Macbeth Essay
Seattle Ruzek
Ms. Lonski
College Prep British Literature
26 November 2012
Understanding Limits Everyone has different beliefs about the supernatural, and many believe that supernatural forces possess knowledge that can be obtainable by human beings. Although, those individuals fail to recognize that the supernatural powers might be too complex for their natural minds to fully comprehend. This has been a common theme in many classic story plots. For example, in Greek mythology the Fates possess supernatural powers and use them to overtake people’s lives as they wish. However, the idea of witches having strange powers was not only a story idea; it was a commonly accepted fact in the early 1600’s when Shakespeare wrote his tragedy, Macbeth. Macbeth’s inability to fully understand the witches’ illustrate that pursuing knowledge beyond mortal reach will only be detrimental. Macbeth, a once loyal and brave soldier, becomes a tyrant to Scotland and has a guilt-ridden, miserable life because of the knowledge he obtained from the witches. Due to the witches, Macbeth ends his life as a tyrant. However, at the start of the play, he was known and respected by many, even, “The King happily received Macbeth” (Shakespeare 10). The base of Macbeth becoming the epitome of a tyrant lies in the witches’ first meeting with Macbeth. Their deceitful prediction that Macbeth “shalt be King hereafter,” sends his weak character into a rapid fatal decline (Shakespeare 14). At first, he thinks the idea of becoming king, “stands not within the prospect of belief,” but soon after, he begins thinking evil thoughts about murdering King Duncan, so he can replace him as King of Scotland (Shakespeare 19). After the murder of Duncan, Macbeth still does not feel his crown is safe, due to another prophecy from the witches. Macbeth fears still, above all else, his good friend Banquo, because the witches, “hailed him father to a line of kings; yet upon [Macbeths] head they placed a fruitless
Ms. Lonski
College Prep British Literature
26 November 2012
Understanding Limits Everyone has different beliefs about the supernatural, and many believe that supernatural forces possess knowledge that can be obtainable by human beings. Although, those individuals fail to recognize that the supernatural powers might be too complex for their natural minds to fully comprehend. This has been a common theme in many classic story plots. For example, in Greek mythology the Fates possess supernatural powers and use them to overtake people’s lives as they wish. However, the idea of witches having strange powers was not only a story idea; it was a commonly accepted fact in the early 1600’s when Shakespeare wrote his tragedy, Macbeth. Macbeth’s inability to fully understand the witches’ illustrate that pursuing knowledge beyond mortal reach will only be detrimental. Macbeth, a once loyal and brave soldier, becomes a tyrant to Scotland and has a guilt-ridden, miserable life because of the knowledge he obtained from the witches. Due to the witches, Macbeth ends his life as a tyrant. However, at the start of the play, he was known and respected by many, even, “The King happily received Macbeth” (Shakespeare 10). The base of Macbeth becoming the epitome of a tyrant lies in the witches’ first meeting with Macbeth. Their deceitful prediction that Macbeth “shalt be King hereafter,” sends his weak character into a rapid fatal decline (Shakespeare 14). At first, he thinks the idea of becoming king, “stands not within the prospect of belief,” but soon after, he begins thinking evil thoughts about murdering King Duncan, so he can replace him as King of Scotland (Shakespeare 19). After the murder of Duncan, Macbeth still does not feel his crown is safe, due to another prophecy from the witches. Macbeth fears still, above all else, his good friend Banquo, because the witches, “hailed him father to a line of kings; yet upon [Macbeths] head they placed a fruitless