Macbeth Essay Examples

Lauren Finley

Ms. Finley

Honors English ¾ A1

31 January 2022

Macbeth Literary Analysis Final

A theme of the modern world is everyday people are affected by the actions of others. This theme is seen in literature from both today and the past. An example is Shakespeare’s Macbeth. The protagonist is often affected by minor characters within the story. Macbeth is a Scottish play about a lord, Macbeth, that later becomes king through prophecy and murder. Minor characters such as the Witches, Malcolm, and Banquo play parts in driving the story forward and changing the plot within the play.

First, the Witches contribute to the actions taken in the play by creating prophecies to manipulate Macbeth. Macbeth has just returned from war when he is greeted

In this quote, the effect of Malcolm leaving is seen by the reader. “The son of Duncan, from whom this tyrant holds the due of birth, lives in the English court” (Shakespeare, 3.6.28-29). The tyrant discussed in the quote is Macbeth. Malcolm alters the action within the play by escaping from Scotland with his brother before they can be murdered. This not only allows Macbeth to be the new king because he is next in the line of succession but lets Malcolm survive so that he can later support Macbeth's murder. Malcolm is crucial to the plot because without his part there would be no way for Macbeth to get the crown. This would cause the Witches’ prophecy to be untrue and allow Macbeth to live at the end of the

During a dinner party, Macbeth is visited by Banquo’s ghost causing the other characters within the scene to start to notice how he is distressed by the apparition. One of the guests proclaims “Gentleman, rise. His Highness is not well” (Shakespeare, 3.4.63). Macbeth's reaction to Banquo’s death is the first display of guilt that is witnessed by others. Earlier in the play, Macbeth orders three different murderers to kill Banquo and his guilt over being the cause of his friend’s death manifests into Banquo's ghost hauntingly staring at him. The rest of the party starts to notice that Macbeth is perturbed. Lady Macbeth, his wife, has to cover for him and this fuels the distaste they have for one another. This proves that Banquo affects the plot because without him Macbeth would not have shown his guilt and, therefore, tensions between the Macbeths would not have