Is Macbeth A Hero Or A Villain Essay
In the play, Macbeth, characters can be portrayed as both a hero and a villain. Shakespeare shows this in Macbeth through different themes and techniques. Some techniques include; similes, irony, metaphors and personification. A hero is a person who is admired for their courage, outstanding achievements, or noble qualities and a villain is the person or thing responsible for specified problems, harm, or damage. I will be discussing about Macbeth showing how he is more of a villain than a hero. Macbeth is shown as courageous and brave in the start of the play however is later shown as frightened weak and traitorous.
Macbeth is shown as a hero in the start of the play. An example of Macbeth being portrayed as a hero is when the captain, in Act 1 Scene 2, says, “Yes, as sparrows, eagles, or the hare, the lion.”. One …show more content…
of the traits of being a hero is to be brave and this quote is a simile that the captain uses to further illustrate to Duncan how brave Macbeth was when fighting against rebel Macdonald. The line is very comical as the captain says that Macbeth was as scared as a lion is of a hare or as eagles are of sparrows. Another trait of being a hero is to be courageous which is shown in Act 3 Scene 1, “Rather than so, come fate into the list, and champion me to th' utterance!”. In this quote, it shows that Macbeth will fight to the end and is willing to take on anyone who wants to fight him.
Macbeth changes from hero to villain in the play from other manipulating him and the urge for power.
Macbeth doesn’t want to kill the King right after the King honoured him. Lady Macbeth, in Act 1 Scene 7, says,” When you durst do it, then you were a man;(…) I have given suck. I would, while it was smiling in my face, have plucked my nipple from his boneless gums and dashed the brains out, had I so sworn as you have done to this.”. In this quote Lady Macbeth persuades Macbeth to kill Macbeth by saying that he is not manly, through the use of violent imagery and words of passion. Macbeth is shown as a tragic hero, he is portrayed as a hero at the start, but after the witches’ prophecies his hunger for power made him kill the king and soon after he feels guilty and realises he is unable to take back what he has done. “Will all great Neptune’s ocean wash this blood clean from my hand? No, this my hand will rather the multitudinous seas incarnadine, Making the green one red.”. This quote, uses a hyperbole to show that Macbeth feels guilty and he says that all the water in the ocean cannot wash off the blood off his hands but instead will stain the ocean
red.
Macbeth is shown as a hero in the start of the play. An example of Macbeth being portrayed as a hero is when the captain, in Act 1 Scene 2, says, “Yes, as sparrows, eagles, or the hare, the lion.”. One …show more content…
of the traits of being a hero is to be brave and this quote is a simile that the captain uses to further illustrate to Duncan how brave Macbeth was when fighting against rebel Macdonald. The line is very comical as the captain says that Macbeth was as scared as a lion is of a hare or as eagles are of sparrows. Another trait of being a hero is to be courageous which is shown in Act 3 Scene 1, “Rather than so, come fate into the list, and champion me to th' utterance!”. In this quote, it shows that Macbeth will fight to the end and is willing to take on anyone who wants to fight him.
Macbeth changes from hero to villain in the play from other manipulating him and the urge for power.
Macbeth doesn’t want to kill the King right after the King honoured him. Lady Macbeth, in Act 1 Scene 7, says,” When you durst do it, then you were a man;(…) I have given suck. I would, while it was smiling in my face, have plucked my nipple from his boneless gums and dashed the brains out, had I so sworn as you have done to this.”. In this quote Lady Macbeth persuades Macbeth to kill Macbeth by saying that he is not manly, through the use of violent imagery and words of passion. Macbeth is shown as a tragic hero, he is portrayed as a hero at the start, but after the witches’ prophecies his hunger for power made him kill the king and soon after he feels guilty and realises he is unable to take back what he has done. “Will all great Neptune’s ocean wash this blood clean from my hand? No, this my hand will rather the multitudinous seas incarnadine, Making the green one red.”. This quote, uses a hyperbole to show that Macbeth feels guilty and he says that all the water in the ocean cannot wash off the blood off his hands but instead will stain the ocean
red.