Discuss what you think the main theme of "Macbeth" is.

Essay by Alexander C. MedeiroHigh School, 11th gradeA+, October 1996

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William Shakespeare's 'Macbeth' is a play in which a man by the name of

Macbeth, who is presented as a mature man with an uncertain character. At the beginning

of the story, Macbeth's character was a character with strong morals. As the play went on

though, Macbeth's morality lessened immensely. After killing Duncan he was very

paranoid and feared the consequences that would arise. He knew what he had done

wrong. In comparing Duncan's murder with his best friend, Banquo's murder, He was

much more relaxed after Banquo's death. His character shifted throughout the play.

Macbeth, at this point did anything to keep his crown, even so far as to getting killed for

it! I think that some sort of anatomy of evil was responsible for Macbeth's as well as other

characters' wrongdoings in the story. Each character in the story had to either fight it or

give into it.

In Macbeth's case, he fought it and lost, and therefore, gave into it.

The play makes several points about the nature of evil. One point it makes is that

evil is not normal in human nature. Macbeth and Lady Macbeth have to sort of 'trick'

themselves into murdering Duncan. First, Lady Macbeth has to beg evil spirits to tear all

human feeling from her ('...spirits / That tend on mortal thoughts...' [Act I, Scene V,

Lines 41-42] 'Stop up th' accessand passage to remorse / That no compunctious

visitings of nature / Shake my fell purpose...'[Act I, Scene V, Lines 45-47]) and then

she has to make Macbeth ignore his own conscience ('Yet do I fear thy nature; It is too

full o' th' milk of human kindness To catch the nearest way' [Act I, Scene V, Lines

17-19]) Once she has seen her husband's ambition has been inflamed, she...