Macbeth essays

William Shakespeare’s play Macbeth is a tragedy about a Scottish lord who becomes consumed by his own ambition and through murder and betrayal, conquers the Throne of Scotland. Shakespeare incorporates significant historical events from the Elizabethan era into the play, which was performed in 1606. While the play begins with “brave Macbeth” as a war … Read more

There will be many moments throughout life when a individual experiences troubles. In most cases, the challenges presented will be internal and the biggest enemy ends up becoming themselves. How a person decides to handle as well as react in certain situations can either break them down or build them up for the betterment of … Read more

In the play Macbeth written by Shakespeare, the ladies are the characters that wear the jeans, while the men wear the dresses which is a dominant aspect all throughout the play. The marriage between Macbeth and Lady Macbeth demonstrate this topic the most. Shakespeare shows the untraditional marriage in Scotland; what one sees isn’t what … Read more

Newton, Israel 27 March, 2018 English II, Seventh Period Power Corrupts “Power doesn’t corrupt. Fear corrupts… perhaps the fear of a loss of power.” – John Steinbeck. In William Shakespeare’s play, Macbeth one of the most prominent themes is the corrupting force of power. For example in act one of Macbeth the witches use their … Read more

There are people who work really hard for their dreams, but it is not meant for them. That is how fate works. Fate determines what is pre-planned for every person, but it is up to them to do something with it. Our behaviour makes our fate, the outcome of our actions or it is something … Read more

Shakespeare portrays Lady Macbeth as a heinous, malevolent and determined woman who has an extremely tenacious grip on the thought of becoming queen. She is portrayed as a stereotypical villain, because of her perseverance of the invocation of the spirits, “Hie thee hither”. Some may argue she even possesses qualities of the devil due to … Read more

The recurring theme of destruction of natural order is first seen several times throughout the human world. In the beginning of the play, King Duncan is a respected and honourable king. When Macbeth makes the impulsive decision to murder him in his sleep for the throne, it changes everything. The Great Chain of Being plays … Read more

The relationship between Macbeth and Lady Macbeth at the start of the play is a relationship which is incongruous for the Jacobean time because during the Jacobean time, Macbeth is seen as respecting Lady Macbeth’s opinions . Lady Macbeth uses the fact that Macbeth respects her to gain power over Macbeth and to convince him … Read more

Fahad Ali Mrs. Denomme and Ms. Fox English 12 07 January 2019 The Tragedy of Blind Ambition It is believed that fate has the power to forge one’s destiny. The outcome of a person’s choices are in the hands of some uncontrollable force and will occur in the way they are destined to occur. On … Read more

At the end of the play, Malcolm described Macbeth and Lady Macbeth as ‘this dead butcher and his fiend-like queen’. The adjective ‘fiend-like’ is used to describe a wicked and cruel person like an evil spirit or demon. Although at the start of the play, Lady Macbeth wishes to become a ‘fiend-like queen’, as the … Read more

The play “Macbeth” was written by William Shakespeare, and throughout the play Shakespeare conveys a theme of ambition successfully. From the outset of the play, the protagonist is described as noble and valiant. He is spoken highly by the king of Scotland and is found to be well respected. As the play comes to a … Read more

The world is made up of colors. And over time, we have come to associate them with various aspects of life and feeling. Color psychology, or the study of how colors impact us, plays a big role in “Macbeth” because with colors comes emotions attached to them. When we hear about certain colors, we connect … Read more

Sachin Shurpalekar Ms. Ryan English 2H Period 5 08 November 2019 Overpowering Ambition in Macbeth Ambition is one of many traits that needs to be handled well in order to be used successfully. In Shakespeare’s Macbeth, the main character of the play, is filled with great intentions to take his place as king by committing … Read more

Macbeth is a tragedy by William Shakespeare, thought to have been first performed in 1606. It dramatises the damaging physical and psychological effects of political ambition on those who seek power for its own sake. The audience when the play was written and first performed compared to now have different views on the story itself. … Read more

Moreover, it is only possible if value and non-value are recognized, if standards and norms are secretly affirmed and if mental orders become essentially conscious (Heuer, p.44, l.28ff.). Owing to the witches’ prophecies (see Macbeth, Act 1, Scene 3) the familiar world is now strange to Macbeth, his own self has become another. According to … Read more

