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Macbeth Human Condition Essay

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The Human Condition Portrayed in Macbeth by Shakespeare What makes a play memorable above all other works of art is its relatability to the common man, or its dissimilarity to the common man. When a play is able to introduce aspects of both of those worlds, it becomes truly great. Macbeth by Shakespeare is a noteworthy play due to Shakespeare’s ability to relate the story to the everyday human while also making it mystical and compelling. The play revolves around the human condition, specifically greed. Shakespeare demonstrates how greed can take over one’s life through Macbeth’s actions, and shows that facing the consequences of greed is near impossible. The message of Macbeth is to illustrate the consequences of unrestrained ambition and
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Macbeth’s jump to murder illustrates the depth of his greed clouding his rational judgement. Shakespeare spotlights the hold greed can take on a righteous individual to emphasis the need for self control. Secondly, Macbeth, jealous of the prophecy stating Banquo “Shalt get kings” Macbeth fears he wears a “fruitless” crown, Macbeth orders the murder of his friend to

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Macbeth’s greed takes over him as he chases a fool’s dream. Macbeth's ambition leads him to secure his power; he overlooks his guilt and focuses on doing whatever it takes to hold onto his authority. Shakespeare demonstrates, in a variety of techniques, how just ambition alone can bring down the even the greatest of men. “There is something wrong with a individual’s character if opportunity controls their loyalty.” Sean Simmon’s the writer of this quote explains how blinded someone can be when given certain opportunities which can be directly related to the character Macbeth.

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675 Words | 3 Pages

The Tragedy of Macbeth is a well known story that revolves around the word “ambition” but this ambition isn’t always self driven by someone, but rather through the influence of someone else who maintains control of the situation. The story is about a man whose desire to be the king and have power leads to the murders of those who might stand in his way. Throughout the story we see many characters who play major parts in how one event follows another, and how some characters seem to completely have control of the events in the story. Although in Macbeth the Three Sisters and Macbeth exhibit some control over the events, Lady Macbeth has the most responsibility.

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861 Words | 4 Pages

This play captures the rise and fall of King Macbeth. Shakespeare shows the reader that one persons greed can get him killed and other people around to turn on him, By showing the reader what decisions Macbeth made to elevate his status in power. The kind of people who changed around them and how they changed. Furthermore in Act 1, Macbeth is given a prophecy that he would become king by three witches. This leads to him into thinking greedy and commiting murder.

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1294 Words | 6 Pages

As individuals, we have a certain degree of control over our own lives and the decisions we make. While external factors such as social pressure, cultural norms, and personal circumstances can influence us, ultimately, we have agency in choosing how we respond to those factors. This is portrayed through William Shakespeare's tragedy, Macbeth, the titular character Macbeth is the protagonist, a Scottish general who receives a prophecy from three witches that he will become king. Consumed by ambition and spurred on by his wife, Lady Macbeth, Macbeth murders King Duncan and takes the throne for himself. However, his guilt and paranoia lead him to commit more murders in order to maintain his power, and he becomes increasingly tyrannical as his

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1313 Words | 6 Pages

Both greed and power, if not controlled, can lead to destruction. Throughout William Shakespeare’s play Macbeth, Shakespeare uses both characters Macbeth and Lady Macbeth to demonstrate how ambition can change one’s personal relationships. As in the beginning of Act 1, Scene 7 Macbeth and Lady Macbeth do not share the same ambition, and it is because of this that their relationship lacks love and affection however through the use of persuasion and other means, Lady Macbeth is able to get Macbeth to pursue her ambition. This not only changes their relationship drastically but it also changes Macbeth’s attitude towards ambition. Throughout the play, Shakespeare shows us through Macbeth, the possibility for ambition to eventually turn into greed and how the lust for power may corrupt us.

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1277 Words | 6 Pages

Sean Smith Mrs. Anthony Senior English 8 March 2018 The Danger of Ambition In Shakespeare’s “The Tragedy of Macbeth”, the author proposes a perpetual loop of struggle through his use of fate and imagery of the character’s deaths in order to express the consequences for one’s actions if they are foolish enough to make these decisions. “The Tragedy of Macbeth” is a uniquely portrayed concept of fate, internal struggle, and paradox; the story depicts a human with intentions to receive power.

