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Shaping Minor Characters In Macbeth By William Shakespeare

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The incorporation of important and plot-shaping minor characters within the play Macbeth showcases how something so little can shape someone's entire existence In Macbeth by William Shakespeare, we see many characters such as Macbeth, Lady Macbeth, Malcolm, and Macduff who play key roles in shaping the plot of the play, as they are the major characters. However, the minor characters we see so briefly, such as Lady Macduff and Duncan serve a larger meaning than you may think, as their murders and lives shape Macbeth's entire persona, on his bloody and gruesome journey to the thrown. Duncan plays a vital role within Macbeth but is only truly there in the very beginning. His murder is the start of Macbeth's craze for power, as he will now take down anything and anyone in his way to get to the top. This first murder is crucial to the plot as it seems to be the murder that leaves both Macbeths traumatized, but also leaves Macbeth unfulfilled. Duncan was a well-respected and loved …show more content…

When we see Lady Macduff, we see a passionate woman who is loyal to her family. She portrays good morals and is overall a very good mother and wife, in opposition to Lady Macbeth. Lady Macbeth pushes her husband into doing things just for her pleasure, as all she truly cared about was a crown on her head. Lady Macduff declares her husband a traitor, as he leaves her to tend to her family all alone, but still cared about his safety and wanted the best for him. In this one singular scene, we see Lady Macduff, who is murdered by the king, as he feels the need to punish them for the problems her husband has caused in his rise to power. The inclusion of the murders of Lady Macduff, her son, and their servant portrays Macbeth's need for power as he commits this murder with a smile on his face. This truly showcases the evolution of his lust for complete control, as he will soon pay for this

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Macduff eventually kills Macbeth because he believes that he unjustly killed the kings and his family. Lady Macbeth is under so much guilt that she throws herself off the balcony and commits suicide. Killing seem as though it is not the way to go, it causes many problems that Macbeth and Lady Macbeth decided to endure after killing. After killing, guilt follows you like a shadow, following you every move, never

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Artistic Statement Death, ambition, greed, and power is what shapes Macbeth 4 of the most important themes in Macbeth are death, ambition, greed, and power, almost all the killings in Macbeth is from the man himself to keep his power. Macbeth’s greed shaped him into a monster, killing Banquo, Macduff’s family, all in order to keep his throne, this greed is what led Macbeth to his coffin, ultimately getting him killed by Macduff and Malcolm taking the throne. As for power Macbeth has become the king of Scotland, the king is the pinnacle of the mortal level in the great chain of being, this power has led Macbeth to do countless crimes in order to keep it, this was all Macbeth’s ambition but when he got engulfed in it it was the beginning of his downfall.

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Whereas, Lady Macduff encouraged her family to be loyal to King Duncan and to his sons, the rightful rulers of Scotland. Lady Macduff is a strong and a loving mother. After her conversation with Ross, in which he tells her that Macduff has fled the country, we see her close relationship with her son when she tells him; because she is furious that Macduff has left them alone, that his father is dead. Even though she doesn’t believe her husband is a traitor. We see her devotion to Macduff when asked by the murders where he is she replies; “I hope, in place so unsanctified, Where such as thou may’st find him.”

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755 Words | 4 Pages

In act 4 scene 1 Macbeth orders for the murder of macduff's entire family. In act 4 scene 2 the murders take place, and in act 4 scene 3 macduff hears of his family's slaughter. It is then, when it dawns on the reader the true extent of Macbeth's cruelty. He thinks it fit to murder people who play no part in his war for power, simply because it will send a message to those who oppose him. His id allows him to commit such atrocities remorselessly because it has overpowered his ego and superego.

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974 Words | 4 Pages

“The castle of Macduff I will surprise; seize upon Fife; give to the edge o’ the sword his wife his babes, and all the unfortunate souls” (4.1. 165-167). This shows Macbeth’s complete disregard for human life and his willingness to commit crimes to maintain his power. He sees Macduff as a significant threat and is willing to do whatever it takes to eliminate him, including murdering Macduff’s wife and children. His ambition has consumed him, and he has lost touch with morality or compassion.

