Macbeth As Majotrcharacter

MACBETH AS MAJOR CHARACTER Macbeth: Beginning:  Ambitious  Imaginative  Has a conscience  Hesitates to act Middle:  Physically brave  Fears those who are loyal and honest  Feels threatened if his masculinity is questioned  Self-centred End:  Loses all feelings for others  Realises he no longer enjoys life BEGINNING: looking closely at Act 1, prior to Duncan’s murder A GOOD MAN BUT ONE WITH THE FATAL FLAW OF AMBITION CHARACTERISTIC PROOF Noble soldier  “Brave Macbeth – well he Determined deserves that name”: fought and Tireless defeated the traitor Macdonald  “like Valour’s minion carved out his passage”  fought on undaunted against the Norwegians  rewarded : “and with his (Cawdor’s) former title greet Macbeth”  “worthy Macbeth” to soldiers Kinsman of Duncan, loved and respected “O valiant cousin, worthy gentleman” Loyal to Duncan “The service and loyalty I owe, in doing it, pays itself.” Loves/confides in his wife “My dearest partner of greatness” Pleased/flattered/intrigued by prophecies “The greatest is behind” (Cawdor’s title) Afraid of the witches “Why do you start and seem to fear things Superstitious that are so fair?” (B) Duality in his nature “So foul and fair a day I have not seen” Aware of how treason is punished Knows what was done to Cawdor Frightened that he might have to murder D “Why do I yield to that suggestion whose to become king horrid image doth unfix my hair and make my heart knock at my ribs against the use of nature?” Prepared to let fate take its course… “Chance may crown me without my stir” …but is tempted by the crown “Stars, hide your fires, let not light see my black and deep desires” Lady M sees a weakness in him: too decent “Yet do I fear thy nature; it is too full of and squeamish to murder Duncan the milk of human kindness…wouldst not play false” Lady M says he is not without ambition “Thou wouldst be great… but without the illness that should attend it” Knows he has to seize advantages “If it were done when ‘tis done, then ‘twere well it were done quickly.” Prepared to endanger his soul for eternity “the deep damnation of his taking off”’ “we’d jump the life to come” Ambition is his only motivation to kill “I have no spur… but only vaulting ambition…” Ready to back out of murder “we will proceed no further in this business; he hath honoured me of late.” Uses euphemisms for murder Reacts to Lady M’s taunts of cowardice “I dare do all that may become a man” Afraid of failure “If we should fail?” Is generally liked Noble/valiant/worthy/trusted/respected… MIDDLE: Acts 2-4” A GOOD MAN GONE SOUR

CHARACTERISTIC PROOF Lies to B about the witches “I think not of them” Guilty conscience before the murder “Is this a dagger I see before me?” Sees evil images” witchcrfat, murder, wolf, Tarquin (rapist) Nervousness “I have done the deed. Didst thou not hear a noise?” Aware of mortal sin; conscience-stricken “I could not say Amen…”; “I am afraid to think of what I have done” ;“Will all great Neptune’s ocean wash this blood clean from my hand?”; has had to murder the guards too Can’t sleep: guilty conscience “Macbeth doth murder sleep…Macbeth shall sleep no more…” Frightened “every noise appals me” Aware of the meaningless of life from now “Had I but died an hour before this chance, on I had lived a blessed time, for from this instant there’s nothing serious in mortality” Is afraid that B knows he murdered D “I fear thou played’st most foully for it” Can’t trust D’s sons either “not confessing their cruel parricide”’ Feels insecure; broods “to be thus is nothing, but to be safely thus”’ “we have scorched the snake, not killed it” Jealous of B’s descendants “no son of mine succeeding” Not soothed by Lady M “Things without remedy should be without regard Doesn’t take her into his confidence re B’s “Be innocent of the knowledge till thou murder applaud the deed” Horrified that Fleance escaped “The comes my fit again; I had else been perfect” Hallucinates: sees B’s ghost twice at dinner “Never shake thy gory locks at me” let the earth hide thee!” Curious; can’t resist asking the witches for …regardless of the consequences; greedy more prophecies to know more Angered by Macduff’s escape Has Macduff’s entire family killed Is seen as treacherous by Malcolm and “this tyrant whose name blisters our Macduff tongues”’ “not in the legions of horrid hell can come a devil more damned in evils to top Macbeth” M’s actions have caused rebels, such as It cannot be called our mother but our Ross, to leave Scotland grave…” END: Act 5: A FIGHTER TO THE END BUT ONE WHO HAS PAID THE PRICE

CHARACTERISTIC PROOF M is cocky, feeling safe/invincible ‘Till Birnam Wood remove to Dunsinane I cannot taint with fear” Is openly scornful, rude, boasting, enraged “The devil damn thee, thou cream-faced loon. Where got’st thou that goose-look?” Aware of a bleak future “I have lived long enough” Violent “Hang those that talk of fear” Defiant “Our castle’s strength will laugh a siege to scorn” Has almost lost any sense of fear “I have almost forgot the taste of fears” Broods on life’s futility, when hears of Lady “Out, out, brief candle, life’s but a walking M’s death shadow…” Can foresee his death “I ‘gin to be weary of the sun” Determined to die fighting “At least we’ll die with harness on our back” Is trapped “I cannot fly, but bear-like must stay the course…” Unrepentant Does not confess/atone for what he’s done, but sees it through Arrogant in facing Macduff “I bear a charmed life which must not yield to one of woman born” Dies fighting “I’ll fight till from my bones my flesh be hacked.” Remembered as a cruel tyrant “this butcher and his fiend-like queen”