Throughout the play, I have felt a range of emotions towards Macbeth. It is evident that Macbeth is an incredibly complex character, so my feelings towards him are quite complex. I understand that there is a level of sympathy to be felt for Macbeth at particular points in the play, as he is the protagonist of this tragedy. Personally, I do not feel strictly sympathetic or unsympathetic to Macbeth for the play’s entirety. As the play developed, my sympathy towards Macbeth lessened, especially during acts three and four. Macbeth is interesting, as he is contemporaneously a victim and the prime source of his downfall. In this essay, I hope to discuss all key moments in which Macbeth did or did not deserve sympathy during the play and review the circumstances that surround each of these moments.
There are two sides to Macbeth’s character that are remarkably different – his professional side, and his domestic side. Our initial impression of Macbeth is told by his fellow soldiers when they express his courage on the battlefield to Duncan. They refer to him as ‘brave Macbeth’ and ‘Valour’s minion’, and he is widely accepted as Scotland’s saviour. The soldiers give an extremely graphic description of Macbeth’s slaying of Macdonwald ‘Till he unseamed him from the nave to th’chops, and fixed his head upon our battlements.’ Although the play is still in its youthful stages, we are already given an insight into Macbeth’s violent capabilities. In my opinion, the execution of Macdonwald