ipl-logo

Macbeth's Mentality

734 Words3 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Macbeths last transformation

An honorable soldier, a tyrannical king. When these personas intertwine, it threatens the livelihood and stability of a highly-acclaimed thane. The tainted nature of Macbeth’s tenure as king in The Tragedy of Macbeth by William Shakespeare constitutes an insecure rule under psychological siege, highlighting Macbeth’s changes in mentality about kingship. Macbeth’s mentality was under fire the moment he conveyed his plan for kingship to Lady Macbeth. For example, when Macbeth is greeted by the witches while traveling, he is told he is to be king. Upon hearing this, he concocts a plan to murder the current king of Scotland, Duncan, in order to expedite his rise to kingship. However, at the last second, he explains, “We will go no further in this …show more content…

Thinking this means everyone, Macbeth feels he no longer has to worry about Macduff, a main he finds most threatening to his position as king. However, this is not enough to satisfy Macbeth’s mental scorpions. Looking over the situation, Macbeth comments, “Then live, Macduff; what need I fear of thee?/But yet I’ll make assurance double sure/And take a bond of fate. Thou shalt not live,/That I may tell pale-hearted fear it lies,/And sleep in spite of thunder” (4.1.93-97). His mentality about kingship has grown so strong that he finds fear in a man he has foreseen to do absolutely no harm to him. The demons laying siege to his conscience compel him to murder not only Macduff, but his family, which is a most unnecessary move given the prophecy he learned. His mentality has taken a cataclysmic shift towards staunch protection of himself and his throne through ruthlessness and bloodshed. This condition is further exemplified when Macbeth rambles, “I have lived long enough. My way of life/Is fall’n into the sere, the yellow leaf,/And that which should accompany old age,/As honor, love, obedience, troops of friends,/I must not look to have, but in their stead/Curses, not loud but deep, outh-honor, breath/Which the poor heart would fain deny and dare/not” (5.3.26-33). Macbeth audible expresses his weariness of holding the throne. However, he goes on to state, “I’ll fight till from my bones my flesh be hacked” (5.2.38). Despite his weariness of being king, his mind is hardwired at this point to defend the throne with his life. It’s as if his mind has been overtaken by its besiegers and fully corrupted. He is no longer who he once was. Rather than fight for his allies and the common good, he fights for himself against his former allies. This action symbolizes a one-hundred-eighty degree turn in mental attitude, like a contagion that has possessed his

Show More
Related

Macbeth Unchecked Quotes

864 Words | 4 Pages

The main character, Macbeth, was a good Thane. Macbeth had all the qualities, he was loyal, a good leader, and a good soldier. Although he met all of these qualities he was selfish, wicked, strongly ambitious, and hungry for power. The thought of being king is great and the work to get there is hard. Unfortunately Macbeth’s

Read More

Examples Of Who Is To Blame In Macbeth

1297 Words | 6 Pages

He believes that he can rule as a king however he wants and that no one will be able to replace him. Macbeth feels comforted and releases some of the stress and nightmares he was previously having. His newly gained comfort gives Macbeth a false sense of security that leads to Macbeth’s poor preparation to resist the English troops. Thinking that he cannot be harmed, Macbeth does not take the necessary steps to protect Scotland and his life. When he finally encounters Macduff on the battlefield, he believes it will be an easy fight as he deems himself invincible, but he is slaughtered.

Read More

Macbeth Theme Of Honesty And Loyalty

727 Words | 3 Pages

Macduff realizes from that moment on that Macbeth has reached his breaking point and that Macbeth’s kingdom can finally be

Read More

A Literary Analysis Of The Importance Of Macbeth Act 4 Scene 2

639 Words | 3 Pages

Death by Macduff (A Literary Analysis Of The Importance Of Act 4 Scene 2) When you are a child you think that your dad is going to protect you from everything because that’s what a fathers role is. You never think about what could happen if he wasn’t going to be there when you need him. Macduff is on a mission to England to bring back Malcolm to take back what is his, the throne, because Macbeth is losing his mind. He leaves his family alone in their castle thinking that Macbeth is crazy but he wouldn’t go as far to kill his family. Before Macbeth sends his men to do just that Macduff’s son and his wife have a very heart to heart converation about life in general.

Read More

Macbeth's Decisions Essay

595 Words | 3 Pages

When Macbeth is told by the first vision that he needs to beware of Macduff, his fears are confirmed that Macduff is a threat. When Macbeth is told this, he decides to kill Macduff’s family (Mac IV.i.71-74). Just like the witches, the apparition does not force Macbeth to act upon what he has been told, but still steers Macbeth towards violent

Read More

How Is Macbeth A Tyrant

991 Words | 4 Pages

Till famine cling thee. If thy speech be sooth, I care not if thou dost for me as much” (Shakespeare Act V). The servant told Macbeth that the woods were moving, and Macbeth threatened him with execution. This also builds how the subjects see as Macbeth the Tyrant, while also see Duncan as a king “Had he not resembled My father as he slept, I had done't.” (Shakespeare Act II).

