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Fear In Macbeth Essay

478 Words2 Pages

Nathan Orosco Professor Buenning British Literature I 7 July 2024 Exploring Pity and Fear in Shakespeare's 'Macbeth’ Macbeth, a tragedy by William Shakespeare, masterfully invokes the emotions of pity and fear in its audience. These emotions are essential in tragedies, serving to engage and move the audience deeply. Through the character of Macbeth, Shakespeare shows how dangerous ambition and moral weakness can be. Macbeth makes the audience feel pity and fear because of his flaws and the terrible results of his actions. Macbeth's tragic flaws, such as his ambition and susceptibility to manipulation, evoke pity in the audience. As Macbeth contemplates the murder of King Duncan, he acknowledges his "vaulting ambition, which overleaps itself / And falls on the other" …show more content…

Show Macbeth's weakness in manipulation. This makes the audience feel even more sorry for him because he is easily influenced. His internal struggle and moral hesitation reveal a man who is not innately evil but tragically flawed, allowing the audience to sympathize with his plight even as he descends into darkness. The terrifying consequences of Macbeth's actions generate fear in the audience. After murdering Duncan, Macbeth is haunted by his guilt, hearing a voice cry, "Sleep no more! Macbeth does murder sleep" (2.2.34-35). This supernatural sign of his guilt shows the mental suffering he endures after his crime, making the audience fear what can happen when ambition goes unchecked. Additionally, Macbeth acknowledges the irreversible nature of his actions, stating, "I am in blood / Stepp'd in so far that, should I wade no more, / Returning were as tedious as go o'er" (3.4.136-138). This acknowledgment that he cannot be saved adds to the audience's fear of the moral and social chaos caused by his tyranny. The escalating violence and disorder in Scotland as a result of Macbeth's reign further amplified this fear, highlighting the devastating impact of his moral corruption on the

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