Macbeth Dbq Essay

He believes that he can rule as a king however he wants and that no one will be able to replace him. Macbeth feels comforted and releases some of the stress and nightmares he was previously having. His newly gained comfort gives Macbeth a false sense of security that leads to Macbeth’s poor preparation to resist the English troops. Thinking that he cannot be harmed, Macbeth does not take the necessary steps to protect Scotland and his life. When he finally encounters Macduff on the battlefield, he believes it will be an easy fight as he deems himself invincible, but he is slaughtered.

The decision to take action is made by Macbeth because he believes that he deserves to rule and is aware that Duncan will abdicate in favor of his son, Malcolm. His instinct is what drove him to kill Duncan; he feels that he deserves the throne, and his decision making abilities are affected by how much he wants it. He even had second thoughts about it, proving that when he comes to his senses and calms down, he knows that it is wrong. Although his conscience and morality are not strong enough to overcome his inclinations, He continues to lengthen his list of victims

He states, “The castle of Macduff I will surprise Seize upon Fife; give to the edge o' the sword His wife, his babes, and all unfortunate souls” (4.1.150-152). At this point Macbeth is out of control and is killing anybody he suspects, showing that he is clearly paranoid and delusional. Once Macduff finds out his family is killed he decides to finally kill

In Macbeth, William Shakespeare portrays the end of a famed hero who chooses to go down a dark path, rather than choosing a path which would have led to glory, making him a tragic hero. When Macbeth is told his prophecy of becoming king, he intends on doing it on his own terms and decides to make impulsive decisions, such as killing Duncan, Banquo and slaughtering Macduff’s family. These impulsive decisions were an effect of Macbeth being blinded by becoming king, as he felt he had other options. Although it may seem that Macbeth was influenced by society to commit these atrocious acts, he was fully aware of the consequences and went ahead with his plan. Macbeth truly fits the role of a tragic hero as he brought his fate upon himself, through

When Macduff hears about the murder of King Duncan, he automatically has his suspicions about Macbeth. During this scene Macbeth goes off and kills the two innocent guards, killing the only evidence against himself. Due to this act everyone praises Macbeth for his bravery and for solving the murder so fast, but Macduff had his doubts with

When Macbeth was told that Malcolm was next on the throne for king, he immediately thought of getting rid of him, “... That is a step on which I must fall down, or else overlap,” (I. IV. 49-50). There was no line that he wouldn’t cross in order to get to his goal of becoming king. Keeping this in mind, he did go through with his plans on killing Duncan for the throne. Macbeth even went as far as to kill his best friend Banquo in fear that Banquo would put risk to his position as king.

The question of if humans are truly responsible for their own actions has sparked a debate in humanity throughout history. In the non-fiction article, “Freewill and Determinism” written by Saul McLeod, he compares the different aspects of freewill and determinism. Throughout the article, McLeod explains how freewill and determinism, while very different, go hand in hand with each other. To go with that, in the play Macbeth, written by William Shakespeare, many of the explanations in the article as to why people do what they do can be helpful when trying to figure out Macbeth's poor decision making. To begin the story, Macbeth was a trustworthy and loyal warrior for King Duncan.

In Shakespeare's play Macbeth, Shakespeare explores the consequences of unchecked ambition and greed paired with blind trust in the wrong people, and how this will ultimately result in inevitable repercussions. Shakespeare's character Macbeth explores these ideas through his political greed and desire to become King of Scotland. Macbeth was a virtuous man who was enrolled in the army, and this play represents how power can corrupt even these kinds of people. His ambition to be the king guides him to commit multiple heinous crimes, including the murder of his friends and allies. He lets this idealized version of himself control him, and lead him to malicious acts that eventually lead him to his death.

Everyone has flaws, but how they dictate a person’s life is up to them and this is shown in Shakespeare ’s play Macbeth. Macbeth is one of these characters whose flaws damage him in many ways. Throughout the story, the reader can see the changes in Macbeth’s emotions and actions. He went from hero to tyrant, from honor to tyranny, and from ambition to greed.

“If good, why do I yield to that suggestion[killing Duncan]/Whose horrid image doth unify my hair” (I, III, 144-145). This quote indicates that the force of ambition is so strong within Macbeth that even he himself cannot understand why it is making him think of killing Duncan. Likewise, Macbeth’s ambition to become king is further emphasized after Duncan names his son Malcolm as his successor. Here, Macbeth says that he will have to “oerleap,/For in my way it [Malcolm] it lies” (I, III, 55-57).

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

This counterclaim suggests that Macbeth's actions were not entirely within his control but rather a result of his mental state and the influence of external forces such as Lady Macbeth and the witches. For instance, Macbeth's initial doubts about murdering Duncan suggest that he is not entirely ruthless and calculating but instead tormented by his own moral beliefs and fears of divine retribution. Additionally, his hallucinations and visions throughout the play suggest a deepening psychological instability and paranoia, which could be interpreted as evidence of mental illness rather than ambition. However, while Macbeth's mental state and vulnerability to manipulation may have played a role in his downfall, it is clear that his desire for power and control was the primary driving force behind his actions. The fact that he chose to follow through with the witches' prophecies and take matters into his own hands, despite his initial doubts, highlights the theme of ambition and its destructive consequences.

He is convinced that the murder of Duncan was necessary to prevent civil war and chaos in Scotland. Macbeth believed he was a hero, which is why he did not stop after the first murder. Macbeth believed he was the solution to achieve stability for Scotland. As the play progresses Macbeth does not just desire security. His power in Scotland becomes jeopardized, and his desire for power and control greatly affects his mental state.

Shakespeare’s tragic hero Macbeth is a noble who is ultimately brought low by his own tragic defects. Failure was the result of his own character and decisions rather than anything else. The tragic outcome of a man is brought on by his weaknesses, which are ambition, lack of morality, being easily manipulated, and pride. All these traits are things that tie into what ultimately brings down who Macbeth was and will ever be as a thane and king. The main reason for Macbeth’s greatest weakness is his ambition.

During this time he goes through an internal conflict with himself. He argues with himself over whether or not to trust the prophecy and three witches, “This supernatural soliciting/Cannot be ill, cannot be good: if ill,/Why hath it given me earnest of success” (1.3.243-245). Unfortunately for Macbeth the King’s son Malcolm is to named the predecessor of King Duncan. Macbeth recognizes that this means the prophecy cannot come true despite the Thane of Cawdor prediction becoming a reality. This displeases him greatly despite the fact that the king has bestowed upon him a great honor.