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Loss Of Identity In Macbeth

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Another intriguing yet blatant aspect of loss of identity in Shakespeare's play is drawn from Macbeth's drastic change in personality which drives from his thirst for power that starts to control him; ultimately changing who he ends up to be.
At the beginning of the play, Macbeth is a highly respected individual - saluted for his service to the King. However when he meets the witches and is spoken to about the prophecy, this begins to change. Macbeth is immediately inclined to believe what the witches have to say through their persuasive and manipulative speech. One of the witches exclaims 'All hail, Macbeth - that shalt be King hereafter!'. Here, Macbeth has no reason to believe the witches, but his easily swayed character as spoken of by …show more content…

Jonson's son becomes lost to him physically which for the most part causes Jonson to lose his identity as a Father. However, with this being said, Jonson proves that he is still very much a Father as he expresses his regret and remorse over his son's death exclaiming 'O could i lose all father now!'. Jonson's tone here reflecf hope and displays his strong desire to lose his identity and with it all associations and memories he had of being a Father - clearly as his love for him means he misses him dearly. In addition to this, Jonson's love is shown as he speaks of his son as his 'Loved boy' and more importantly 'His best piece of poetry'. His speech here holds a great amount of significance as his referral to himself in the third person by using the word 'he' suggests that this is how he himself expects others to view his son. As well as this, Jonson calls his son 'Poetry' and being a poet himself this reinforces the idea that he holds a strong love for his son. The metaphor used here also creates imagery of delicate work such as art and helps to invision how Jonson sees his son as a beautiful creation. His indignation and this love forces him to begin blaming himself for the loss of his son as he calls it his 'sin for having too much hope of thee'. It could be argued that Jonson is communicate that despite the circumstances, a person's identity is never truly lost. A strong comparison between …show more content…

'Your spirits shine through you. Within this hour at most I will advise you where to plant yourselves, Acquaint you with the perfect spy o' th' time... I'll come to you anon.' This time, Macbeth's speech shows a considerate loss of human characteristics through his imperative tone. His desperation and as a result his willingness to complete the murder is clearly shown as he orders for the assassination to be settle 'within this hour at the most'. By saying 'at the most' Macbeth seems to be applying a threat to the murderers to ensure they get it done immediately. He speaks more like an assassin at this stage as opposed to the chivalrous and respected servant that he was to the King at the beginning of the play. With Lady Macbeth posessed by evil forces at this point, Macbeth no longer has the companion and wife that he had at the beginning of the story. From this, it bevomes apparent that Macbeth loses his identity not only because of power but alsi because of the love which he lacks from Lady Macbeth that is supposed to keep him

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When the story begins, Macbeth truly is a “peerless kinsman” to the king (1.4.66); however, as the story progresses others refer to him in this way only because they are oblivious to his true desire” (Balwan 3). As Balwan states, Macbeth has as significant change due to the so call “power” of being king. While Macbeth transitions to a new form of character, he isolates himself from Lady Macbeth. As the power increases, Macbeth is determined to kill.

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All hail, Macbeth, that shalt be king hereafter!” (Shakespeare, 19) When Macbeth tells his wife, Lady Macbeth, she wants Macbeth to kill King Duncan. Lady Macbeth is eager for Macbeth to rise to power. When she confronts him about this, it starts the downward spiral of unfortunate events that makes Macbeth a cynical person. When he kills the king, he starts to feel remorse for what he did.

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In act one scene 7, Macbeth doubts if he should kill the king; however, his wife, Lady Macbeth, manipulates him into proceeding. It might be difficult for Macbeth, the renowned warrior, to hear his wife accusing him of cowardice. Therefore, under Lady Macbeth’s influence, as she questions his manhood, he commences the murder in order to prove to her that he is not a “coward.” This is important to note because his soliloquy shows his determination to proceed.

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MacBeth is the main character in Shakespeare's MacBeth and rightfully so. He is the character that changes the most and has the greatest impact on the story. MacBeth is the one whom the tragedy is placed on, and because of this it is his story. MacBeth's dynamic character changes throughout the play driving the story forward and showing the theme of visions of power create ambition in individuals. The first point that has to be explained is MacBeth's dynamic character.

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In Macbeth, Shakespeare writes about a man named Macbeth, who has a very strong ambition to be the the king of Scotland. His credulousness led him into believing the prophecy from the three witches without thinking rigorously. Because of this prophecy, Macbeth is willing to do everything he can to gain the throne, even to the extreme of murdering someone. Shakespeare uses syntax, similes, and personification to convey the evolution of Macbeth’s insanity.

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The fact that Macbeth believes the witches’ prophecies are not evil nor good foreshadows how he will go on to kill any other person standing in his way to more power. His ambition blinds his mind to make him even think about ruthlessly committing a murder. This forceful way of gaining power will only lead Macbeth to become a “tyrant” in Scotland and his “fantastical” desires of killing Duncan and receiving the crown will lead Scotland to failure. Under Macbeth’s rule, Scotland seems to be in a terrible condition. With distrust among the people, there is tension all within the country, as Macbeth’s totalitarian regime had rendered the prosperity of Scotland.

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Macbeth’s mental condition begins to dwindle as time goes on, starting with the murder of Duncan. At first, Macbeth is seen as a soldier that everyone aspires to be, strong, brave, and compassionate about his duties to the king. In act one scene two, Captain says, “...For brave Macbeth-well he deserves that name-...” This shows that he is a likeable person who has only the objective of serving his king. After meeting with the witches and hearing his prophecy, Macbeth starts to think about what it would be like to be king of Scotland.

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