The tragedy of Macbeth by William Shakespeare is a play that follows a man who wants more from his life and more power, often thought of as evil; however, through his soliloquies, Macbeth is seen in a sympathetic light. Macbeth starts as a courageous, seeming servant of the king; however, as the play goes on, Macbeth's violence becomes obvious. Despite his actions, Macbeth's soliloquies paint a much more sympathetic picture of the character than if we judge him only on his actions alone. This sympathy comes from the closeness the reader can develop with Macbeth because, during his soliloquies, the reader sees what Macbeth is feeling. Through Macbeth's soliloquies, we can see that he struggles with his ambition, conscience, and fear of his actions' consequences. …show more content…
In his soliloquy, "Is this a dagger that I see before me…" (Shakespeare 2.1.43), Macbeth speaks of his ambition and willingness to defy the laws of morality to gain power. Macbeth's ambitions are presented in a sympathetic light as we can see his struggle between his ambition and his conscience. Some people can sympathize with Macbeth's current struggle for more, his lust for more from his life, and the guilt that he struggles with, even thinking about his potential actions.
Within Macbeth's soliloquies, we can see his consciousness. He is constantly questioning his actions and weighing the moral consequences of his choices. Macbeth says, "But wherefore could not I pronounce 'Amen'?" (2.2.42) Macbeth is a man of morals, and his inability to pray weighs heavily on his conscience. Not being able to pray weighs heavily on Macbeth because of his dense religious beliefs; what if God is no longer with him or likes him? Macbeth's soliloquies show that he struggles with his conscience and guilt over his