... kill Duncan - "Is this a dagger which I see before me, the handle toward my hand?". This conscience is one of the main elements of Macbeth's personality which has allowed him to become part of this tragedy; perhaps if he had been less loving and loyal, and more assertive, he would have ... been able to decide for himself what he should do and be less influenced by his wife. Macbeth is a jealous man, because he is competitive, as many soldiers are. He lived in an ambitious world where power and respect are much wanted. ... This does not fool many of the Lords, and as they join Malcolm i...

• Word Count: 1168
• Approx Pages: 5
• Grade Level: High School

... our society is indicative of evil. And as A.C. Bradley said about Macbeth:" Darkness, we may even say blackness, broods over this tragedy . all the scenes which at once recur to memory take place either at night or in some dark spot." Shakespeare used symbols of darkness to describe a character that was changing ... from a valiant nobleman to a murderous tyrant. I agree with A.C. Bradley's criticism of Macbeth. The play begins in the darkness of a thunderstorm, where the three witches ... grown serpent lies; the worm that's fled Hath nature that in time will venom breed, No teeth for t...

• Word Count: 677
• Approx Pages: 3
• Grade Level: High School

... the next scene we see the witches doing things that witches like to do. Then enters Macbeth with Banquo. They spot the witches and Banquo insults them. The witches turn to Macbeth and tell him he will be king: All hail, Macbeth, that shalt be king hereafter (I iii 50). That single line is what sparks Maspeth's ... evil ambition. This is the also the point when Macbeth start to turn evil. The witches also tell Macbeth he will become Thane of Cawdor. Macbeth ... hand; yet let that be Which the eye fears, when it is done, to see (I v 48-53). In these lines we can clearly see Macbeth's des...

• Word Count: 743
• Approx Pages: 3
• Grade Level: High School

... / Which was not so before. There's no such thing. / It is the bloody business which informs / Thus to mine eyes." (II. 1. 54-57). Macbeth convinces himself to commit the crime, and proceeds to murder the King. However, immediately after he commits this horrible crime, we see that he is deeply regretful of what ... he has done. Looking at the blood on his hands, Macbeth fears that he will never be clean of it, and that it will dye all the oceans red: "What hands are here? Ha! They pluck out mine ... water will do the job of cleaning it off. Later, though, Lady Macbeth's guilt begins to s...

• Word Count: 727
• Approx Pages: 3
• Grade Level: High School

... not murder Duncan because he reminded her of her father, which proves that Lady Macbeth has a heart deep inside of her. Lady Macbeth plays and important role in this play because she provided evil, which caused Macbeth to assassinate King Duncan. "Out damned spot, out" (Act V, sc.i). After Macbeth killed Duncan, he later regrets it. As this progresses we can start to see ... the change in Macbeth's character. It was Lady Macbeth who introduced the concept of murder to Macbeth. Macbeth's ambition also influenced the downfall of his character. However, ... Macbeths ambition has not been ...

• Word Count: 436
• Approx Pages: 2
• Grade Level: High School

... king. The witches" prophecies, which predict Banquo's future as being greater than Macbeth's, cause him to fear "none but he" (3.1.54). Macbeth must then kill both he and his son, Fleance, to assure his own spot as king of Scotland. Macbeth pays no attention to morals when there is something he wants to achieve, ... and in this case his goal is to become a respected authority. With Lady Macbeth as the main driving power behind Macbeth's own will to become king, he ... commits some terrible crimes that are the exact opposite of moral. The death of Duncan is a major turning point in the e...

• Word Count: 649
• Approx Pages: 3
• Grade Level: High School

... . Also, as the play starts to progress, Lady Macbeth's wrongdoings slowly inundate her mind and she begins to contemplate about "What's to be done?- (III.II.44) By the closing scenes of the Macbeth, Lady Macbeth's weak, unsure, and unstable nature is revealed. Surprisingly, Lady Macbeth is horrified by the site of blood. "Out damned spot!- (V.1.31.) Although the blood is only a hallucination, ... Lady Macbeth nonetheless becomes hysterical, and it is quite evident that she regrets persuading her husband to kill King ... Duncan. The guilt of being involved in such a crime overwhelms Lady...

• Word Count: 429
• Approx Pages: 2
• Grade Level: High School

... other passages dealing with the symbol. Perhaps the best way to show how the symbol of blood changes throughout the play, is to follow the character changes in Macbeth. First he is a brave honoured soldier, but as the play progresses, he becomes a treacherous person who has become identified with death and bloodshed and shows ... been injured in a valiant battle for his country. In the next passage, in which the sergeant says "Which smok'd with bloody execution", he is referring to Macbeth's braveness in which his sword is covered in the hot blood of the enemy. After these few references...

• Word Count: 911
• Approx Pages: 4
• Grade Level: High School

... word "blood," or different forms of it, is mentioned forty-two times, with several other passages dealing with the symbol. To follow the character changes in Macbeth is the best way to show how the symbol of blood changes throughout the play. First he is a brave honored soldier, but as the play advances, ... injured in a gallant battle for his country. In the next passage, in which the sergeant says "Which smok'd with bloody execution," he is referring to Macbeth's stalwartness in which his sword is covered in the blood of the enemy. After these few references to honor, the symbol of bloo...

• Word Count: 818
• Approx Pages: 3
• Grade Level: High School

... go with each other. In life, blood most often represents something dirty. Most people get the shivers or cringe at the sight, or even the mention, of blood. The play Macbeth by William Shakespeare is an excellent portrayal of how blood only symbolizes filth. After each murder, the guilt of all the bloodshed increases. It also demonstrates how blood signifies guilt ... are afraid of. If someone were to see a pool of blood simply oozing through cracks of pavement out on the street, he or she would get pretty freaked out. In Macbeth, after Duncan is murdered, Malcolm and Donalbain talk of ...

• Word Count: 567
• Approx Pages: 2
• Grade Level: High School