External Forces In Macbeth

English coursework

To what extent can Macbeth be seen as a person manipulated by external forces

In the play Macbeth, Shakespeare presents two competing forces, character and fate, which lead to the ultimate downfall of Macbeth. Macbeth ventures from one polarity to another as others manipulate him. This allows his self-centered character hidden within to come alight. The major external forces in the play are the influences of the witches and his wife, Lady Macbeth. Character or the internal conflict in Macbeth refers to his excessive self-ambition and troubled conscience and the resulting conflict, which strips him of his self-control. Both these external and internal forces need to examined critically to determine to what extent Macbeth

Appearing at the beginning of the play, the witches present themselves as both evil and untrustworthy in nature. When the witches appear before Macbeth and Banquo they greet him with “All hail Macbeth.” They begin manipulating Macbeth by naming him “Thane of Glamis”, “Thane of Cawdor” and “king hereafter.” Macbeth’s ambition is aroused as he cannot help but know more; “Stay, you imperfect speakers. Tell me more.” The witches thereby initiate a calamitous chain of events. The witches intentionally leave with Macbeth entranced in his thoughts as he fanaticizes murder unconscious of the danger. Although the witches predict that Macbeth will be king, they never suggest murdering Duncan. Macbeth mentions murder when he says,” my thought, whose murder yet is but fantastical.” It is he who links the idea of kingship and murder. Thus, the witches words are only tempting Macbeth. It is he who further develops ideas leading to their

In the process, he becomes incapable of feeling sensitivity about anything. Perhaps the greatest evidence of this is seen when Seyton brings him the news of Lady Macbeth’s death. Macbeth, who once viewed this woman as his “dearest partner in greatness,” now feels that her death warrants no further comment than,” she should have died hereafter”. Despite the lack of feeling in his words, he is however brought closer to understanding the utter futility of what he has done. “Tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow, creeps in this petty pace from day to day to the last syllable of recorded time; and all our yesterdays have lighted fools the way to dusty death. Out, out, brief candle, life’s but a walking shadow, a poor player that struts and frets his hour upon the stage and then is heard no more. It is a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury signifying nothing.” In this dark soliloquy, Macbeth sums up the emptiness underlying human existence while at the same time capturing the waste of human potential in his own life. “Out, out brief candle”, is a way for Macbeth to admit guilt and regret for his past, by extinguishing the source of the “light”. It also refers to the brief duration of