Written during a time of great social and political turmoil, Shakespeare’s Macbeth addresses many of the themes that concerned the public at the time, namely traitors, plots against the monarchy and the threat of witchcraft. Through his narrative of Scotland descending into a seemingly irreversible chaos, Shakespeare offers an exploration into the possible destiny of … Read more

4) In Macbeth’s soliloquies, he was able to shine through his virtues and vices. In the beginning of the play, Macbeth was a conqueror who had courage and bravery. With this influence, he managed to keep his temperance and managed to subtly show his good intentions through liberality and honour. However, things changed very quickly … Read more

Deception is the act of distorting ideas, and it’s commonly perceived as a human flaw. Macbeth, a play by Shakespeare, thoroughly examines this idea of deception and self deception and establishes the concept that deception yields negative effects. Ultimately, one should be ready to accept the consequences of deception. In the play, prominent characters such … Read more

Ashwin Kumar English FPT Script INTRO To be selfless, generous and giving, character traits that most people aspire to have and are taught to be since childhood. Altruism, is the incorporation of all these attributes into one as it simply means to value the well being of someone else more than your own. However, in … Read more

‘Macbeth’ was written by Shakespeare in 1606. The play is set in Scotland during the 11th century. He based his characters on real people i.e. Duncan King of Scotland, Donalbain and Macduff. Macbeth is a tragic hero who destroys himself by his own wicked and selfish ambitions. At the beginning of the play, Macbeth is … Read more

At the start of the play, Macbeth is exhibited as being a brutal yet ruthless warrior, who is highly respected. The captains report announcing Macbeth and Banquo’s honorable, single-handed defeat of the Norwegian army is highly celebrated through the animalistic simile “as sparrows, eagles, or the hare, the “lion”, highlighting the courage and ruthlessness of … Read more

there is virtually no other way for him but to act the way he does, even if he wanted to1. It also becomes evident from Macbeth’s intended self-splitting that he – just like his wife – has summoned his fate himself and, therefore, consequently has to take on the consequences. Thus, he creates his own … Read more

Texts have the power to challenge societal beliefs and values in order to bring about change to our world and individuals. Significantly, power in modern society has become a revolutionary tool, valued beyond fame and money, and enabling certain individuals to achieve greater levels of success. William Shakespeare’s ‘Macbeth’ examines the toxic effect of unchecked … Read more

William Shakespeare’s tragedy Macbeth, written between 1605-1606 for King James I shortly after the death of Queen Elizabeth I was derived from Holinshed’s Chronicles of England, Ireland and Scotland, published between 1577 and 1587. It is set in medieval Scotland and focuses on the predictions of three witches. This is intriguing because many people in … Read more

Hamartia, by defintion, is a fatal flaw leading to the downfall of a tragic hero. The story of Frankenstein takes place in 18th century Europe, including Italy, Switzerland, and Germany. The talented scientist, Victor Frankenstein, works to do the undoable. In attempting to maybe ‘better mankind’ or even prove himself as an advanced scientist, Frankenstein … Read more

Sin, greed, betrayal, and murder are all associated with Shakespeare’s Macbeth, but would one ever think of the Bible too? Many of Shakespeare’s plays and writings include biblical references. Due to the old English that Shakespeare uses, it can be hard to translate his message. This makes it more challenging to see the biblical references … Read more

What is greed? Greed is the “intense and selfish desire for something, especially wealth, power, or food.” You can find the concept of greed in both characters Macbeth and Mr. White. Shakespeare and W.W. Jacobs characterize their protagonists as malleable to emphasize that greed is a powerful emotion which can manipulate one’s decision making. In … Read more

Many people like to have the belief that the actions they carry out are due to the development of events beyond a person’s control; fate. And there are those who believe that they are solely responsible for their own actions and that they can act by their own discretion; free will. In William Shakespear’s Macbeth, … Read more

Mini Kang Mr. Holland English 3-4 Accelerated 22 December 2016 How Not to Be King: The Consequences of Unrightful Paths Taken Towards the Throne in Macbeth Eddie Tipton is yet another man that fell in the all consuming power of greed. He used the skills he had as a formal IT security director of Multi-State … Read more

