Essay on Macbeth
Submitted by: Anthony Coelho
Submitted to: Mrs. Bucciachio
Course Code: ENG 3U1
Date: Monday, January 23, 2012
William Shakespeare’s Macbeth is one of his shortest plays, sitting at 765 lines. Along with being the shortest, it is also one his most violent tragedies. It is a story of how greedy and selfish people will always receive justice. The play contains various themes, each related to each other. Three themes found in Shakespeare’s Macbeth are evil, innocence, and revenge. These themes are shown through many characters. Evil is portrayed by Macbeth and Lady Macbeth, innocence is shown through Duncan and Lady Macduff, and finally the theme of revenge is depicted by Malcolm and Macduff. The evil that the Macbeths do to the innocent Duncan and Lady Macduff, spark Malcolm and Macduff to take revenge.
The main character Macbeth is the strongest example of evil. His three great crimes are things that only an evil man can do. These three crimes are the murder of King Duncan, the murder of Banquo, and the murder of the Macduffs. Macbeth’s first crime, the murder of King Duncan, is the greatest example of Macbeth’s ambition. It shows that Macbeth will stop at nothing to get what he desires, and what he desires in the title of King of Scotland. Macbeth’s desire emerges after his first encounter with the witches. In the meeting, the witches tell Macbeth that he will be crowned king. This sparks the idea in Macbeth’s head, but for that idea to generate, it had to have been there in the first place. This, once again shows Macbeth’s ambition. In Act 1, after Macbeth makes up his mind to kill Duncan, he says something that depicts his evil very well.
“I am settled and bend up
Each corporal agent to this terrible feat.
Away, and mock the time with fairest show,
False face must hide what the false heart doth know.” (I:vii:79-82)
In this quote, Macbeth is saying that his mind is made up, but that he can’t let his face show his true desires. When discussing evil, one
Submitted to: Mrs. Bucciachio
Course Code: ENG 3U1
Date: Monday, January 23, 2012
William Shakespeare’s Macbeth is one of his shortest plays, sitting at 765 lines. Along with being the shortest, it is also one his most violent tragedies. It is a story of how greedy and selfish people will always receive justice. The play contains various themes, each related to each other. Three themes found in Shakespeare’s Macbeth are evil, innocence, and revenge. These themes are shown through many characters. Evil is portrayed by Macbeth and Lady Macbeth, innocence is shown through Duncan and Lady Macduff, and finally the theme of revenge is depicted by Malcolm and Macduff. The evil that the Macbeths do to the innocent Duncan and Lady Macduff, spark Malcolm and Macduff to take revenge.
The main character Macbeth is the strongest example of evil. His three great crimes are things that only an evil man can do. These three crimes are the murder of King Duncan, the murder of Banquo, and the murder of the Macduffs. Macbeth’s first crime, the murder of King Duncan, is the greatest example of Macbeth’s ambition. It shows that Macbeth will stop at nothing to get what he desires, and what he desires in the title of King of Scotland. Macbeth’s desire emerges after his first encounter with the witches. In the meeting, the witches tell Macbeth that he will be crowned king. This sparks the idea in Macbeth’s head, but for that idea to generate, it had to have been there in the first place. This, once again shows Macbeth’s ambition. In Act 1, after Macbeth makes up his mind to kill Duncan, he says something that depicts his evil very well.
“I am settled and bend up
Each corporal agent to this terrible feat.
Away, and mock the time with fairest show,
False face must hide what the false heart doth know.” (I:vii:79-82)
In this quote, Macbeth is saying that his mind is made up, but that he can’t let his face show his true desires. When discussing evil, one