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1434 Words | 6 Pages

Lady Macbeth is a power-hungry woman, and she succeeds that through her husband. She encourages and provokes him to kill others, while slowly deteriorating due to the guilt in her conscience. At the beginning of the epic, both Lady Macbeth and Macbeth seem to be decent enough people, and therefore bring the readers to be more open to feeling compassionate and sympathetic towards them. As the poem goes on, the audience learns about how many people Macbeth is killing and how Lady Macbeth is promoting him to do this, in order to sate her need for control. The reader loses sympathy, and then ends up rooting for Macduff as he beheads Macbeth.

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Macbeth’s personality as a dynamic character changes throughout the play as opposed to a static character like Lady Macbeth, whose fixed goal is to kill King Duncan. A dynamic character allows Shakespeare to create a tragic hero, since Macbeth is of noble birth, goodwilled and transitions to evil natured and faces his downfall. The alterations Shakespeare makes for King Duncan and the events that surround his demise, reveals Shakespeare’s feelings regarding the monarchy, which serves dramatic and thematic purposes. These changes exemplify Duncan’s kingly virtues and underlines the calamitous ramifications for slaying the monarch. Shakespeare’s

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Both characters are tormented by their guilt, and they are unable to find peace or happiness in their lives. Their inability to escape the consequences of their actions led to both of their treacherous fates in this play. Macbeth is eventually killed by Macduff, while Lady Macbeth takes her own life, unable to bear the weight of her guilt any longer. Another character affected by guilt in this play is Macduff. Macduff leaves his family behind in Scotland to go to England to help overthrow Macbeth.

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922 Words | 4 Pages

Macbeth’s mental condition begins to dwindle as time goes on, starting with the murder of Duncan. At first, Macbeth is seen as a soldier that everyone aspires to be, strong, brave, and compassionate about his duties to the king. In act one scene two, Captain says, “...For brave Macbeth-well he deserves that name-...” This shows that he is a likeable person who has only the objective of serving his king. After meeting with the witches and hearing his prophecy, Macbeth starts to think about what it would be like to be king of Scotland.

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In Macbeth, the main character is viewed as a generally good character but as the story progresses his personality changes as a result of what he was told would happen. The way Macbeth starts to feel about others around him also changes. In the beginning of the story, Macbeth’s feeling of guilt was not as great as the middle of the story where he committed most of his treacherous deeds. In Act One when Macbeth was first approached by the witches he never really thought about killing the king.

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897 Words | 4 Pages

In the end, Macbeth’s extreme ambition and self-confidence leads him to an untimely death at the hands of Macduff. Although some may argue that minor characters do not affect

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Lady Macbeth’s strong character portrayed in Act I Scene V creates suspicion of dark events later in the play. In the play, Macbeth by William Shakespeare, Lady Macbeth reveals her true character in her speech and foreshadows King Duncan’s death. Throughout her speech, Lady Macbeth reveals her lust for power and desire to kill Duncan to become queen. Although Lady Macbeth’s character is recently introduced into the play, she reveals her true self as a sadistic and covetous person which foreshadows the murder of King Duncan and Macbeth’s prophesied future.

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1021 Words | 5 Pages

The Tragedy of Macbeth incorporates character development to present William Shakespeare’s motive; throughout the play it allows the audience to see the message the play relays. The play is a tragedy and it specifically shows the tragedy of humans as they self destruct. There is a use of literary devices to create different aspects of each character allowing them to portray different images of themselves that wouldn’t be noticed initially. Compared to how the audience views each character in the beginning of the play, the image develops into something new as different aspects are revealed. The characters and their continuous changes become the essence of the play.

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624 Words | 3 Pages

Lady Macbeth wasn’t involved in the death of Macduff’s family, yet she still feels the guilt for his losses: “The Thane of Fife has a Wife. Where is she now? What will there hands we’re be clean? No more o’ that. You mar all with this starting.

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1013 Words | 5 Pages

When Lady Macbeth is compared to Lady Macduff, they are very different. Lady Macduff embodies what motherhood should look like and she does not invest her time creating evil plots to kill other people. Whereas on the other hand, Lady Macbeth, not as bound to household duties, she sharpens her knowledgeable capabilities for the use of her own and the power which she holds. This is a very untraditional and unnatural factor that a woman would hold. Lady Macbeth also is seen as the more dominant role in the Macbeth marriage.

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