An important and repeatedly recurring means that Shakespeare makes use of, in order to clearly showcase deeper insights into the mental world and psychological processes of his protagonists to the recipient, is the monologue. By means of the monologue the audience becomes an intimate witness of the presented thoughts and feelings, in a sense, so … Read more

n act 1 scene 7, Lady Macbeth changes into a role where she becomes self-centred and malicious. She only wants power and control. Being the dominated one in her relationship is still not enough for her. The words and actions that were said by Lady Macbeth were unusual because before this scene Lady Macbeth had … Read more

The humanism of the Renaissance is also described as the age of the individual, since it especially emphasized the dignity and value of the individual. The human, with all his respective emotions and perceptions, was now placed into the center of society and the universe, and during this discovery of the individual, the individual personality … Read more

‘Macbeth’, written by William Shakespeare in 1606 explores the ideas of the corrupting power of ambition as it follows the path of courageous Macbeth attempting to conquer Scotland, due to the influence of three witches. Driven by desire for leadership, the once honourable Macbeth and his wife embark on a murderous journey which sees their … Read more

English Essay BIG IDEA #1 Shakespeare shows the success that follows from kingship and by following the divine right of kings. He also shows that Duncan had the divine right to rule and so all of nature was flowing well until Macbeth became king with force and nature started to turn on itself. During Shakespeare’s … Read more

As for Shakespeare, being a king signifies the possibility of the highest development of a human. Macbeth becomes a slave to destruction in his reign. Kingship means healing, and to bring salvation, whereas Macbeth brings illness and death to his country (Lüthi (1969), p.30, l.7-12). Even though the last consequence in the course of the … Read more

Another means for the insight into the characters’ minds is the ‘aside’, which often functions as a pre-form or a transition to the monologue in Shakespeare’s works. Nevertheless, in many cases a short version of a monologue cannot be distinguished from an ‘aside’. Shakespeare has developed this type of expression far above its original purpose, … Read more

Despite being from two vastly different eras, the comparative study of Shakespeare’s play, Macbeth and Sam Raimi’s movie, A Simple Plan offer to me deep insights into the human condition through forms contemporary to their time, illustrating the timelessness of concerns with uncontrolled ambition that lead to moral corruption. In these tragedies, two successful men … Read more

Custodians of Knowledge are people who hold knowledge of their art or culture. Some rappers rap about their past getting famous and how they or others have changed either how people treat them or how they treat others. Shakespeare’s Macbeth and the hip hop artists Polo G, Tupac, Jay Z, Kendrick Lamar are custodians of … Read more

Charlotte Murrell Ms Ashby English 10A-2 Macbeth Essay Written by Shakespeare, Macbeth is a play that encapsulates subterfuge and how such deceit ultimately comes back to haunt those who practise it. The introduction of a prophecy from three witches instigates a long line of events that ultimately has a drastic effect on the mental soundness … Read more

Overall, this discrepancy between imagination and reality, on the one hand, underlines the complexity of the events, but, on the other hand, it also illustrates how closely the inner action pursuant to Macbeth’s imagination is interlinked with the outer action corresponding to reality. In doing so, Shakespeare also demonstrates the multifaceted, often enigmatic inner life … Read more

he is dealing with another vision which is being projected to him by his imagination. The reason why this would already be the most obvious thing is that, at this point, he still finds himself in a trance-like state and, being entirely lost in thought, he is currently engaged in processing the – even for … Read more

She is well aware that the unjust good cannot be achieved with righteous means and vice versa (see Deutschbein, p.239, l.14-20). Furthermore, Macbeth possesses a strongly pronounced manfulness, which especially expresses itself in his military and masculine sense of honor and which Macbeth is particularly proud of, so that he even defines himself through it; … Read more

William Shakespeare produced one of his most strong and forceful tragedies, Macbeth, during the Elizabethan era. The play is about a Scottish general named Macbeth who aims to become King through bloodshed and following orders of prophecies. Macbeth emphasizes the highs and lows of cynical ambition and greed on people who seek to attain abundant … Read more

