Macbeth Essay, Jordan Cheng, P4

In Shakespeare’s, Macbeth, the playwright develops each individual through the use of characterization. By utilizing the growth and development of each character, he is able to effectively portray man’s perception of fate which then drives the action forward.

Lady Macbeth is a prime example of Shakespeare’s character development. When she discovered the prophecy in the form of a letter, her personality began to morph and develop. As a wife of a measly thane, the thought of her husband becoming king helped drive the action forward. Although there was no guarantee that the prophecy would prove true, she then did everything necessary in order to make Macbeth king. In the case of Lady Macbeth, her faith in her actions and her naïve perception of fate, helped drive the action forward in the play. Furthermore, Shakespeare effectively created this character to be the catalyst for action. For example, even though Macbeth had second thoughts, Lady Macbeth’s faith in fate helped in keeping her husband on track to become king.

However, it is without a doubt that Macbeth’s characterization ultimately drove the story to its dramatic events. Shakespeare created Macbeth to be a rather gullible and faithful person, thus when Lady Macbeth’s influence came into play, it concocted a formula for disaster. Although Macbeth exhibited true concern for actions he would have to do, his faithfulness to his manipulative wife drove him to commit murder on multiple occasions. Finally, after Macbeth had become Thane of Cawdor and the King of Scotland, gullibility played a key role in the movement of the story. Because the prophecy had become true, his faith in fate became solidified, thus began his struggle to maintain his power. He began to kill those who threatened his throne. Eventually, he developed a sense of invincibility to these threats. This naivety brought about his downfall.

Despite the prophecy proving true, both Macbeth and Lady Macbeth’s desire to rush fate was the source of their failure. This can be accredited to Shakespeare. He created two deeply flawed individuals whose personalities and perceptions of fate drive the action forward. However, both of these characters are extremely plausible. Gullibility and faith in fate are both common character traits, thus bringing a final point. Everyone is susceptible to greed and will struggle to maintain their power.