To What Extent Is Macbeth A Hero Or A Villain
Is Macbeth a Hero or Villain?
Written by: Justine Johnston
The play ‘Macbeth’ by William Shakespeare is about a fascinating character known as Macbeth. Do we consider him a hero or a villain? There has been much questioning over this. As the story goes on, Macbeth went down many changed turns, some for good, and some for bad. Macbeth goes from a nice hero to a mean villain all in a small period of time. Many actions made Macbeth into a good person at the opening of the play, which gave him titles of bravery, loyalty, and a good reputation. Then several actions made Macbeth appear evil such as committing crimes, being greedy, and having temptation. Macbeth can be seen as either a hero or a villain.
At the start of the play, Macbeth was what looked to be a hero. There are numerous great characteristics to show that Macbeth is a hero such as him being loyal, kind, and overall having a good reputation. First, Macbeth had a good reputation. The idea spoken consisted of Macbeth to be a “valiant cousin, worthy gentleman” (Act 1, Scene 2, Line 1) by Duncan, the king. This means King Duncan is admiring Macbeth for his remarkable struggles in the war, by calling him ‘valiant cousin’ which indicates he is in close relationship with King Duncan. Also, by saying he is a worthy gentlemen, Duncan is saying he is an honourable fighter. Second, Macbeth is a very loyal man. “Till he faced the slave; which ne’er shook hands, nor bade him farewell to him, till he unseamed him from the nave to th’ chops, and fixed his head upon our …show more content…
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What Macbeth is stating is that he is ready to kill King Duncan, and after he is done he will have to act upon his ‘false face’ and try not to have the guilt sink in from the truth in his heart. These evil ways proved Macbeth to be very cold hearted and a serial killer. There is no doubt that Macbeth was a villain by his greed, despair, and
Written by: Justine Johnston
The play ‘Macbeth’ by William Shakespeare is about a fascinating character known as Macbeth. Do we consider him a hero or a villain? There has been much questioning over this. As the story goes on, Macbeth went down many changed turns, some for good, and some for bad. Macbeth goes from a nice hero to a mean villain all in a small period of time. Many actions made Macbeth into a good person at the opening of the play, which gave him titles of bravery, loyalty, and a good reputation. Then several actions made Macbeth appear evil such as committing crimes, being greedy, and having temptation. Macbeth can be seen as either a hero or a villain.
At the start of the play, Macbeth was what looked to be a hero. There are numerous great characteristics to show that Macbeth is a hero such as him being loyal, kind, and overall having a good reputation. First, Macbeth had a good reputation. The idea spoken consisted of Macbeth to be a “valiant cousin, worthy gentleman” (Act 1, Scene 2, Line 1) by Duncan, the king. This means King Duncan is admiring Macbeth for his remarkable struggles in the war, by calling him ‘valiant cousin’ which indicates he is in close relationship with King Duncan. Also, by saying he is a worthy gentlemen, Duncan is saying he is an honourable fighter. Second, Macbeth is a very loyal man. “Till he faced the slave; which ne’er shook hands, nor bade him farewell to him, till he unseamed him from the nave to th’ chops, and fixed his head upon our …show more content…
61)
What Macbeth is stating is that he is ready to kill King Duncan, and after he is done he will have to act upon his ‘false face’ and try not to have the guilt sink in from the truth in his heart. These evil ways proved Macbeth to be very cold hearted and a serial killer. There is no doubt that Macbeth was a villain by his greed, despair, and