Macbeth Apparition Analysis

As Macbeth asked for more information from the witches, in their second encounter, he is flustered with riddled sentences that comfort him and give him a false sense of security. The apparitions that the witches summon each give Macbeth a piece of information that changes the way he thinks about his throne. One of the apparitions tells Macbeth that “none of woman born shall harm [him]” (4.1.102). The other apparition tells him that “[He] shall never be vanquished until Great Birnam Wood to Dunsinane Hill shall come against him” (4.1.115). With these prophecies Macbeth begins to think that none will be able to harm him and that he is for the most part invincible.

The witches’ apparitions ended up tricking Macbeth, as they turned against him. It is true that Macbeth should beware Macduff, but that is where the truth ends. It turned out that Macduff was born from a C-section as his mother died at birth, so Macduff was actually a man who wasn’t born from a woman. Also, Macduff and his troops used limbs of trees from the forest to disguise themselves when they were going to attack Macbeth, so the forest technically did move to Macbeth’s castle. The three apparitions from the witches duped Macbeth, as he was not actually out of harm’s way, which led to his ultimate downfall and

Dismiss me, enough” (V. i. 78-79), “None of woman born / Shall harm Macbeth.” (V. i. 87-89), and Macbeth shall never vanquished be, until / Great Birnam wood / to high Dunsinane hill / Shall come against him. (V. i. 101-103.) These visions lead Macbeth to be so blindsided that he puts himself in danger.

This extract is from Act 4 Scene 1 of the acclaimed play Macbeth by William Shakespeare. William Shakespeare is one of the greatest writers of English literature in the history. He is famous for his poetries, quotes, tragic and comedy plays. We must assume that some of his writings on misery and warmth were a reflection of his own life experience. Love and marriage in his plays always ended miserably and symbolized as tragedies, or full of unnecessary disputes on trivial issues.

Macbeth come across the three witches, there they state, “All hail, Macbeth! Hail to thee, Thane of Cawdor” (Act 1, Scene 3). In reply to the three witches, Macbeth demanded “stay you imperfect speakers! Tell me more”. With just these few statements announced, Macbeth’s thirst for power and glory arises and is clearly seen.

The fact that Macbeth believes the witches’ prophecies are not evil nor good foreshadows how he will go on to kill any other person standing in his way to more power. His ambition blinds his mind to make him even think about ruthlessly committing a murder. This forceful way of gaining power will only lead Macbeth to become a “tyrant” in Scotland and his “fantastical” desires of killing Duncan and receiving the crown will lead Scotland to failure. Under Macbeth’s rule, Scotland seems to be in a terrible condition. With distrust among the people, there is tension all within the country, as Macbeth’s totalitarian regime had rendered the prosperity of Scotland.

The voices he hears that threaten: “Macbeth shall sleep no more” indicate a relationship between guilt and madness. Therefore, the manifestation of the dagger suggests that he feels guilty because of his attempt to murder Duncan. There are three major transitions of thought. First, he contemplates about the dagger’s existence; the second is the invocations of dark images; finally, there is the bell that cuts off Macbeth’s contemplations. The transitions between topics indicate that while Macbeth feels guilty for the murder, his determination makes him ignore

For Macbeth’s desire to know more about his future, the Second Apparition says: “Be bloody, bold, and resolute. Laugh to scorn / The power of man, for none of woman born / Shall harm Macbeth… Then Macbeth responds, “Then live, Macduff. What need I fear of thee? / But yet I’ll make assurance double sure, / And take a bond of fate.

All hail, Macbeth that shalt be king hereafter.” (Shakespeare 17). Macbeth becomes startled and confused for he is the thane of Glamis, but not the thane of Cawdor and certainly not the king. The witches disappear and then Ross and Angus enter the scene also hailing Macbeth. They then state that he is the thane of Cawdor.

When Macbeth is told by the first vision that he needs to beware of Macduff, his fears are confirmed that Macduff is a threat. When Macbeth is told this, he decides to kill Macduff’s family (Mac IV.i.71-74). Just like the witches, the apparition does not force Macbeth to act upon what he has been told, but still steers Macbeth towards violent

As such, Macbeth is once again influenced by what the witches call upon. Three apparitions appear before Macbeth. The first apparition is his own severed head, confirming his fears about Macduff. In Act IV, Scene I, the apparitions say these words “Macbeth! Macbeth!

Without Macbeth realizing the minor fault in these prophecies, he starts to gradually become more ambitious and more determined to kill Duncan in order to become king quickly as possible. The witches advance the plot again later in the play when Macbeth demands answer of his fate. They show Macbeth three more prophecies spoken by apparition; a head wearing a battle helmet, a blood-covered child, and a child wearing a crown and carrying a tree. The witches show Macbeth the three apparitions who tell him, Beware Macduff; /

In his work, The Poetics Aristotle reflects on the role of pity and fear in tragedy, stating, “Tragedy is essentially an imitation not of persons but of action and of life; of happiness and misery. Add human happiness or misery takes the form of action… Character gives us qualities, but it is in our actions that we are happy or the reverse… The tragic pleasure is that of pity and fear” (Aristotle, The Poetics). Aristotle is probing one to conclude that tragedy is characterized by the pity and fear one evokes when individuals go against their presumed character and commit detrimental acts. Throughout his play Macbeth, Shakespeare, reminisces on the actions that gravitate an audience to render both fear and pity, which characterize a tragedy.

They show him three apparitions and then a group of kings. The first two apparitions are mentioned in the stage directions but never described in spoken text. Those being of a floating armored head and a bloody child. The last apparition is described by Macbeth as “[it] rises like the issue of a king,/ And wears upon his baby-brow the round/ And top of sovereignty?”

Celia Beyers Tinti Period 1/5 12 April 2015 Literary Analysis: Macbeth In Shakespeare’s play Macbeth, he presents the character of Lady Macbeth. Lady Macbeth is shown, as a character that schemes into making rebellious plots. She reveals the desire for wanting to lose her feminine qualities in order to be able to gain more masculine ones.