Just like already before, Shakespeare here again illustrates the horror of inner-worldly loneliness and menace through a projection in daily external life (Naumann, p.392, ll.25-33). To a greater extent than with the products of his imagination beforehand, the imaginary ghost of Banquo affects, even represses Macbeth’s sense of reality in this scene since, ultimately, Macbeth … Read more

Text response essay Shakespeare’s play Macbeth is about a military general who murders his country’s king, Duncan, and ascends to the throne, but is eventually killed himself. Macbeth is an honourable man as shown at the start of the play, but an ambition that was planted into him, by Lady Macbeth, leads to his sudden … Read more

Additionally, he illustrates how the initial illusory character of fear (Macbeth, Act 1, Scene 3, l.51–52: “why do you start, and seem to fear / Things that do sound so fair?“) becomes consciously experienced reality (Macbeth, Act 1, Scene 3, l.139-140: “Present fears / Are less than horrible imaginings.“) which, through the overvalued conception of … Read more

The Forms of Expression of Macbeth’s Imagination and Their Significance as a Means of Projecting Wishes and Fears into the Future On the basis of Shakespeare’s use of imagination as an essential means of personal characterization, a first step towards the psychological shaping and the individualization of the drama can be identified despite the fact … Read more

This mirrors “the despair of a man who had knowingly made mortal war on his own soul”. (Bradley, p.301, l.5-6). But especially the formation of a massive resistance in the shape of the united English-Scottish army, which now approaches his castle, massively contributes to his complete disillusionment. It signifies for him the beginning of his … Read more

Table of Contents 1. Introduction 4 1.1 Dramatic Art: Shakespeare as a Master of the Psychologization of the Drama 4 1.2 Subject of Interest 6 2. The Emergence of the Individual in the Middle Ages 8 3. The Historical and Intellectual Background with Regard to Individuality 9 4. The Elizabethan Psychology 11 5. Imagination and … Read more

Thus the doctrine of witchcraft was legally established (Woudhuysen, p.45, l.15ff.). In Macbeth it is also the witches and their prophecies, whose arbitrary interpretation is part of Macbeth’s imagination, that decisively contribute to tempting him to evilness and, therefore, get the ball of the plot rolling. To begin with, this paper will demonstrate the historical … Read more

This is based on the central recognition that by leaving the community the Renaissance man was free, but with this new individuality came up increasing isolation, insecurity, doubt of the own role in the universe and of the meaning of the own life and, due to all this, a growing feeling of the own powerlessness … Read more

From a traditionally conservative viewpoint of the Middle Ages concerning a now emancipating individualism, the church still denied the concept of the ‘individual’, since humans were not supposed to innerly see themselves as autonomous and rationally-thinking beings – which was perceived as revolutionary, maybe even seditious – but to act as obedient servants of God … Read more

Ultimately, every recipient has to decide this for themselves. To summarize, in a fictional lawsuit against Macbeth the burden of proof would be certainly overwhelming, but if one grades the strength and scope of his imagination as an expression of a gradually increasing psychological disorder, this would undoubtedly rate as a mitigating circumstance. However, he … Read more

This power of imagination outlines the individual manifestation-degree of the ability to develop views or perceptions that exceed memories and realistic ideas – for instance in dreams, visions or hallucinations (Fröhlich, p.151, Einbildungskraft). In dreams or hallucinations, the imagination takes over the role of the senses. As for Macbeth, this becomes especially evident in the … Read more

When faced with the opportunity to achieve one’s greatest aspirations, many may choose to sacrifice their beliefs and morality. In William Shakespeare’s play Macbeth, Macbeth, a nobleman and soldier, is told a grand prophecy by three witches that he will ascend to the throne of Scotland. Macbeth, prompted by his wife Lady Macbeth, initially murdered … Read more

Throughout the narrative of the play “Macbeth” written by William Shakespeare, the audience witnesses the change in the character of Macbeth. As the plot develops his few good qualities disappear, whereas his evil character becomes more and more revealed to the audience. Shakespeare shows Macbeth as both positive and negative character throughout the narrative. He … Read more

