Parallels Between Macduff and Macbeth Essay - 769 Words

Parallels Between Macduff and Macbeth In humans, greed will often play a more pronounced role in their actions then morals. In the Shakespearian play Macbeth we see how far greed and ambition has crushed the stability of Scotland and destroyed the lives of multiple lords and innocents. At first we see Macbeth as the glorious hero who â€Å"unseam’d† (1.2.23) the traitor Macdonwald in the defense of his King and Country, yet turns into a king who is powerless and paranoid. The downfall of the usurper is enabled by Macduff who decapitates Macbeth at the end of the play. We see that Macduff is actually following a route similar to that of Macbeth, and is the one whom greed and the witches would have chosen to manipulate to his harm next.†¦show more content†¦In the film adaptation of Macbeth we see Donaldbain approaching the witches during the denouement, but perhaps Macduff would have been a better choice for greed to lay its cold claim upon. Macduff tread a similar path to Macbeth, in executing the traitor of their battles, fierce loyalty to their king and country, and in return being trusted confidants of their king and powerful lords. Macduff’s anger and grief would not be quenched by the blood of his family’s murderer, rather it would fester until it consumed him and that is when the witches, with greed as their ally, would be able to manipulate him unto his doom and become the catalyst of chaos that would â€Å"murder sleep† and create anarchy and fear throughout Scotland. Macduff and Macbeth were both loyal soldiers of their king and yet both could be won to their destruction and that of their country. The witches live their lives by the tenet of â€Å"fair is foul and foul is fair,† (1.1.10) so they do not only wish for men to kill the fair, just, and successful rulers and lords such as Duncan or Macbeth, but also make of them foul mockeries of what once was good. After the butchery was complete and Macbeth had heroically won the battle against Macdonwald. He had a blade â€Å"smoking of bloody execution† (1.2.18) and a great victory in his possession, the weird sisters could easily view him as the fairest man in Scotland and therefore want him to become the foulest. WeShow MoreRelatedDiscrepancies and Similarities between Shakespeares The Tragedy of Macbeth and History816 Words   |  4 Pagessequence of events. The Tragedy of Macbeth displays Macbeth, a zealous thane, and his successful homicide which results in his succession of the throne and his downfall. Each of The Tragedy of Macbeth by William Shakespeare and history has discrepancies as well as similaritie s between its characters, settings, and plot events. One element that varies and coincides between Shakespeare’s Macbeth and its historical account is the characters. According to Shakespeare, Macbeth has a right to the throne throughRead MoreTheme Of Birds In Macbeth784 Words   |  4 PagesIn William Shakespeare’s Macbeth, Shakespeare often uses a motif of birds in order to foreshadow future events and relationships. Shakespeare achieves this by likening two influential characters, Macbeth and Macduff, to an owl and a crow, respectively, as well as using references to other types of birds in order to set a tone. The first major mention of birds occurs when Duncan and his entourage arrive at Dunsinane, about which Banquo remarks that â€Å"The temple-haunting martlet†¦ Hath made his pendantRead MoreAnswers Macbeth 4acts1696 Words   |  7 Pages(13) 3. Macbeth is reported to be a valiant soldier in Act I. The line, â€Å"Till he unseamed him from the nave to th’chops And fixed his head upon our battlements†, paints a different Macbeth. What can you infer from that line? In captain description I understand that Macbeth is a strong, brave and cold warrior.(5) 4.In Scene 1 the Witches say, â€Å"Foul is fair and fair is foul.† Which characters do you consider fair or foul? 4.from my point of view the witches are foul. Macbeth and BanquoRead MoreMacbeth Motif Critical Analysis : Macbeth1383 Words   |  6 PagesMichael Efstration Mrs. Beauchamp H English 12 6 January 2015 Macbeth Motif Critical Analysis: Sleeplessness Macbeth is a play about a man and his desires that get the best of him. The calamity is fashioned through the inspiration of several characters including his wife, Lady Macbeth and the exciting force the witches create that begin the underlying motif of sleeplessness. Macbeth is a good person at heart, but through various temptations becomes obsessed and gets destroyed by the very thingRead MoreWilliam Shakespeare s Macbeth And Lady Macbeth Essay1619 Words   |  7 PagesFew couples in theatre can match the incessantly devoted yet poisonous marriage Macbeth and his wife share. Lady Macbeth and Macbeth’s combined ruthlessness allows them to climb to the top but also leads them to their deaths. Shakespeare creates a vision of Scotland where reality and dreams, the natural and supernatural, and the masculine and feminine constantly ebb into each other. Macbeth possesses remnants of the Renaissance’s interest in humanism and psychological exploration, leading to someRead M oreAbsolute Power Corrupts Absolutly in Shakespeares Macbeth Essay1390 Words   |  6 PagesCorrupts Absolutly in Shakespeares Macbeth It is common knowledge that it is human nature to crave power. Also, that the more power that is acquired the more power hungry someone would become, and with this power they become more and more corrupt. In Shakespeares Macbeth, Macbeth showed this throughout the entire play. There was strict relationship between the amount of power Macbeth obtained and the corrupt acts he committed. When Macbeth had no title, or only theRead MoreDivine Power In Macbeth Essay833 Words   |  4 PagesMacbeth, an ironic tragedy of the 17th century, is perhaps one of the most appraised works by renowned playwright William Shakespeare. Such fame, though, can be justified through the play’s effective utilization of themes and their evocative subtext; however, Shakespeare particularly focusses on the theme of power and has done so with intent. Macbeth visualises power in two forms, being that of divine and supernatural. The play forms a representation that, alike with the socio-cultural beliefs ofRead MoreThe Supernatural Evil Within Lady Macbeth in Shakespeare’s Macbeth1561 Words   |  6 Pagesgenders. With this in mind, Shakespeare’s Macbeth heightens the supernatural evil possessing Lady Macbeth as she condones murder for her own selfish ambition, while in Shakespeare’s time women were regarded as peaceful and full of feminine sympathies. This anachronism with the r eality of Shakespeare’s day, illustrates the immense sense of wickedness and abnormality emphasizing her character’s influence on her husband and the plot of the play. In contrast, Macbeth appears to some extent a more acceptableRead MoreEssay about Witchcraft, Murder and Ghosts in Macbeth1142 Words   |  5 PagesWitchcraft, Murder and Ghosts in Macbeth       A notable point within Shakespeare’s play Macbeth is the use of the three witches in the opening scene.   The number of witches for a contemporary audience can go unnoticed.   However in the time that Shakespeare the symbolic meaning of the number three was important, as it symbolized unluckiness and when remembering the fear of the unnatural and being unlucky (epitomized by such historical events as the rage of witch trials within Britain).   ThisRead MoreMotifs And Motifs In Macbeth1412 Words   |  6 PagesShakespeare conveys through motif in his play Macbeth. One of these is that breaking the Great Chain of Being results in misery and disorder, but the natural order tends to eventually recover. Another is that violence is morally ambiguous and can be good or evil depending only on who the violence affects. Finally, Shakespeare shows that what one perceives as reality is not necessarily reality, especially under the effects of guilt and or paranoia. From reading Macbeth, one can easily pick up on these messages: