Macbeth Essay

Macbeth Essay

“False face must hide what the false heart doth know.” (I, vii, 82) The quote above signifies him being pushed and pushed into things that were intended for him to accomplish, although these actions creates a world of death and revenge. Macbeth was a victim of his own ambition. In Macbeth tragedy strikes upon Macbeth and causes him to lose his own life in order to live another. Macbeth is not a sympathetic character in that man can control his own destiny and that being pushed into some decision can cost either their life or someone else’s.

In the play Macbeth one does not feel sympathetic for Macbeth. He controls his own destiny and lives a life of one man, himself. Rather accepting what he has, Macbeth gets greedy and wants it all. One can not feel sympathetic if the best way to get something is to kill that person or to kill the family of that person. He does change though at the end of the play. One can feel sympathetic for him at the end, when knowing that all hope has come to an end, he fights for something else than himself. He fights till the death but loses at the end. Also one can feel for him because of many nagging things going on in his head, including his wife and the three witches. Knowing the thought that he can become king, Lady Macbeth influences Macbeth to many things that soon cause a great deal of pain and suffering.

“If you can look into the seeds of time and say which grain will grow and which will not, speak then to me.” (I, iii, 59-60) The quote is from Banquo who states if the witches can look into the future then tell him of what happens in the next coming. Macbeth has some control over his own destiny. He soon learns that from the witches foretelling him of his future. He learns that not only will he become Thane of Cawdor but also King. His “destiny” is soon thrown into the hands of Lady Macbeth, who in many people’s eyes believes she is the controller of Macbeth. Macbeth’s own actions show that he can control his own destiny. He could have never killed King Duncan, but pressure from his wife and the future telling him that he will be King seduces Macbeth into wanting more than what he has. “But screw your courage to the sticking place, and we’ll not fail.” (I, vii, 60-61) This quote signifies the pressure Macbeth was put under by Lady Macbeth. She cons him in by stating “which thou esteem’st the ornament of life, and live a coward in thine own esteem.” (I, vii, 42-43) She exclaims to Macbeth that doesn’t he want the crown or live a life of cowardliness? Also “Like the poor cat i’ the adage?” (I, vii, 45) Here Lady Macbeth compares him to a cat in a proverb who wouldn’t catch fish because it feared wet feet. The audience should have no sympathy towards Macbeth, for example, he is the man in the relationship and can take control over his wife pressuring him into things he did not want to do. Also he never had to kill King Duncan he was told of his future that he would become King anyways. Macbeth loses many things in order to get what he truly desires.

In order to achieve what Macbeth wants there are many obstacles in his way that causes him to take action in the wrong direction. For example, his great “friend” Banquo was told that he will be father