How Does Shakespeare Create Sympathy In Macbeth

Sympathy for Macbeth

A tragedy is a piece of dramatic writing that entails the downfall of the main character. William Shakespeare’s Macbeth is the story of a valiant thane, Macbeth, who murders his king with the belief that the throne is his destiny. Naturally, his horrid actions subject him to much abhorrence. However, despite his corrupt mindset, the reader pities Macbeth. Through keen use of action, soliloquy, and dialogue, Shakespeare causes any audience to react sympathetically to Macbeth’s negative attributes and perhaps even relate. For instance, Lady Macbeth’s manipulation is an aspect many readers can level with. Once it becomes clear that Macbeth’s mental health is diminishing, the audience inevitably begins to pity him. In his final moments, the desperation Macbeth feels is hard for the audience to ignore. Evaluating Macbeth’s character in full rather than focusing only on his negative attributes inevitably evokes sympathy from the reader.

Throughout the play, Macbeth is viewed with hostility in regard to his unscrupulous actions. However, the fact that it was Lady Macbeth who was the mastermind behind king Duncan’s death is often

The night begins smoothly, but as soon as Banquo’s assassination has taken place, his ghost makes an appearance at the table. The ghost haunts only Macbeth, making his deteriorating mental state known to all the guests. He cries out: “Avaunt! And quit my sight! Let the earth hide thee! Thy bones are marrowless, thy blood is cold, thou hast no speculation in those eyes which thou dost glare with.” (3.1.93-6). Meanwhile the guests, oblivious to Banquo’s ghost, take in the scene and wonder at their new king’s hysterics. There is stark contrast between the courageous soldier described at the beginning of the play and the paranoid shell of a man he has become, and seeing Macbeth portrayed this way is a cue for the audience’s