Macbeth Essay

"We are repelled by Macbeth's violent and destructive course of action, yet strangely we never lose sympathy for him." To what extent do you agree?

Macbeth's character is straightforward and uncomplicated. He is a man who allows himself to be tempted into committing a sin which he knows in advance to be abominable, and thereafter suffers the torment of seeing the consequences of his evil action. Macbeth is basically a good man lured into wickedness who suffers appallingly because he still has goodness in him and has been described as too full of "the milk of human kindness". Our 'tragic hero' mostly succeeds in making himself a 'monster' yet by the end of the novel we never lose sympathy for him because we know very well that he had not always been so heartless and cold-hearted enough to have done these acts of murder.

The feeling toward Macbeth and reaction to the end of the play differ amongst readers. Although everyone perceives the horrifying tone that ends the play, the feeling of sympathy for Macbeth is also present. Sympathy might be expressed toward Macbeth because of the fact that something or someone else caused the beginning of his downfall. The witches and Lady Macbeth are to blame for this. Relating to Macbeth's character and understanding how he feels and acts is a crucial aspect in understanding the play fully. Shakespeare's method of letting the readers react and connect to Macbeth's character is one of the many concepts that makes Shakespeare such a great author, and makes Macbeth such a remarkable play.

Macbeth's complete self-destruction originated with his encounter with the witches. In the beginning of the play, he is a soldier with good intentions and no desire for harm. At this point, Macbeth has not yet been influenced by the witches and the ambition they provoked. As soon as he meets the witches his troubles begin. Being truly interested in the witches' predictions, Macbeth quickly rises in power and begins to become aware of his capabilities for evil. The witches seem to have total control over his mind and his behaviour. They trigger Macbeth's destructive actions, which