Malevolence and nefariousness are two themes that are present throughout the whole of Shakespeare’s Macbeth. These qualities are beginning to arise in act 1 scene 5 as the characteristic of evil comes out of Lady Macbeth. This ‘rise’ of evil can be sorted into 4 different categories, firstly: Lady Macbeth’s calling of evil spirts to … Read more

will by no chance tolerate such an accusation and that he probably would want to prove her the opposite whenever possible. The ambivalence in Macbeth also becomes evident due to the fact that – out of connectedness to the world of values – he continuously experiences inhibitions and impulses during the first scenes of the … Read more

The action in William Shakespeare’s Macbeth pivots with the death of Duncan. Without the persuasion and manipulation by Lady Macbeth, Macbeth would not have gone through with the action to murder his king, Banquo or Macduff’s family. Throughout the play, Macbeth is very susceptible to suggestion from his wife, who holds the power within this … Read more

The way in which Shakespeare reverses traditional gender roles in Macbeth is revolutionary. Through the conflicting character of Lady Macbeth, Shakespeare subverts and questions many gender assumptions. Lady Macbeth’s persuasion of Macbeth’s regicide can be seen as Shakespeare’s parodic depiction of wifely duty. Shakespeare’s incorporation of Lady Macbeth’s gender reversal and relinquishment of femininity make … Read more

This detailed characterization of the protagonist underlines Shakespeare’s creative power and his literary art; thereby, his avant-garde internalization also becomes evident which grants insights into the tyrant’s mind and, through precise psychological differentiation, underlines Macbeth’s uniqueness as a personality, thus, to some extent, his ‘self-identity’ (see Unterstenhöfer, p.49, l.10-14). 8. The Essence and Impacts of … Read more

According to Joachim Ritter and Karlfried Gründer, the earnings for the most detailed and profound analysis1 of imagination and its correlate, the imaginary, belong to Jean-Paul Sartre. It is marked by the phenomenological duplication of intentional act and undogmatic awareness of oneself. In this duplication the “imaging consciousness” experiences itself as a creative spontaneity. The … Read more

Macbeth is a deeply political play that was written in 1606 by William Shakespeare for King James I of England (or VI of Scotland) – the first monarch to unify England and Scotland. This was symbolized as Malcolm used English soldiers to fight against Macbeth and the Scottish forces. The play was also written more … Read more

Though this psychoanalytically profound interpretation constitutes a misconception since, on the one hand, it contradicts the contemporary idea of witches as real embodiments of evil, because many Elizabethans – not least James I. who, like already mentioned, wrote a book about demonology (1597) – believed in the existence of supernatural beings such as, for instance, … Read more

Macbeth is a tragedy play written by William Shakespeare in 1606. The play Macbeth is about a man called Macbeth receiving a prophecy from three witches stating that he will be the King of Scotland. Macbeth will do anything and kill anyone in the way of him rising to power. The relationship between Macbeth and … Read more

In the process we, as the recipients, have difficulties to perceive Macbeth exclusively as a perpetrator or as a victim, since he possesses traits of both. He finally conquers his fear, which depicts the characteristic state of the tyrant, through his bravery. However, the overcoming of fear is followed by despair, which the Elizabethan defines … Read more

Thus he calls the dagger a “fatal vision” (Macbeth, Act 2, Scene 1, l.36), and only two verses after, he already refers to it as “A dagger of the mind, a false creation” (Macbeth, Act 2, Scene 1, l.38), hence as a spawn of his tortured mind (see Clemen, p.47, ll.9-20). Then again, he also … Read more

A Shakespearan Exemplar of a Man: Macbeth Shakespeare’s famous play, Macbeth, is depicted as very brutal, creating many important messages throughout the entire play. Most of these messages are very easy to understand, since Shakespeare is a writer who uses lots of foreshadowing. His plays all have a moral, which is displayed by using literary … Read more

it is already about to vanish, to slide back into nothingness. Thereby, the horror of imagination is stronger for him than the terrors of reality: “Present fears / Are less than horrible imaginings.” (Macbeth, Act 1, Scene 3, l.139-140). This is what Macbeth says when – after the confirmation of the apparent1 prophecy that he … Read more

This can, to an extent, already be seen as a first dramatic depiction of a ‘psychology’, which during Shakespeare’s time was subliminally present at most. Thereby, he uses imagination as a means of illuminating the ‘functioning’ of Macbeth’s psyche in detail and thus, by internalizing the protagonist, bringing his inner life and his uniqueness as … Read more

