Macbeth Essay, Lia Lohr, Asher P4

Prompt: In a carefully organized essay discuss how Shakespeare uses the device of characterization to clarify how man's perception of fate affects man's actions and drives the action forward.

In Shakespeare's tale of Macbeth, the character's actions and thoughts are driven by their perception of fate once they are told how events in their lives will unfold. In the beginning of the play, Macbeth stumbles upon three prophetic witches that foretell his rise to power and his path to becoming the ruler of many nations. Macbeth is initially unsure of the prediction, but this concept of attaining power over Glamis and Cawdor drives him to pursue his destiny.

Shakespeare characterizes Macbeth through his actions as his dynamic qualities transform him from someone of much hesitance and insecurity to a man of bold decisions and progressive insanity. Lady Macbeth hears of the witches' prophecy and pushes her husband to make his predicted fate happen by the means she thought necessary. She emotionally manipulates him to murder Duncan in order to ensure that the power is Macbeth's. Lady Macbeth tells her husband, "When you durst do it, then you were a man's And, to be more than what you were, you would Be so much more the man‚" (I.VII. 55-57). By convincing him to earn the right of his manhood by killing Duncan, Shakespeare characterizes Macbeth as easily influenced by others. Not only do the witches seem to have control of his actions in the beginning of the play, but now his wife has persuaded him to kill another man in his quest for power. His compliant reactions to these people that he views as figures of authority drives the action forward as he moves to complete his goal of ruling many nations. The progression from rational thinking into insanity for both Macbeth and Lady Macbeth are evident in Shakespeare's descriptions and what others say about the them. Lady Macbeth is guilt-ridden after the murder that permanently leaves a vision of stained blood on her hand. Although she could not predict the mental damage that the murder of another would bring upon her, it was by her perception of fate that drove her to persuade her husband to follow through with the murder. Macbeth, also driven mad by murdering the servants and Duncan, is characterized by his followers as they state that few are loyal to him and the rest have betrayed him because he has become corrupt. Although both Macbeth and Lady Macbeth slowly lose clarity of their true self, this dynamic development clarifies how their perception of fate drives them to commit such malicious actions in order to attain their goal of power.

Shakespeare reveals how easily influenced one may be when told their fate through their actions, thoughts, and how they are viewed by others. It is by such contrast of Macbeth and Lady Macbeth from their original character to how they develop into people driven by insanity and corruption that clarifies how their perception of fate drives their actions to their final downfall.