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In William Shakespeare's renowned play Macbeth, Shakespeare draws parallels between the motif of disease and Macbeth's ambition. His ambition leads to his family’s insanity, political tyranny and social instability. The comparison of Macbeth’s ambition to disease is drawn for the causes and effects of said ambition which allows readers to see how it is this rather than fate, that led to Macbeth's demise. In this essay, I will explore how Shakespeare links ambition to disease and the extent to which ambition-fuelled actions led to disease within individuals and his country. Shakespeare contrasts Macbeth's desire with sickness throughout the beginning of the play by focusing on its causes.

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619 Words | 3 Pages

There are many people in the world that experience mental problems and therefore affecting their personality. Not everyone though is as bad as Macbeth when it comes to mental deterioration. Macbeth is a very self-centered man and it leads him to change the person he once was. Although it is not seen much in the beginning of Shakespeare's play “The Tragedy of Macbeth”, Macbeth’s mental state deteriorates as the play progresses, which can be seen when he is guilty of murdering King Duncan, being taunted by the ghost of Banquo, and his speech to the witches.

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642 Words | 3 Pages

The reader is able to see this through Macbeth’s contemplation on whether or not he should kill Duncan, Lady Macbeth's lust for power and Macbeth’s final yet selfish decision. The overall comparisons are able to demonstrate the harmful physical and psychological effects of power throughout a community. As a result, the reader can learn from both Queen and Shakespeare that one's evil pleasure and desires can be a result of one's destruction all

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820 Words | 4 Pages

The tragedy "Macbeth" by William Shakespeare examines the deadly consequences of excessive ambition. The play was originally performed in 1606 as a memorial to King James and to warn people about betraying him through lying or regicide. The meaning of this tragedy is still relevant to modern audiences because of the cautionary lesson it tells about the tragic hero's collapse, despite its numerous specific connections to King James. The plot of Macbeth illustrates how the continuous quest for status and power will ultimately result in moral deterioration and catastrophic outcomes. The story of Macbeth focuses attention on the corrupting effect of power that results from uncontrolled ambition.

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689 Words | 3 Pages

A story of tragedy is not uncommon with William Shakespeare and his works of prose. In his plays, death and despair is more likely than honor and prosperity. This is an included facet to Macbeth as well, having sinister themes of greed, manipulation, and brutality. Macbeth, by the infamous playwright, Shakespeare, presents us with multiple aspects factoring into whether the main character controls his actions that lead to the tragic events.

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963 Words | 4 Pages

Throughout literature, we see human characteristics in our characters. Characteristics such as punishment, downfall, middling character, free choice, and nobility. In this play called Macbeth we see all these characteristics fall into place throughout the good and bad choices acted on by our main character Macbeth. The play demonstrates how power will make or break character and lead to his/her own destruction by possessing a few of these characteristics. Macbeth demonstrates both literal and figurative nobility as the plot beings to grow throughout the play.

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235 Words | 1 Pages

Human nature refers to specific characteristics which are ways of emotions, thoughts, and actions. Culture is big influence for human nature. In Act five of the play “Macbeth” his human nature is influenced from Lady Macbeth, and his desperation of becoming king. His human nature is shown when he finally faces his consequences. For example, when Macduff was looking for Macbeth, Macbeth could not face him because he would have to accept the consequences for murdering his whole castle.

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593 Words | 3 Pages

William Shakespeare’s play Macbeth, the main character; Macbeth, is seen as an evil character. The play is based off of Macbeth’s decisions and his actions to become King. In the beginning Macbeth starts out as a hero in Scotland’s war with Ireland and towards the end he is transformed into a murderer. Macbeth is not wholly evil because of is heroism in the war, his love for Scotland, and because he didn’t want to kill King Duncan initially. Macbeth was brain washed by his wife and tricked into killing the King.

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