Commentary on Macbeth Essay

In the end of the play we view Macbeth as a tyrant, a traitor and a bloody butcher because of the murder of King Duncan, and the chaos he imposed on Scotland. However, Macbeth did have honorable qualities within him, but because he was turned into an evil character from the circumstances the witches, his wife and his country put him in we sympathize with him to the extent of treating him as a tragic hero; an honorable, and important figure who has inherent weaknesses in his character which brings about his tragic end.

Macbeth s honorable character can be seen by his loving, loyal and respectful attitude towards those around him. His loyalty is demonstrated from his inspirational speech after his appointment as the Thane of Cawdor:

Macbeth: The service and the loyalty l owe,

In doing it, pays itself. Your Highness part

Is to receive our duties, and our duties

Are to your throne and state, children and servants,

Which do but what they should, by doing everything

Safe toward your love and honor.

He doesnt t want to kill King Duncan because he isnt t willing to lose the respect that he has painfully earned: he hath honoured me of late. This respect Macbeth has for King Duncan is mentioned by Lady Macbeth: Lady Macbeth: Yet do I fear thy nature/It is too full o the milk of human kindness.

His love and respect towards Lady Macbeth is an indication to one of several of Macbeth s honorable character. He told Lady Macbeth that he was appointed as the Thane of Cawdor, and his address to her as a dearest partner of greatness in his letter deserves some merit, since it shows his love and devotion towards her. He listens to what she has to say about killing King Duncan without questioning her opinions.

Macbeth s sensitive conscience is evidence to suggest that he can tell right from wrong. The images he sees are all horrific images played by his conscience that is plagued by the fear of being an outcast who is hated by his subjects. The image of the sword that lead him to King Duncan, and the image of Banquo and his sons as Kings are all indications of the guilty conscience haunting his mind. Macbeth even admits to his fears:

The time has been, my senses would have cools

To hear a night-shriek, and my fell of hair

Would at a dismal treatise rouse and stir

Macbeth even shows courage throughout the whole play. Although the whole country was plotting against him at the end of the play, Macbeth still tries to keep his courage and strength at a time when other people would have lost hope and given up a fight: Macbeth: But swords I smile at. Weapons laugh to scorn, / Brandished by man that s of woman born. Macbeth still keeps his courage until the very end.

However, Macbeth did turn into an evil figure that was traitorous, ruthless and conniving, but it was because of several reasons; reasons that make us understand the inevitable tragic situation Macbeth was put into. Lady Macbeth urged him on to kill King Duncan. She appealed to his manhood and he had no choice but to prove himself by doing the evil deed. No matter how hard he resisted, but in these cases we still have judgment here, his good-natured character was manipulated into an evil character. His evilness still continued later on, and instead of getting better he became more ruthless and conniving because of the build up of circumstances he was put into, which was caused by the murder of King Duncan. His own soldiers and servants were assured that Macbeth was the culprit who killed King Duncan, and as a result they left his castle and his trust. Consequently, Macbeth began to treat others without honor or respect. The witches influenced him to continue to treat others mercilessly:

Be bloody, bold, and resolute: laugh to scorn

The power of man, for none of woman born

Shall harm Macbeth.

Macbeth murdered Macduff s family, and treated his servants and soldiers plainly and cruelly, MACBETH: If thou speakst false,/Upon the next tree shalt thou hang alive,/Till famine cling thee , to keep the respect that the others felt for him. Since his ruthless, murderous and conniving character was the result of unavoidable circumstances that he tried but couldnt t easily avoid, the sympathy we have for him still stands.