Shakespeares Macbeth was written during a time of great superstition, demonology, and the ideology of the divine king. A king was more than a figurehead of power, but a man who is appointed by God as a deputy on Earth with absolute power. Kingship was part of the natural order, and one could not upset this order in the eyes of God. Demonology and superstition were part of Elizabethan life and affected the way many lived. The fact that a man of such power as King James I was known to believe in demonology, influenced his subjects to subscribe to his beliefs. Macbeth was written in 1605-6; the play contained all the factors that Elizabethans wanted in a drama, from demonology to the murder of a king, and it was a play that fitted in well with their everyday beliefs and contemporary issues.
In act II, Macbeth is spoken of by others as a noble, courageous and almost like a living Scottish legend. He is highly praised by fellow soldiers, he is described as a valiant cousin, and worthy gentlemen by Duncan. Receiving praise from a king is of such honour and prestige that few are worthy, and yet Macbeth is one of the select few who have the honour. It is learnt that Macbeth single-handedly defeated the invading enemy; Macbeth confronted him with self-comparisons, point against point...the victory fell on us! as described by Ross, a fellow soldier. This shows that Macbeth is a man of great courage, passion and that he has the audacity to face the enemy without fear, armed only with a sword and his love for his king and country. So it is that before Macbeth appears on stage, the audience anticipates a man of exceptional stature, a soldier of heroic proportion. His words, so foul a fair a day I have not seen announce his presence and entrance with powerful simplicity.
Macbeths first scene involves the three witches and the foretelling of the three prophecies, All hail Macbeth, hail to thee, Thane of Glamis, Thane of Cawdor, and that shalt be king thereafter!. Macbeths companion, Banquo, is more sceptical about the legitimacy of the witches, and so he asks, Quote. Macbeth cares for what the witches say, Quote, rather than who they may be. Macbeth is not really interested in the witches, but cares more for the truths they carry. This marks the first step in his transformation to a murderer. After the exchange with the witches, the witches disappear. Banquo asks Macbeth, Quote, this reveals the uncertainty weighing on Banquos mind as to whether what they saw was even real, or simply a figment of their imagination. However, reassuring words from Macbeth, Quote, assure Banquo that what they just witnessed was reality and that however fantastic it seemed, it happened and they now must think about the consequences, the meaning and the truth behind the prophecies.
When Macbeth says, If chance will have me king, why chance may crown me, Without my stir, he is seen to be a man who is not ready to kill in order to become king, but a man who is open to the fact that, potentially, he could be crowned king naturally without his own intervention. Macbeth is not explicit about kingship and is unprepared to use any means necessary to achieve his goal. The thought of stirring has not entered his mind, let alone the thought of murdering the king. In his current state of mind, Macbeth is not a murderer, but is still a noble thane whom many admire and respect. Macbeth thinks about what the withes said, but does not think unnatural ways to achieve the prophecies, he believes that the prophecies can come true without his stir ad interference. At this point in the drama, Macbeth is not a man capable of murder; he is not thinking about the ways by which he could obtain kingship but is rather relying on the natural tide to bring him the crown.
Macbeths transformation to a murderer is completed in the scene with Lady Macbeth. Duncan has come to Macbeths castle entrusting him with his safety and well being, Duncan has no doubt or fears as he is safe within the four walls of noble Macbeths castle. Macbeth should be protecting this man, he is a guest whom it is a great honour to entertain and have under the same roof. Lady Macbeth desperately wants to prophecies to be fulfilled, and sees the feast as the perfect opportunity to commit murder and get away with it. Lady Macbeth encourages the idea of murdering Duncan, but Macbeth wants to proceed no further in this business. Initially, Macbeth is defiant and does not listen, but as Lady Macbeths verbal onslaught grows ever more violent, he grows powerless in his defiance of her. As Lady Macbeth takes the upper hand, Macbeth grows weaker. Essentially, Lady Macbeths method is to shame her husband by questioning his bravery and his sexual authority. It is bad enough to suggest that a highly respected soldier is too timid to perform the single act that will make him king, but Lady Macbeth goes further by questioning his very manhood, Quote. She resorts to some truly shocking imagery, Quote, to illustrate how ready she is to do anything and everything to gain power. Such is the intensity and savagery of her language that neither reason nor argument is possible. Macbeth is helpless in this context. He is finally persuaded to carry out the murder, fulfill the prophecy and obtain the crown which himself and his wife have been craving for so desperately. The transformation from a noble and peerless kinsman to a cold-blooded murderer is finally complete.
After the foretelling of the three prophecies by the witches, it was inevitable that these prophecies were to become reality one way or another. Macbeth did not intend to murder to upset the natural order; he was willing to be patient and hope that he would become king naturally without his stir. Macbeths ambition combined with Lady Macbeths aggressive persuasion, transformed him into a murderer. The seed of murder was planted within Macbeths head, and Lady Macbeth fertilized the seed into a blossoming flower. She made up his mind for him, she finalised and put to rest his doubts, she changed Macbeth with her persuasive tactics and her ability to use her body and sexuality to sway the mind of a man who seemed to be completely righteous and dignified. Macbeth was a peerless kinsman, a noble soldier, and a man full of the milk of human kindness. However, all this was destroyed relatively quickly by his wifes exceptional verbal attach against him. Lady Macbeth transformed this noble man to a killer, willing to sell his soul for the ornament of life.
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