Edward Tyler P. 1
12/07/2011 Macbeth: Fate vs. Character
12/07/2011 Macbeth: Fate vs. Character
In Macbeth Shakespeare presents a man who perceives that a rise to a powerful fate is his due. Yet, when urged to over leap all obstacles, if he would trade his humaneness, morality, or honor to attain his goal, for all of his “vaulting ambition” he would come to nothing.
The play opens augured by the normal world split askew by lightning and cracked open with thunder, “Fair is foul, and foul is fair” (1.i), as the paradoxical forces are set loose. Amid the hurly-burly as the tragic hero quashes a revolt against their king led by the traitorous Thane of Cawdor, three eerie witches breach the earthly sphere to meddle in Macbeth’s future. With the allure of fortune tellers these diviners or designers of fate beguile the victorious general and lieutenant, Banquo, with the intelligence of what they each will be. Macbeth will be the newly titled Cawdor, not just in line for, but promised to be king hereafter. Banquo is heralded to be the father of kings. The prophecies enthrall Macbeth, though the origin is suspect, but with the delivery of his title, it rings true. Thus, the play launches its study of Macbeth’s flaws locking with strengths and frailties of the other characters, as gears in the machinery of ambition for power that drive the nobles to ill-fated ends.
Fateful messages show the characters that they bear responsibility in perception and judgment for how the threads
of fate will lie. Each must balance their external knowledge with their inner voice to judge how best to act to affect future. Notably, worthy King Duncan realizes he missed perceiving of the plotting of the betraying former Thane of Cawdor: “There's no art to find the mind's construction in the face: He was a gentleman on whom I built an absolute trust” (I. iv). Duncan confesses his naivety in judgment, but fails to honor his responsibility to protect. He derives no benefit from
this gained knowledge, valuable to prevent future usurpers. Instead, he blithely ignores the need to mind those in close proximity and heed their potential to climb, whuich can breed envy and corruption even in a good man as Cawdor was. Upon sentencing him, Duncan decries: “No more that thane of Cawdor shall deceive, our bosom interest pronounce his present death, and with his former title greet Macbeth.” In bold ignorance King Duncan brays, “What he hath lost noble Macbeth hath won” (I. ii). This resonates in multiple ironies as Macbeth will be heir to the honor of the title, but also will become heir to the treachery that he will drive to its murderous end.
As well, noble Macduff is fated to dispatch Macbeth and restore divine rule back to Scotland in the rightful Prince Malcolm. He is himself the puzzling solution to the riddle that no one “born of woman” can overcome Macbeth. As he is not of natural birth but by Cesarean, he can act the executioner of Macbeth and, inversely, his act as savior of the realm. Ironically, he is not able to put first, morally, what he should, naturally, to protect his own wife and offspring born of her. To her distress, Macduff rushes off to restore the royalty not honoring the responsibility for their safety. He pays the horrific cost for not listening to his deepest humaneness. Macbeth takes his stab at Macduff's high mission using his absence to have Macduff’s undefended wife and all his “babes” slaughtered. This serves to motivate Macduff to the highest righteousness in his vengence giving him the supreme force to fullfill his prophecy.
To Banquo's credit, he assesses that the entities, who Macbeth trusts as oracles, are deceptive, tempting interlopers from an ephemeral dimension, “the earth hath bubbles, as the water has and these are of them” (II. iii). As they vanish Banquo appears too wise to swell from their flattering reading, but he has also drawn them out, greedily relishing his grandiose hopes. The prophecy kindles the alchemy of ambition in both of them. Banquo should have tried to counsel with Macbeth as trusted cohorts, to quell their inner yearnings vying for this fortune. But he would not risk confronting him and could not confer as a conspirator in Macbeth’s aim. The prophecy is a conflict that he too is silently harboring,
as Banquo’s son, Fleance, could be usurp Macbeth. But Banquo’s own moral slide is evident. He now suspects Macbeth is guilty of Duncan’s murder to gain the throne, “Thou hast it now: King, Cawdor, Glamis… and I fear Thou play'dst most foully for't…" but he takes no action. "If there come truth from (the witches)…their verities on thee made good, may they not be my oracles as well and set me up in hope" (3.i)? He is waiting for his opportunity, not yet murderous like Macbeth, but Banquo trading his morals and quietly scheming. He sets himself up for his fall by not heeding his suspicions and not being wary that Macbeth would target them.
