Macbeth is a play by William Shakespeare about a warrior who commits three great crimes. The first crime is that Macbeth murders the king in order to take his place on the throne. The second crime is that Macbeth kills Duncan’s son, Malcolm, in order to prevent him from taking the throne. The third crime is that Macbeth kills Macduff’s family, including his wife and children. Macbeth is eventually defeated by Macduff and killed. These three crimes are what make Macbeth one of Shakespeare’s most famous tragedies.
A play named Macbeth’ is a depiction of one man, an ambitious, cruel, and disturbed individual. The play shows how he develops as a person. Although we are given his transition from good to evil, we can notice his human side throughout the drama, making it a tragedy.
Ambition, the effects of evil, and violence are the themes in Macbeth’. Once Macbeth’s ambition has set things in motion,’ events occur rapidly in the play as it gains momentum. The language of the play is used to convey these ideas. In Shakespeare’s time plays were staged during daylight with just a few props.
The actors had to use their voices and gestures to create the characters and atmosphere.
Macbeth’s three great crimes are as follows:
The first is the murder of Duncan. Macbeth has been told by the witches that he will become king, but he is not content to wait for this to happen naturally. He contrives a plan to kill Duncan while he is staying at Macbeth’s castle. Macbeth’s main motivation for killing Duncan is his ambition to be king. He also believes that if he does not kill Duncan, then Duncan will kill him first, based on what the witches have told him. Macbeth’s wife also encourages him to commit this murder.
The second great crime is the murder of Banquo. Macbeth is afraid that Banquo will expose his role in Duncan’s murder, so he has him killed. He also believes that Banquo’s sons will eventually become kings, as the witches have predicted, and he wants to prevent this from happening.
The third great crime is the massacre of Macduff’s family. Macbeth orders Macduff’s wife and children to be killed in order to punish Macduff for fleeing to England. This act shows how far Macbeth has sunk into evil by this point in the play.
These three great crimes are motivated by ambition, fear, and greed. Macbeth is prepared to do whatever it takes to achieve his goals, even if it means killing innocent people. The consequences of his actions have a devastating effect on his mind and soul, causing him to become paranoid and unstable. Macbeth’s crimes are ultimately what lead to his downfall.
Everyone can relate to ambition, and Macbeth’s character is fascinating in how it may destroy you. The audience is intrigued by Macbeth’s personality because of his ambition. Our first impression of Macbeth is of a brave, renowned, popular man who enjoys the King’s favor. “Noble” is how Duncan refers to Macbeth. (Act 1 Scene 2 L67) Macbeth desires greatly for the title of king, but he understands that he will have to do some terrible things to acquire it.
Macbeth believes the witches prophecies, and Lady Macbeth is a strong woman who pushes Macbeth to his limits. Macbeth’s ambition and Lady Macbeth’s encouragement lead to three crimes: the murder of King Duncan, the murder of Banquo, and Macduff’s family.
The murder of King Duncan is Macbeth’s first crime. Macbeth kills Duncan with help from Lady Macbeth and two murderers. In order for Macbeth to become king, he has to kill Duncan who is currently the king. Macbeth waits until Duncan is asleep in his chamber and then murders him.
The murder scene is intense because Macbeth has to kill the king while he is sleeping which is something that Macbeth finds difficult to do. Lady Macbeth helps Macbeth by washing his hands and giving him a drink to calm his nerves. Macbeth says “She has almost convinced me to murder Duncan in my sleep” (Act 1 Scene 7 L106-107). Macbeth goes through with the murder because of his ambition and Lady Macbeth’s encouragement.
The murder of Banquo is Macbeth’s second crime. Macbeth kills Banquo with help from Lady Macbeth, two murderers, and Macduff. Macduff was not born in Scotland which made him an outsider, so Macbeth saw Macduff as a threat to his position. Macbeth is worried that Macduff will take away his crown, so Macbeth kills Banquo. Macbeth has Macduff’s family killed in order to make sure that Macduff will not be able to take revenge. The murder of Banquo is important because it shows Macbeth’s ruthless side and how he is willing to do anything to keep his position.
Macbeth was already ambitious, but the ladies’ words inspired him to believe he could achieve them. This is the first of three major transgressions that began as a result of this. In Act One, Scene Three, Macbeth reveals his intention to murder Duncan.
After the audience understands how the character thinks, they are more likely to sympathize with him, which is another reason why Macbeth becomes a tragedy. Shakespeare was such a fantastic playwright that he made the audience feel sorry not just for the hero but also for the antagonist.
In Macbeth’s case, even though he is considering killing Duncan, the audience can’t help but to feel bad for him.
This is just the beginning of Macbeth’s decent into madness. In act two, scene one, Macbeth sees a dagger pointing at Duncan’s head in front of him. This could be interpreted in many ways, but Macbeth takes it as a sign from the gods that he should kill Duncan. This is his second crime. Macbeth’s third and final crime is when he actually murders Duncan.
He does this in Act two, scene two. After he commits the murder, Macbeth feels guilty and says “Will all great Neptune’s ocean wash this blood clean from my hand? No, this my hand will rather the multitudinous seas incarnadine, making the green one red.” Macbeth is so consumed with guilt that he feels as though he needs to be punished. This is what leads him to his death in the end.
Even though Macbeth commits these three great crimes, Shakespeare makes sure that the audience understands why Macbeth does what he does. He’s not just a madman, but a character with very complex motivations. This is what makes Macbeth such an interesting play and such a classic.