analysis of macbeth

Shelby Miller
English 4
3/21/2012
Macbeth Literary Analysis Paper
In the book series, the Hunger Games the president is controlling, greedy, corrupted, and destroys anyone or anything that gets in his way of tyranny. In the play, Macbeth displays the same personality which leads to both of their downfalls in the end. The Macbeth in the play isn’t very similar with the historical Macbeth. Macbeth was different than the historical Macbeth because Shakespeare had a moral in his play. The moral of the play was that too much ambition and thirst for power will lead to your own ultimate destruction.
The historical Macbeth was born in Alba, Scotland in 1005 which was the same year his grandfather was crowned king. The name Macbeth means “son of life” and also means “righteous man.” The historical Macbeth did have royal ancestry in his family. “He was the grandson of King Malcom II and cousin to Duncan.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Macbeth,_King_of_Scotland) The final years of Macbeth’s life were important because he introduced feudalism to Scotland. In 1054, Edward’s Earl of North Umbria, Siward led a large invasion into Scotland. This led to the brutal battle of Annals of Ulcer. In the end “the battle left 3,000 Scots and 1,500 English dead.” (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Macbeth,_King_of_Scotland) The historical Macbeth was killed in battle.
In the beginning of the play Shakespeare introduces us to the character Macbeth who is described as a “brave and powerful soldier.” (www.sparknotes.com). In the play, Macbeth and Banquo come across the 3 weird sisters aka the 3 witches. The witches tell him that he will be crowned king of Scotland. Macbeth believes their prophecies because their prophecy about him becoming Thane of Cawdor comes true. Once he hears the prophecy that he will be king of Scotland, Macbeth does not anyone or anything to get in the way of his goals or ambitions of becoming king of Scotland.
The effect of the 3 witches has a very strong influence on Macbeth and how the play turns out in the end. Macbeth easily gets tempted into murder when Lady Macbeth questions his masculinity. “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.”

She is proving that she has more masculinity than Macbeth. He feels pressured into it and commits Duncan’s murder. After committing his murder Macbeth is crowned king of Scotland. Macbeth also remembers the witch’s prophecies about Banquo’s son becoming king. Macbeth does question killing his friend Banquo but goes through with the murder because he is worried Banquo is suspicious of him. Macbeth hires a murderer to kill Banquo and his son. Banquo gets killed for his “good nature.” “To be thus is nothing, but to be safely thus. Our fears in Banquo stick deep.” Banquo gets killed but his son escapes the scene. He also hires 2 murderers to kill Macduff’s family also. This becomes a pattern in Macbeth while he destroys anyone or anything that might jeopardize his goal of becoming and staying king of Scotland. His greed and corruption ultimately lead to his downfall at the end of the play. Both Macbeth and Lady Macbeth feel guilty about the murders. Lady Macbeth starts sleepwalking and tries to wash her hands to get rid of the blood. The blood is symbolic of her sins and that she can never be cleaned of her sins of the murders they committed. In the end, Macbeth tries to fight an army of 10,000 English men. Lady Macbeth finally takes her life when she can no longer live with the guilt of murdering Duncan. On the battlefield Macbeth at last encounters Macduff. Macbeth insists that he is invincible because of the 3 weird sisters prophecy, Macduff tells Macbeth that he was not of woman born, but rather “from his mother’s womb / Untimely ripped” (5.10.15–16). Macbeth suddenly fears for his life, but he declares that he will not surrender “[t]o kiss the ground before young Malcolm’s feet, / And to be baited with the rabble’s curse” (5.10.28–29). Macduff ends up killing Macbeth.

The play differs from the reality of the historical Macbeth because Shakespeare not only wanted drama in his play but also had a moral to the play as well. The moral of the play is that too much ambition and thirst for power will lead to your ultimate destruction and downfall.