Macbeth's character at the opening was revered as protector of the throne. For brave service, he would have been elevated for ascension by the grateful king. But Macbeth’s flaws trap him up into regicide and advance him to outright tyranny. He is blinded by his gilded warrior fame, then considers if he could trade out his ethics to meet his urge for his sense of entitled ambition. In battle Macbeth’s violent volatility and barbaric impulse were heralded for putting down the revolt. But they are a prelude to his murderous capacity which grows to serial killing, as each one becomes easier for him. However the image of murdering the king when it arises in him, is abhorrent, “Are less than horrible imaginings: my thought, whose murder yet is but fantastical, shakes so my single state of man that function is smother'd in surmise, and nothing is but what is not" (1.iii). Macbeth was trying to salvage the grains of goodness within him as he decries that he won’t participate in murder to Lady Macbeth: “I dare do all that may become a man; who dares do more is none” (II. iv).
Finally, it is in the interplay with Lady Macbeth that his warrior morals are transmuted. A hardened general, but the
man Macbeth is completely malleable under the searing assessment of his wife. She may have had more to do with forging his ambitious drive as she fears that he still may not be formed of the right stuff for action, “Art thou afeard to be the same in thine own act and valour as thou art in desire? Wouldst thou have that which thou esteem'st the ornament of life, and live a coward in thine own esteem, letting 'I dare not' wait upon 'I would '” (1.vii). He is completely manipulated and thus transformed when she emasculates him for hesitancy to kill the king. By virtue of his previous definition of manhood he loses his here, marking the beginning of the end as he acts with his connection to his voice of concsience ripped from him. He suffers first in disconnection in his mind, as a hallucination arises of a dagger. His mental state is pushed to the edge as his beliefs and all he has lived for will be forfeited.
The play opens augured by the normal world split askew by lightning and cracked open with thunder, “Fair is foul, and foul is fair” (1.i), as the paradoxical forces are set loose. Amid the hurly-burly as the tragic hero quashes a revolt against their king led by the traitorous Thane of Cawdor, three eerie witches breach the earthly sphere to meddle in Macbeth’s future. With the allure of fortune tellers these diviners or designers of fate beguile the victorious general and lieutenant, Banquo, with the intelligence of what they each will be. Macbeth will be the newly titled Cawdor, not just in line for, but promised to be king hereafter. Banquo is heralded to be the father of kings. The prophecies enthrall Macbeth, though the origin is suspect, but with the delivery of his title, it rings true. Thus, the play launches its study of Macbeth’s flaws locking with strengths and frailties of the other characters, as gears in the machinery of ambition for power that drive the nobles to ill-fated ends.
Fateful messages show the characters that they bear responsibility in perception and judgment for how the threads
of fate will lie. Each must balance their external knowledge with their inner voice to judge how best to act to affect future. Notably, worthy King Duncan realizes he missed perceiving of the plotting of the betraying former Thane of Cawdor: “There's no art to find the mind's construction in the face: He was a gentleman on whom I built an absolute trust” (I. iv). Duncan confesses his naivety in judgment, but fails to honor his responsibility to protect. He derives no benefit from
this gained knowledge, valuable to prevent future usurpers. Instead, he blithely ignores the need to mind those in close proximity and heed their potential to climb, whuich can breed envy and corruption even in a good man as Cawdor was. Upon sentencing him, Duncan decries: “No more that thane of Cawdor shall deceive, our bosom interest pronounce his present death, and with his former title greet Macbeth.” In bold ignorance King Duncan brays, “What he hath lost noble Macbeth hath won” (I. ii). This resonates in multiple ironies as Macbeth will be heir to the honor of the title, but also will become heir to the treachery that he will drive to its murderous end.
