Macbeth Analytical Essay

Writers in literature curate characters within a written world that emanate relevant social constructs and beliefs that the audience of the time has been familiar with in their daily life. Shakespeare utilises the written world of 11th century, tribal Scotland within his 1606 tragedy, Macbeth, to present familiar themes of the negative concepts of the supernatural that had been newly implemented into the Jacobean era and King James IV’s obsession with the supernatural and the ‘impacts’ it had on his personal life. Shakespeare’s Macbeth confronts the audience with the duplicity and depth of individual characters: challenging stereotypical social archetypes that were heavily integrated within the Jacobean era. This cautions the audience to conform

Shakespeare introduces themes throughout his play by presenting their effects on society to the audience. We see that society and social structures become increasingly discordant, reflecting the character development within the play, as they corrupt their innocence and gain a guilty conscious while recklessly disregarding the natural order. The 1606 tragedy Macbeth reflects the real-world society of the 17th century. It explores and challenges its societal structure and themes, maintaining relevance to its audience while inherently cautioning the viewers to avoid creating a dissonant society.

A person’s actions and subconscious mind reflect their individual character and innocence, the preservation or corruption of which is then reflected within society and the environment around them. Macbeth’s innocent nature is displayed using positive diction describing his “valiant” and “worthy” nature and the “[deservingness]” of his titles after he defeated Macdownwald, a symbolic “rebel” of peace. Macbeth’s innocent nature allows the audience to relate to Macbeth’s yearning for peace. This promotes the audience’s association of innocence with a consonant society in literature and reality. Furthermore, his “valiant” and “worthy” characteristics reinforce how society

Lady Macbeth challenges the natural order by metaphorically “[unsexing]” herself, releasing her femininity. This is reinforced by the symbolism within “taking [her] milk”, representing her womanly innocence and empathy being tarnished by her ambition. Shakespeare challenges 17th-century Jacobean gender roles within his play, using Lady Macbeth’s high modality diction, which contradicts a woman’s expected, natural order-defined character and causes subsequent negative consequences. These inevitable adversities, solidifies Macbeth’s unavoidable destruction as he defies the natural order through regicide. This is foreshadowed through the dramatic irony within the porter opening “hell-gate” immediately after Macbeth’s regicidal act, a sin against God. This symbolises Macbeth’s devoid of innocence, and his now devil likened character, foreshadowing his fate within hell’s gates. Shakespeare re-establishes the consequences of disregarding the natural order through Macbeth’s devil-like character. The hyperbolic, dysphemistic description of the “devilish Macbeth” juxtaposes his initial “valiant” and “worthy” characteristics. Hyperbolic metaphor confirms his diversion from God, revealing that Macbeth’s non-God-ordained rule “strikes heaven on the face”. This is reflected through society