Macbeth the Tyrant
Shakespeare's shortest play, Macbeth, is also, consequently, his most shocking and intense. We see the essence of tragedy: in this case, the protagonist transforms himself from a noble warrior who is loyal to his king and fights for his county to a reduced tyrant by the play's end. Macbeth's divided soul which is in turmoil is the cause of his deterioration from a respected warrior to a despised tyrant.
Initially, Macbeth's turmoil within himself is apparent from the beginning of the play when we see that even his ambition is scattered, in a sense. Our first image of Macbeth is that of a courageous and selfless warrior by the wounded captain whom he had saved from certain death on the battlefield. But Macbeth's selflessness is transformed by consuming ambition, sparked by the intriguing prophecy which the Weird Sisters relay unto him. Inner turmoil arises within Macbeth because he lacks the strength of character to check his ambition. He is dominated by his wife, Lady Macbeth, whose ambition for her husband is great. Macbeth is plastic to his wife, in a sense. He allows her to manipulate him and does with him what she will, questioning his masculinity and causing greater confusion within himself. "When you durst do it, then you were a man " (I, vii, 49). His wife's scorn is especially harsh. She states that she could even dash the brains out of her own child if she had made a promise like her husband's. The play implies that women can be as ambitious and cruel as men, yet due to the social constraints in place, these ambitions may not be pursued.
Although the thoughts of murdering Duncan are there within him, Macbeth lacks the same kind of steely resolve which his wife possesses, but his lack of moral restraints and weak character allow him to give in to the temptation of greatness, of making a name for himself greater than just a loyal servantKing of Scotland. "Stars, hide your fires;/ Let not light see my black and deep desires" (I. iv. 50-51). He partly
Initially, Macbeth's turmoil within himself is apparent from the beginning of the play when we see that even his ambition is scattered, in a sense. Our first image of Macbeth is that of a courageous and selfless warrior by the wounded captain whom he had saved from certain death on the battlefield. But Macbeth's selflessness is transformed by consuming ambition, sparked by the intriguing prophecy which the Weird Sisters relay unto him. Inner turmoil arises within Macbeth because he lacks the strength of character to check his ambition. He is dominated by his wife, Lady Macbeth, whose ambition for her husband is great. Macbeth is plastic to his wife, in a sense. He allows her to manipulate him and does with him what she will, questioning his masculinity and causing greater confusion within himself. "When you durst do it, then you were a man " (I, vii, 49). His wife's scorn is especially harsh. She states that she could even dash the brains out of her own child if she had made a promise like her husband's. The play implies that women can be as ambitious and cruel as men, yet due to the social constraints in place, these ambitions may not be pursued.
Although the thoughts of murdering Duncan are there within him, Macbeth lacks the same kind of steely resolve which his wife possesses, but his lack of moral restraints and weak character allow him to give in to the temptation of greatness, of making a name for himself greater than just a loyal servantKing of Scotland. "Stars, hide your fires;/ Let not light see my black and deep desires" (I. iv. 50-51). He partly