Read More

Narcissism In Macbeth And Othello

1712 Words | 7 Pages

(Bradley 345). When his rule is at stake, Macbeth willingly tries to seek reassurance from deceptive, treacherous beings without thinking of the consequences. Additionally, Bradley wrote “and, almost as though to intimate how entirely the responsibility for his deeds still lies with Macbeth, Shakespeare makes his first act after this interview one for which his tempters gave him not a hint - the slaughter of Macduff’s wife and children” (345). Because he saw Macduff as a threat, without any hesitation Macbeth decided to kill the ones he loves because of his acquired ruthlessness. His goal of copious power led to the decay of his character and

Read More

The Rationality Of Act Four Of Macbeth By William Shakespeare

407 Words | 2 Pages

He might be enraged, but he does not have a clouded head. By “convert[ing grief] to anger,” it has given him ammunition to want revenge, not solely based on anger, but passion; something Macbeth only sees in the throne, yet Macduff finds in

Read More

Monologue Of Lady Macbeth

529 Words | 3 Pages

Macbeth is coming inside with two king's friends. They are seeing all this and everyone is shoked. But Macbeth remember something,something really important. Macduff was really brame mand and good solider. So why he needs him?!He can took his power back!Macduff is trying to explaing everything that happened

Read More

Macbeth's Strengths And Weaknesses

824 Words | 4 Pages

At the beginning of William Shakespeare’s ‘Macbeth’ the protagonist Macbeth is described as ‘brave’, ‘noble’ and ‘honourable’, however Lady Macbeth’s and Macbeths desire for power consumes them. Macbeth’s ambition overrides his conscience and transformed his greatest strength into his greatest weakness. Macbeth’s inability to resist temptations that led him to be greedy for power, Macbeth’s easily manipulative nature which allowed his mind to be swayed, Macbeth having no self control and his excessive pride was what allowed him to renew his previously honourable and celebrated title into one of an evil ‘tyrant’. Macbeth is led by the prophecies of the witches after they foretell he will become the Thane of Cawdor. Not only the witches, but also his wife easily manipulate Macbeth as she attacks his manhood in order to provoke him to act on his desires.

Read More

Prophecies In Macbeth

664 Words | 3 Pages

The first apparition the he sees is an armed head that proclaims, “Macbeth! Macbeth! Macbeth! Beware Macduff” (61). Even though Macbeth does not believe that Macduff is capable of harming him, this prophecy comes true when he is killed by him at the conclusion of the work.

Read More

Being A Man In Shakespeare's Macbeth

1408 Words | 6 Pages

He shows signs of a new person and claims, “The very firstlings of my heart shall be/The firstlings of my hand.” (IV.i.167-168). By saying this, Macbeth no longer worries about the consequences of his actions and will go on with his ambition and do what he believes he should do. In the beginning, Macbeth tends to overthink everything, but now whatever he feels to do is what he does. In this case, Macbeth kills Macduff’s family, although he somewhat knows it is or will be soon insignificant.

Read More

Macbeth Weak Character Analysis

917 Words | 4 Pages

In William Shakespeare’s play, Macbeth, the leading motif, ambition, equally serves as the catalyst for Macbeth’s demise. Throughout the play, Shakespeare gradually exposes Macbeth’s weak character and internal darkness as he presents Macbeth with the seductive illusion of power and ambition. Macbeth’s ambition turned him from a noble Thane to a murdering King, encouraged by his wife until his tender character turned ruthless, and eventually led to the final deaths Lady Macbeth and himself. In the beginning of Macbeth, the protagonist possessed respectable qualities.

Read More

Macbeth's Tragic Flaw Of Ambition

1113 Words | 5 Pages

This causes Macbeth to consult with the witches who call apparitions that tell him to beware Macduff, that no man born of a woman can harm him, and “[he] shall never vanquished be until great Birnam Wood to high Dunsinane Hill shall come against him” (4.1.92-94). At this point, Macbeth has passed normal limitations of control, and his ambition has lead him to a point where he is trying to control his fate. By reaching beyond mortal knowledge and attempting to steer his future, his ambition begins leading to his downfall, because no man can control his future, not even a

Read More

Hunger For Power In Macbeth

760 Words | 4 Pages

Macbeth’s impatience for power leads to drastic actions. He murders the king in the belief that “this blow might be the be-all and end-all” (1.7.5). This assassination could never “trammel up the consequence” (1.7.2-3), as Macbeth believes, but only leads to more trouble. Although Macbeth seizes the throne, Macbeth had to betray his loyalty to the king whose “virtues will plead like angels” (1.7.18-19), and his morality has paid the price. Macbeth has now lost all sense of what honor is by using such dishonest ways to become king.

Read More

More about Macbeth's Mentality

Related Topics

Open Document