Macbeth Evil Question
In “Macbeth”, Shakespeare wished to create a dark and evil world inhabited by malevolent characters who performed dastardly deeds upon one another. The particular use of language, imagery and pathetic fallacy, to an enormous extent, assisted in the creation of a powerfully evil, violent atmosphere which permeated the entire play.
We are first introduced to evil in the form of the supernatural. The witches conduct evil for evil’s sake. It is not for personal gain. Although this supernatural evil cannot be committed by the witches directly, they do exert an influence on the characters, Macbeth in particular, through temptation. The witches are utterly wicked characters, although their dialogue sometimes seems almost comical, like a malevolent nursery rhyme perhaps; “Double, double, toil and trouble”. The presence of the witches alone is an embodiment of instinctive evil.
There is a great deal of violent language present throughout the play. In Act 1, Scene 2, we observe a graphic discussion of battle by the Scottish King and his attendants; “till he unseamed him from the nave to th’chops and fixed his head upon our battlements”. Not only does this create a general atmosphere of evil, but it also assists in depicting the character of Macbeth. He is simply bound to be evil judging by these references.
Another strikingly evil character is presented to us in Act 1, Scene 5. Lady Macbeth’s language serves a similar purpose to that of the King’s attendants. It is especially horrifying coming from a woman. Being the main female character, we expect her to possess an air of femininity but what we perceive puts those assumptions to rest. It is not long before we realize that the power of her evil is in fact greater than that of her husband’s. She fears Macbeth is “too full of the milk of human kindness” and therefore must guide him in order to go ahead with the horrific assassination of King Duncan. To emphasize her point, Lady Macbeth illustrates it with an action she
We are first introduced to evil in the form of the supernatural. The witches conduct evil for evil’s sake. It is not for personal gain. Although this supernatural evil cannot be committed by the witches directly, they do exert an influence on the characters, Macbeth in particular, through temptation. The witches are utterly wicked characters, although their dialogue sometimes seems almost comical, like a malevolent nursery rhyme perhaps; “Double, double, toil and trouble”. The presence of the witches alone is an embodiment of instinctive evil.
There is a great deal of violent language present throughout the play. In Act 1, Scene 2, we observe a graphic discussion of battle by the Scottish King and his attendants; “till he unseamed him from the nave to th’chops and fixed his head upon our battlements”. Not only does this create a general atmosphere of evil, but it also assists in depicting the character of Macbeth. He is simply bound to be evil judging by these references.
Another strikingly evil character is presented to us in Act 1, Scene 5. Lady Macbeth’s language serves a similar purpose to that of the King’s attendants. It is especially horrifying coming from a woman. Being the main female character, we expect her to possess an air of femininity but what we perceive puts those assumptions to rest. It is not long before we realize that the power of her evil is in fact greater than that of her husband’s. She fears Macbeth is “too full of the milk of human kindness” and therefore must guide him in order to go ahead with the horrific assassination of King Duncan. To emphasize her point, Lady Macbeth illustrates it with an action she