Macbeth Essay, Kevin Kusayangi, P4 Asher

Throughout Macbeth, William Shakespeare imbeds in characterization to show how a man’s perception affects his actions. This becomes valid throughout the struggle of Macbeth and Lady Macbeth in achieving their position but deteriorating in the end. What the two believe of their consequences is demonstrated by Macbeth and Lady Macbeth.

Upon the meeting with the three witches who tells him a prophecy, Macbeth realizes that the prophecy predicted becomes legitimate. Macbeth develops a mentality of dependence towards the witch’s predictions; he decides to kill Duncan for his position. Also, Macbeth’s change of his perception is shown throughout the battle in the end. Due to a prophecy which stated that a man not born from a woman or a bastard will end his life, Macbeth becomes overconfident and dominating due to the rareness of the case. Upon the encounter with Macduff, Macbeth fears his own death. Macduff was torn from his mother’s wound at youth, indicating that the demise of Macbeth is predictable through the upcoming battle. However, the realization of Macduff might have cause an exaggeration of fear, which affected the actual death of Macbeth. Shakespeare emphasizes through Macbeth that, because he had an arrogant, overconfident characteristics, his title as a king became unworthy and ultimately resulted in his death.

Lady Macbeth, unlike Macbeth with his almighty feeling from the witch’s prophecies, sets a greedy, self-centered plan as to achieving a position of a Queen. She is seen to persuade Macbeth to kill Duncan by encouraging him when his mental confidence begins to fade. Also, when Macbeth starts to hallucinate, she stands up for him and make excuses. Without the consideration of factors, such as Duncan could die soon or Macbeth will eventually become the king, and trusting only her perception had overwhelmed her moral standards. As a result of her characteristic of overwhelming motivation for her narrow minded plan, Lady Macbeth had caused herself to commit suicide, a consequence close to that of Macbeths.

Macbeth and Lady Macbeths characteristics have predetermined the outcome of their lives. Macbeth strived for the reliance of the prophecy the witches provided him. Lady Macbeth became oblivious in her world of narrow mindedness. In the end, they both had become occupied with immoral characteristics that resulted from the prophecy, which ultimately caused their demise.