Macbeth Essay Amanda Paggao

Amanda Paggao
Period 2
Mr. Asher
8 December 2011

Characterization is used throughout the play to stress man’s perception of fate and its affects on man’s actions. Shakespeare stresses this device of characterization through Macbeth. Macbeth is first depicted as a very strong leader that has done his city great deeds. However, readers soon realize that Macbeth is not loyal and can be easily influenced. The characteristics of Macbeth make him perceive his fate a certain way, which then leads him to act corruptly.
When the witches greet him as the “Thane of Cawdor”, although Macbeth is not, he perceives this as his fate. Becoming king or the Thane of Cawdor is his perception of his fate. The witches made Macbeth believe that his fate was kinship even though Duncan was already king. Due to the fact that Macbeth was easily influenced by the words of the witches, it made him perceive his fate in a way that motivated him to perform corrupt deeds. Macbeth’s murder of Duncan led him to kinship, as he perceived his fate to be. However, Macbeth’s perception of his fate also led him to death.
Shakespeare made Macbeth a character that does not think for himself, rather a character that acts corruptly because of his perception of fate. As Macbeth goes to the witches for answers of his fate, he learns that no man born of woman can kill him. As a result, he perceives his fate to be one that is a successful and long lasting kinship. He is no longer worried that someone will take his kinship. Macbeth’s overconfident personality leads him to death. Macduff was ripped out of his mother’s womb, and therefore is the one that can and does kill Macbeth. Since Macbeth believed that his fate was to be an unstoppable king, he acted over confident, and therefore led to his death.
Macbeth’s easily influenced and overly confident personality made him think that his fate was one of wealth and perfection. Therefore, his actions reflected this and soon made him corrupt. His devious perception of his own fate led him to die. Shakespeare’s use of characterization stresses that man’s perception of fate affects man’s actions, in this case in a negative way.