Question 7: Macbeth is depicted in Act 5 as emotionless, mentally unstable, arrogant but above all a tyrant who will perform any act, no matter its indecency, to stay the king of Scotland. Macbeth is an agitated character in scene 3, when he is constantly told of nobles defecting to the English army and that his army consists of no more than 1,000 men. However, due to his mental instability he feels consoled by the witch’s prophecy, that he will be safe until the Woods of Birnam forest comes to Dunsinane. However as the act progresses he becomes more erratic in his behavior, when he storms out of the room cursing the doctor for being unable to cure his wife’s visions. Similarly, Macbeth is presented with emotionless behavior when he is told that his wife has committed suicide, he comments briefly saying, “she should have died hereafter, there would have been a time for such a word,” showing his annoyance, not sadness of the news. However, when he becomes solicitous that the witch’s prophecy will come true, Macbeths cruel mentality is portrayed. He without a second thought, slays Young Siward saying, “thou must be a man born of a women,” hinting at the witch’s prophecy but also showing his cruelty in mocking the dead. In scene 10, the audience is shown that Macbeth is corrupt with power and even with the knowledge of the castles defeat; he will not surrender but instead fight to his demise.
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