As well, noble Macduff is fated to dispatch Macbeth and restore divine rule back to Scotland in the rightful Prince Malcolm. He is himself the puzzling solution to the riddle that no one “born of woman” can overcome Macbeth. As he is not of natural birth but by Cesarean, he can act the executioner of Macbeth and, inversely, his act as savior of the realm. Ironically, he is not able to put first, morally, what he should, naturally, to protect his own wife and offspring born of her. To her distress, Macduff rushes off to restore the royalty not honoring the responsibility for their safety. He pays the horrific cost for not listening to his deepest humaneness. Macbeth takes his stab at Macduff's high mission using his absence to have Macduff’s undefended wife and all his “babes” slaughtered. This serves to motivate Macduff to the highest righteousness in his vengence giving him the supreme force to fullfill his prophecy.
To Banquo's credit, he assesses that the entities, who Macbeth trusts as oracles, are deceptive, tempting interlopers from an ephemeral dimension, “the earth hath bubbles, as the water has and these are of them” (II. iii). As they vanish Banquo appears too wise to swell from their flattering reading, but he has also drawn them out, greedily relishing his grandiose hopes. The prophecy kindles the alchemy of ambition in both of them. Banquo should have tried to counsel with Macbeth as trusted cohorts, to quell their inner yearnings vying for this fortune. But he would not risk confronting him and could not confer as a conspirator in Macbeth’s aim. The prophecy is a conflict that he too is silently harboring,
as Banquo’s son, Fleance, could be usurp Macbeth. But Banquo’s own moral slide is evident. He now suspects Macbeth is guilty of Duncan’s murder to gain the throne, “Thou hast it now: King, Cawdor, Glamis… and I fear Thou play'dst most foully for't…" but he takes no action. "If there come truth from (the witches)…their verities on thee made good, may they not be my oracles as well and set me up in hope" (3.i)? He is waiting for his opportunity, not yet murderous like Macbeth, but Banquo trading his morals and quietly scheming. He sets himself up for his fall by not heeding his suspicions and not being wary that Macbeth would target them.
Macbeth's character at the opening was revered as protector of the throne. For brave service, he would have been elevated for ascension by the grateful king. But Macbeth’s flaws trap him up into regicide and advance him to outright tyranny. He is blinded by his gilded warrior fame, then considers if he could trade out his ethics to meet his urge for his sense of entitled ambition. In battle Macbeth’s violent volatility and barbaric impulse were heralded for putting down the revolt. But they are a prelude to his murderous capacity which grows to serial killing, as each one becomes easier for him. However the image of murdering the king when it arises in him, is abhorrent, “Are less than horrible imaginings: my thought, whose murder yet is but fantastical, shakes so my single state of man that function is smother'd in surmise, and nothing is but what is not" (1.iii). Macbeth was trying to salvage the grains of goodness within him as he decries that he won’t participate in murder to Lady Macbeth: “I dare do all that may become a man; who dares do more is none” (II. iv).
Finally, it is in the interplay with Lady Macbeth that his warrior morals are transmuted. A hardened general, but the
man Macbeth is completely malleable under the searing assessment of his wife. She may have had more to do with forging his ambitious drive as she fears that he still may not be formed of the right stuff for action, “Art thou afeard to be the same in thine own act and valour as thou art in desire? Wouldst thou have that which thou esteem'st the ornament of life, and live a coward in thine own esteem, letting 'I dare not' wait upon 'I would '” (1.vii). He is completely manipulated and thus transformed when she emasculates him for hesitancy to kill the king. By virtue of his previous definition of manhood he loses his here, marking the beginning of the end as he acts with his connection to his voice of concsience ripped from him. He suffers first in disconnection in his mind, as a hallucination arises of a dagger. His mental state is pushed to the edge as his beliefs and all he has lived for will be forfeited.
The terrible cost as one character yields up his humanity brings about a chain reaction of horrors that mushroom for all around him. Yet Macbeth's capitulation was to no avail, as his mind cannot withstand the knowledge of the evil he has to commit. Lady Macbeth tries to steel his nerves as she did not account that Macbeth would crack. But what she most greatly miscalculated is her own doomed, sleep-deprived mental state, which leads to her suicide. Senselessly, with huge loss, and reversal, Macbeth charges into the battle at the end of his life, eager to be the victor, the avenging soldier that he had always been. But in this closing battle he is instead reduced, reversed, and denigrated to being the same kind of worthless traitor that he had last so valiantly vanquished at the opening: “Out, out, brief candle! Life's but a walking shadow, a poor player that struts and frets his hour upon the stage and then is heard no more: it is a tale Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing.” (V.v).
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