Macbeth Analytical Essay

In the play Macbeth, as Macbeth is informed of the death of his wife he gives a solemn yet almost emotionless reaction. In these lines Macbeth goes on to question the meaning of life. Macbeth believes life to be fake and artificial- he assumes that humans simply go through the motions and fulfill their lines as if they were mere actors in a play. However in the final act of the play, Macbeth has to grapple with the consequences of taking a life and he tries to make up his mind about whether he should take another one (Macduff’s). In the final act, Macbeth is proven wrong from his previous musings because though he thinks life is meaningless and humans should embrace the darkness he also initially doesn't want to kill Macduff because he feels

Macbeth is a man with a heavy heart and hands stained of blood. His worldview has been altered due the heinous deeds he has committed and the damage he has imposed on his kingdom. As Macbeth prepares for battle he is impending the fall of his kingdom as he will be outmanned on the battlefield. But even with so much gloom ahead, we as readers expect him to have a more sympathetic reaction when he finds out Lady Macbeth has died. However, Macbeth goes on to say, “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” (5.5, 27-31). Rather than lament on the death of his wife, Macbeth laments on the insignificance of human life in general. We’ve seen Macbeth be greatly affected by

When Macbeth is faced with fighting a Macduff, a man whose family Macbeth killed, Macbeth doesn't initially want to fight him. At this point, Macbeth’s kingdom is surrounded and his army is defecting to the other side. And now he is faced with Macduff- and the consequences of his actions. Here Macbeth tells Macduff, “Of all men else I have avoided thee./ But get thee back. My soul is too much charged/ With blood of thine already” (5.8, 5-8). When faced with his enemy Macbeth’s initial instinct is not to take Macduff’s life because he feels guilt for killing Macduff’s family. It is important to note that this scene occurs right after Lady Macbeth’s passing, so now Macbeth may know what it means to lose a family member, and feels the guilt in sharing Macduff's mourning. For someone who considers life so meaningless just a few moments earlier, you might think he would have had no problem taking the life of a man who threatens his power. Macbeth kills to achieve ultimate power but in this particular instance he makes a choice not to kill anymore as he doesn’t want to steal the life of a man who has been robbed of everything else. Macbeth proves himself wrong here by feeling true human emotion that obstructs his vision of life being worth absolutely