give way: I am in blood /Stepp'd in so far that, should I wade no more,/ Returning were as tedious as go o'er: (73). Therefore, even at this point, he is aware of the magnitude of his acts and he rationally decides to go on with the series of murders, since returning to his initial state is impossible. However, as the guilt for the horrible crimes he committed increases, it causes a conflict within himself which drives him insane. His hallucinations and obsessions for prophecies and for preserving his power are signs of his growing madness.
Therefore, Macbeth’s tragedy suggests that no matter how privileged a person may be, he or she can still be destroyed by negative feelings, such as ambition and the lust for undeserved power. The strong moralizing character of this play is suggested by the fact that both Macbeth and his wife are punished by the end of the play. As order is restored in the kingdom, the surviving characters, together with the audience, can draw the necessary lessons from this tragedy, and make sure that this will never happen in their own live
Works Cited
Shakespeare, William. Macbeth. Feedbooks. 1606. Web.
