Macbeth Monster Essay

In Macbeth, Shakespeare emphasizes that monsters are not confined to individuals or things; rather, they are an instinct that arises when someone feels threatened. He does this by showing different sides of characters such as Macbeth and Lady Macbeth, as well as vivid imagery, to support his claim.

In the beginning of the play, Macbeth is introduced as a war hero. He is a man who has earned the respect of many because of his bravery in battle. He has particularly earned the great respect of King Duncan, the ruler of Scotland, to whom he is devoted until he learns that he himself is supposedly going to be the next king, although Malcolm, Duncan’s son, owns the right to take over after his father. As soon as Macbeth learns that he will "be king

The character of Macbeth is now viewed as a "monster," but Macbeth is not actually the real monster at all. Up until this awful act is committed, Macbeth is admired by the audience. Shakespeare purposely introduces Macbeth in such a way that makes him very admirable and charming. The first time Macbeth is mentioned, others are calling him "valiant" and a "worthy gentleman," and they claim that he is strong enough to have defied luck and made his way through an entire army. He uses this approach of creating a character surrounded by love and admiration to show how the fight-or-flight response of Macbeth's mind was what turned him into the dreaded "monster." The decision to take action is made by Macbeth because he believes that he deserves to rule and is aware that Duncan will abdicate in favor of his son, Malcolm. His instinct is what drove him to kill Duncan; he feels that he deserves the throne, and his decision making abilities are affected by how much he wants it. He even had second thoughts about it, proving that when he comes to his senses and calms down, he knows that it is wrong. Although his conscience and morality are not strong enough to overcome his inclinations, He continues to lengthen his list of victims

She is an ambitious and power-hungry character. She is initially portrayed as a "monster," as she was the one who came up with the murderous plot against King Duncan. She takes these actions because, from her perspective, they are the only means by which she can increase her power. She subsequently reacts when she believes there is a possibility for her and her husband, Macbeth, to gain more power because her instincts and ambition are intertwined. Although her instincts have so much power over her that she is unaware that what she is doing is wrong, she shows no remorse for her actions until she is later driven insane with guilt. As a result of her instincts and ambition being intertwined with each other, her mind blocks out her human side, which would know it is all wrong and tell her to stop herself. Although her mind does not allow her to have the self-control it would take to stop herself, much like her husband. Within a soliloquy, she exclaims, "Make thick my blood. Stop the access and passage to remorse(Act 1 Scene 5)," revealing that her instincts drive her to avoid compassion for others. Shakespeare uses quotes to emphasize the fact that people themselves are not evil and cannot be monsters. Lady Macbeth knows it is wrong, but when her power hungry side takes control, she has no power to stop it. Following King Duncan’s death, she goes back to normal, as she has gained the power she so badly wanted.