Macbeth essay

Macbeth’s Character William Shakespeare Macbeth is considered one of the greatest tragedies of all time. Shakespeare employs many literary techniques and creates the complex character Macbeth. Literary scholar A.C. Bradley wrote an exposition that discuss the complexity of Macbeth’s character; Mr. Bradley claims Macbeth had a progressive character, that changed through the whole book, Macbeth was first praised as brave and honorable, later he claims he has vaulting ambition, lastly Macbeth losses all love for his country. A.C. Bradley creates a valid argument for Macbeth’s progression towards evil throughout the play.
A.C. Bradley believes Macbeth has many pivotal changes in his character throughout the play; Macbeth’s first major character traits in the play was his nobility, Bradley writes “Macbeth is introduced to us as a general of extraordinary prowess.” Macbeth display this characteristic greatly throughout the early stages of the play, he is introduced as honorable and noble, Macbeth and is referred to by many nobles and the king himself as a brave and valiant man. After a battle with the thane of Cawdor and the lord of Norway a captain of King Duncan reports to Duncan “for brave Macbeth (well he deserves that name) disdaining fortune, with his brandish'd steel, which smoked with bloody execution, like valour's minion carved out his passage till he faced the slave” King Duncan also goes on to describe Macbeth as his valiant cousin. Macbeth carries this respect from men until the very end. Before Macbeth’s final battle many nobles stayed loyal to him. Though Macbeth has had a transition towards evil many nobles still respect him. Macbeth first pivotal character change only occurs when he first encounters evil, the witches. In the first meeting the witches they prophecies that Macbeth shall be thane of Cawdor and then king of Scotland, and Banquo shall not be king but shall father a long line of kings. This meeting sparked a small fire for ambition in