In the process, she construes his visions as a sign of weakness and dismisses them as fantasies: “Why, worthy thane, / You do unbend your noble strength, to think / So brainsickly of things.“ (Macbeth, Act 2, Scene 2, l.45–47). She criticizes him as “infirm of purpose“ (Macbeth, Act 2, Scene2, l.53) since he does … Read more

“Mine eyes are made the fools o’th’ other senses“ (Macbeth, Act 2, Scene 1, l.44). But after the illusion has hardly entirely vanished, Macbeth realizes with full clarity what it is actually about – namely the pre-announcement of the murder: “It is the bloody business which informs / Thus to mine eyes.“ (Macbeth, Act 2, … Read more

An all too strong imagination was, according to Elizabethan psychology, perceived as negative and, therefore, had to be avoided by all means since it was thought “that successful action depends upon a well regulated soul and that any departure from the governance of reason is dangerous, […].” (Anderson, p.162, l.10-12). The imaginary is quite autonomous … Read more

The play Macbeth is William Shakespeare’s shortest tragedy that depicts the story of a valiant Scottish general named Macbeth who is driven by ambition and power. The story tells us how Macbeth decides to act on his evil ambitions and kill King Duncan to overtake the throne after he receives a prophecy from a trio … Read more

Macbeth was written by William Shakespeare during the Elizabethan Age and during that time the people believed that there were witches and dark magic. Therefore, they believed in the supernatural and as a result the play consists of supernatural element and how the supernatural convinces Macbeth’s downfall. However, the first scene itself brings out how … Read more

Macbeth written by William Shakespeare in 1606 is a tragic tale set in 11th century Scotland centered around a former noble hero named Macbeth whose ambitious desire to garner the throne upon receiving prophecies from three witches turns him into a crazed murderer (Shakespeare). The play’s narrative is thought to be a reflection and political … Read more

From the moment that Macbeth commits the heinous act of murdering King Duncan for his own end, Shakespeare’s play is embedded with ideas of innocence and guilt. His characters delve into their passions and ambitions, ignoring all else that matters, until we see them be defined by either their culpability or guiltlessness. And Shakespeare so … Read more

The understanding of Shakespearean tragedy specifically the 1606 play ‘Macbeth’, written by the popular playwriter William Shakespeare, and their conventions, is crucial to the audience’s understanding of the more contemporary 1998 film ‘A Simple Plan’, directed by Sam Raimi. Both texts demonstrate the common theme of ambition for power and wealth, this theme plays a … Read more

which has to be overcome by ever more senseless, murderous bravery, the tyrant’s self decays more and more (Unterstenhöfer, p.194, l.20-21; l.23-26). In the end Macbeth becomes the victim of divine providence in the shape of the armies united against him and dies just the way he previously celebrated his greatest victory, namely in a … Read more

Draft Demo Internal Conflict is as difficult as external conflict Internal conflict is just as difficult as external conflict as it is able to lead to external conflict, if given enough time it can change a person to someone completely different making them unrecognizable from their former selves. The Tragedy of Macbeth by William Shakespeare … Read more

The psychological concept of nature is the belief that personality traits are inherited through genetics, justifying actions on genetics alone. Nurture is the concept of how external environments and situations affect growth and social development, leading to further comprehensive life choices. The play Macbeth explores contrasts between characters with the protagonist and antagonist each making … Read more

Macbeth can rightly even be understood as a tragedy of imagination since only on the basis of the witches’ prophecies and their arbitrary imaginative interpretation through Macbeth, the plot, and therefore his doom, runs its course. Though the play was often, and appositely, labelled as a tragedy of power, ambition or fear1, it primarily constitutes … Read more

By means of the confession manual – a catalogue of sins, developed in the 15th century, that is oriented towards the Ten Commandments and prepares for confession – for the first time an autobiographic ‘personality’ emerged which, at that time, was imagined as a composition of single virtues and sins. Nevertheless, this certainly cannot be … Read more

