1 Student name: Zuzana Grfov Instructor name: Mgr.

Ivan Zelenka Course name: English Literature Date: 18th of November 2009

Macbeth Shakespeares plays are masterpieces of literature that have provided centuries of scholars with material for further study. Regardless of whether one is discussing the comedies, the tragedies or the histories, Shakespeares works have continued to illuminate the human condition and explore relationships. Macbeth is no exception to this general description. The play tells the story of a Scottish general, Macbeth, who has seen victory in battle just as he meets with three witches up on the moors. These witches tell him he will first become Thane of Cawdor, which is thought to be impossible as it is a rank of nobility and already occupied, and then that he will become King of Scotland, again a position already taken. Because of this prophesy, it is often assumed that Macbeth is a play dealing with the unavoidability of fate. However, there are numerous points during the play where a simple decision on the part of Macbeth or Lady Macbeth might have changed the course of events completely. Upon hearing the news of this prophesy, Macbeths wife is unwilling to allow time to lay the course and convinces Macbeth to murder the present king that very evening. This, of course, leads to increasing levels of violence as Macbeth attempts to retain control of the crown and secure his position. As this progression unfolds, it can be seen that Macbeth must contend with various

2 commitments his commitment to his king, his commitment to his wife, and his commitment to evil. At the same time, other characters in the play also demonstrate adherence to and dismissal of their own commitments. Macbeth is not a play of fate, but rather a play of tragedy that occurred due to Macbeth and his wifes uncontrollable fear associated with their guilt, greed and cruelty. The argument that the play focuses on fate is refuted first in the idea that Macbeth can be interpreted as a tragic hero he could not have prevented the course of events once they were set in place by a momentary weakness or lack of judgment on the part of Macbeth himself. Shakespeare wished to exhibit a more sublime picture an ambitious but noble hero, yielding to a deep-laid hellish temptation, and in whom all the crimes to which, in order to secure the fruits of his first crime, he is impelled by necessity, cannot altogether eradicate the stamp of native heroism (Bates, 1906: 36). There are two types of tragic heroes, those that are born into nobility with a tragic flaw inherent in their character who are therefore responsible for their own fate and doomed to make a serious error in judgment and those who have achieved great heights or esteem through hard work who eventually realize they have made a huge mistake causing them to face and accept their tragic death with honor (Zarro, 2001). Macbeth, of course, exists somewhere in the middle of these two distinctions. According to Holinshed, Macbeths parents were Sinel, Thane of Glamis (whose existence is otherwise unattested) and a daughter of Malcolm II named Doada (again, modern genealogies mention no such person) (Friedlander, 2005), thus placing his within the characterization of a man born into nobility.

3 Macbeth is also a tragic hero, though, in the form of a man who has achieved great heights or esteem through hard work. Macbeths hard work is shown in the fierceness of the battle being fought as it is reported by the wounded captain in Act I, Scene ii. He tells the king the battle was As two spent swimmers that do cling together / And choke their art (I, ii, 8-9), indicating that the two sides were equally matched and Fortune was favoring Macdonwald. But alls too weak / For brave Macbeth (well he deserves that name) / Disdaining Fortune, with his brandished steel unseamed him from the nave to th chops (I, ii, 15-17, 22). In addition to fighting for his king, Macbeth is quickly and well rewarded for his efforts as King Duncan makes him the new Thane of Cawdor in addition to his already holding the title of Thane of Glamis. Finally, in addition to his supposed genealogy and determined hard work, Macbeth also demonstrates a certain nobility of spirit as he considers the idea of assassinating King Duncan in his own home: Hes here in double trust: / First, as I am his kinsman and his subject, / Strong both against the deed; then, as his hose, / Who should against his murderer shut the door (I, vii, 12-15). He knows in the depth of his spirit that what he is considering breaks every moral, ethical, honorable and noble code hes ever been taught. Certainly the numerous, direct references to Macbeth as the devil and the symbolic function of the serpent-snake-scorpion imagery underscores his diabolic role (Kolin, 1974: 159). Thus, Macbeths decision to murder the king can be viewed as nothing more than simple cruelty and greed while his subsequent acts must be seen as combinations of these first two vices coupled with guilt. Macbeth, despite his born and earned nobility, takes a position in life in which he is more devoted to fulfilling the greed and desire for power of the individual at the

4 expense of the crown and the people. That he is supported in this by his wife is perhaps not surprising, but demonstrates the failure of both to adhere to the Old Codes of honor and hospitality even as it undeniably goes against Christian morality. The couples rapid descent into evil is unsurprising to the audience as is the subsequent madness that is brought on as each struggles to find a balance between the actions of their greed and the knowledge of whats right. Their guilt and fear work quickly upon them, exacerbated by their internal knowledge and deeply placed ideals, driving both characters into madness and death at her own hands in the case of Lady Macbeth and at the hands of the man who was not born of woman, Macduff. His commitment to his wife is illustrated as he addresses her in his letter. This commitment plays a large role in his actions, decisions and mental state in ensuing scenes. Macbeths commitment to evil, though, is a slowly developing process that only begins with this letter. Although he knows he has no reason to move against his king other than his commitment to his wife and his greed proves overpowering, forcing him to the act. This single evil action thus commits him to further evil acts. When Macbeth willingly participates in murder, this quickly escalates to massacres of perceived enemies and the propagation of lies and deceits as a means of maintaining the perception others have of him. His own deceit of Duncan forces him to consider the possible schemes of Banquo, thus leading him to order murder once again. To avenge himself on Macduff for having escaped him, Macbeth orders the massacre of Macduffs family, and the evil flows on. That Macbeth can be seen as a tragic hero immediately implicates him as having playing some part in his own downfall. However, it must be considered that Macbeth

5 goes beyond the classic tragic hero in that he continues to associate with evil and inspires evil acts to be carried out in his name even after he has realized his mistake in killing the old king. When faced with unpardonable evil and inescapable punishment for the guilty, and when moved at the same time to pity and fear by the suffering of the evildoer, they [audiences] are confused. they confound the understanding of an act with the excusing of it (Shanley, 1961: 305). To come to grips with these conflicts, audiences frequently blame the witches for Macbeths downfall and call him a tragic hero. However, because he is unable to accept real responsibility and retribution for his actions, Macbeth may be accurately seen as tragic, but never as a hero.

6 Works Cited Bates, Alfred (Ed.). Macbeth: An Analysis of the Play by Shakespeare. The Drama: Its History, Literature and Influence on Civilization. London: Historical Publishing Company, 1906, Vol. 14: 34-39. Friedlander, Ed. Enjoying Macbeth, by William Shakespeare. Pathguy. (2005). 11 November, 2009 <http://www.pathguy.com/macbeth.htm> Kolin, Philip C. Macbeth, Malcolm, and the Curse of the Serpent. The South Central Bulletin. Vol. 34, N. 4, Studies by Members of SCMLA: 159-160. Shakespeare. Macbeth. William Shakespeare: The Complete Works. Alfred Harbage (Ed.). New York: Viking Books, 1969, pp. 1107-1135. Shanley, J. Lyndon. Macbeth: The Tragedy of Evil. College English. Vol. 22, N. 5, (February 1961): 305-311. Zarro, Josephine. More Terms Defined: Aristotelian Definition of Tragedy. eGallery of Tragic Heroes in Literature and Life. (July 19, 2001). Teach the Teachers. 11 November, 2009 <http://www.teachtheteachers.org/projects/JZarro2/process2.html>