In short, he thus degenerates from “Bellona’s bridegroom” (Macbeth, Act 1, Scene 2, l.55), as he was called in the beginning of the drama, almost into an epitome of bad and evil – or, in Malcolm’s words a “bloody, / Luxurious, avaricious, false, deceitful, / Sudden, malicious, smacking of every sin / That has a … Read more

The great hero Macbeth who, according to Duncan’s last will, was supposed to grow – “I have begun to plant thee, and will labour / To make thee full of growing.“ (Macbeth, Act 1, Scene 4, l.28–29) – has made himself a dwarf1 (Lüthi (1969), p.28, l.37ff.). As he already correctly observed, his ambition has … Read more

‘Imagination’ has always constituted a central term in both literary and intellectual history from the old Greeks up until postmodernism. In Shakespeare’s tragedies, but especially in Macbeth – which is generally labelled as his gloomiest and goriest drama – imagination also possesses a great importance since it functions, in the shape of Macbeth’s delusions, as … Read more

This once again reveals his fear of the exposure of his usurpation through regicide as well as his fear of a revolution in which he could be overthrown and killed. Additionally, Macbeth’s defense in the end is marked by a psychopathic rage. Caithness, a Scottish noble, describes him shortly before the capture of Dunsinane quite … Read more

In committing this crime against all better knowledge and in full consciousness of his goal – though in an only half-conscious, but not unfree state – he has decided to take the ill-fated, wrong path which, admittedly, offers him the kingship as the goal of his desire for power, yet along with him, and before … Read more

He already knows from his wish for self-splitting – “The eye wink at the hand; yet let that be / Which the eye fears, when it is done, to see.” (Macbeth, Act 1, Scene 4, l.52-53) – that his intended regicide cannot just be an individual event (Lüthi (1969), p.24, l.16-17), but that it is … Read more

Sir Francis Bacon, who, in his work The Division of Poesy, divides the human science into three sections that respectively relate to one feature of the human mind, assigns poetry to imagination. What follows now is a short philosophical-intellectual history outline of the conceptual history, whereby the main focus is directed at the Elizabethan era … Read more

while the resolute Lady Macbeth keeps a clear head and already takes all practical precautions for the cover-up of the crime. In the process, she construes his visions as a sign of weakness and dismisses them as fantasies: “Why, worthy thane, / You do unbend your noble strength, to think / So brainsickly of things.“ … Read more

Imagination as a Mirror of Fears and Apprehensions: Negative Anticipation of the Future In this chapter it shall now be examined what significance imagination has in the shape of fear in Macbeth, and what impact it has on both the tragic hero as well as the course of the plot. In the course of this, … Read more

The term tragedy is defined as “A terrible/ heart wrenching, unexpected loss.” Unfortunately, tragedies occur in our society every day. In literature, a tragedy is when a character’s fatal flaws lead them to their own downfall and destruction. In Shakespeare’s Macbeth, there is a ripple effect from Macbeth’s willingness to be influenced by outside forces, … Read more

Generally it can be said that, as long as Macbeth’s imagination takes effect, we feel tension, dread or timidity, in which also admiration and sympathy are hidden; but as soon as it becomes inactive, these feelings vanish. He then is no longer “infirm of purpose” (Macbeth, Act 2, Scene 2, l.53), as his wife called … Read more

But according to Dieter Mehl “this hardly seems to affect his deeper despair which makes him unable to think of anything but his own misery and fearful decline. He himself suggests that this hardening against the most basic human impulses and values is not something he was born to, but the result of a painful … Read more

considering all of his crimes, remains an open question. Ultimately, every recipient has to decide this for themselves. To summarize, in a fictional lawsuit against Macbeth the burden of proof would be certainly overwhelming, but if one grades the strength and scope of his imagination as an expression of a gradually increasing psychological disorder, this … Read more

he becomes domineering, even brutal, or he becomes a cool pitiless hypocrite1. He is generally said to be a very bad actor, but this is not wholly true. Whenever his imagination stirs, he acts badly. It so possesses him, and is so much stronger than his reason, that his face betrays him, and his voice … Read more

At this point at the latest he has given up any hope of an improvement of his tragic situation. He senses and knows that his end is drawing near. Thus here, towards the end of the play, Macbeth can, if at all, only hope to survive, or rather to delay his death as long as … Read more