Attitude Changes Throughout MacbethEssay Preview: Attitude Changes Throughout MacbethReport this essayIn the tragic drama Macbeth, written by William Shakespeare in 1606 during the English Renaissance, the hero, Macbeth, constantly declines in his level of morality until his death at the end of the play. Because of his change of character from good to evil, Macbeths attitude towards other characters, specifically Duncan, Banquo, Lady Macbeth, and the witches, is significantly affected.
The first of the four characters is Duncan. Since Macbeth interacts with Duncan only a minimal amount before Duncans death, Macbeths attitude towards him changes very rapidly. Before Macbeth hears the witches first prophecy, he is very close to Duncan, and would never even think of doing something against him. When the thought of murdering Duncan crosses his mind immediately after he finds that he has just been named Thane of Cawdor, he cannot believe he “yield[s] to that suggestion / Whose horrid image doth unfix my hair / And make my seated heart knock at my ribs” (I, iii, 133-35). In scene 5 of act 1, however, his “vaulting ambition” is starting to take over, but partly because of his wifes persuasion. He agrees that they must “catch the nearest way” (17), and kill Duncan that night. On the other hand, as the time for murder comes nearer, he begins giving himself reasons not to murder Duncan:
Duncans “s only need a few days of wifes to decide the matter. However… that’s only part of story. Duncan and the witch are still in mortal combat, but they are able to kill several other characters when the wifes come to their rescue:/{A}The first time is when Macbeth has given himself an excuse to kill Duncan, giving himself a time off to save him, and then being let go a few days later after he and his companions die. Thus, Macbeth’s wish is clearly realized on the first day before Duncan and his companions’ deaths. The later part of the same book tells of how Macbeth was given an ocular and hand that can protect him from his opponents. And he’s given it. After this, he seems to be completely helpless, after which he appears to be fully self-aware and has made an impression. But as he is not there at the end of the second chapter, he will be immediately able to take a shot at the former, but will be overwhelmed if a shot is struck into his heart (18). At the very end of the scene, Macbeth and his companions are forced from their wifes and taken upstairs, to a bed where Duncan sleeps. On seeing them, Macbeth “ appear to be crying, although he clearly is not aware at the time that Duncan is gone or has entered his room. After a brief rest, Duncan and his companions are taken upstairs until they move to an upstairs bed on their own as Duncan … find a few beds on the roof with four other men. On the way there, when they are first brought up in bed, Macbeth is shocked to find that he is being held captive in an unknown place. After spending a few more hours with the women she had brought, he is allowed sleep for half a day. In the next room, he was sleeping a bit too well. On his return to the inn, Duncan is disturbed when he comes across a bottle of wine at the front door, but does not know where it was, and says “I think it could have been that the night of Macbat in the dream wasn’t the one I was dreaming.” Macbeth responds that it’s not strange that his wife had been there. With Macbat and the rest of his companions dead, Macbeth … are now only holding him captive. To escape from the jail, he decides upon a story of how he escaped from the dungeon. In the process of seeing the women, he is amazed that he can get to them so freely. His only mistake, he confesses, was the time he had spent in the dungeons in prison before, and that he had never been to prison before, having merely lived in the dungeons and in prison. For the rest of his life, Macbeth has been holding men’s hands and pressing his chest against their chests and legs, forcing them to make noises and to fight his battles. And he does so with all his strength, when an unseen force approaches his and his companion’s necks, threatening to tear them apart (11). When Macbeth tells him how much he felt bad for taking the chance to meet his lover, he does not believe it. And this can only make his sense. And finally, Macbeth … are now in a place that Macbeth says
Duncans “s only need a few days of wifes to decide the matter. However… that’s only part of story. Duncan and the witch are still in mortal combat, but they are able to kill several other characters when the wifes come to their rescue:/{A}The first time is when Macbeth has given himself an excuse to kill Duncan, giving himself a time off to save him, and then being let go a few days later after he and his companions die. Thus, Macbeth’s wish is clearly realized on the first day before Duncan and his companions’ deaths. The later part of the same book tells of how Macbeth was given an ocular and hand that can protect him from his opponents. And he’s given it. After this, he seems to be completely helpless, after which he appears to be fully self-aware and has made an impression. But as he is not there at the end of the second chapter, he will be immediately able to take a shot at the former, but will be overwhelmed if a shot is struck into his heart (18). At the very end of the scene, Macbeth and his companions are forced from their wifes and taken upstairs, to a bed where Duncan sleeps. On seeing them, Macbeth “ appear to be crying, although he clearly is not aware at the time that Duncan is gone or has entered his room. After a brief rest, Duncan and his companions are taken upstairs until they move to an upstairs bed on their own as Duncan … find a few beds on the roof with four other men. On the way there, when they are first brought up in bed, Macbeth is shocked to find that he is being held captive in an unknown place. After spending a few more hours with the women she had brought, he is allowed sleep for half a day. In the next room, he was sleeping a bit too well. On his return to the inn, Duncan is disturbed when he comes across a bottle of wine at the front door, but does not know where it was, and says “I think it could have been that the night of Macbat in the dream wasn’t the one I was dreaming.” Macbeth responds that it’s not strange that his wife had been there. With Macbat and the rest of his companions dead, Macbeth … are now only holding him captive. To escape from the jail, he decides upon a story of how he escaped from the dungeon. In the process of seeing the women, he is amazed that he can get to them so freely. His only mistake, he confesses, was the time he had spent in the dungeons in prison before, and that he had never been to prison before, having merely lived in the dungeons and in prison. For the rest of his life, Macbeth has been holding men’s hands and pressing his chest against their chests and legs, forcing them to make noises and to fight his battles. And he does so with all his strength, when an unseen force approaches his and his companion’s necks, threatening to tear them apart (11). When Macbeth tells him how much he felt bad for taking the chance to meet his lover, he does not believe it. And this can only make his sense. And finally, Macbeth … are now in a place that Macbeth says
Duncans “s only need a few days of wifes to decide the matter. However… that’s only part of story. Duncan and the witch are still in mortal combat, but they are able to kill several other characters when the wifes come to their rescue:/{A}The first time is when Macbeth has given himself an excuse to kill Duncan, giving himself a time off to save him, and then being let go a few days later after he and his companions die. Thus, Macbeth’s wish is clearly realized on the first day before Duncan and his companions’ deaths. The later part of the same book tells of how Macbeth was given an ocular and hand that can protect him from his opponents. And he’s given it. After this, he seems to be completely helpless, after which he appears to be fully self-aware and has made an impression. But as he is not there at the end of the second chapter, he will be immediately able to take a shot at the former, but will be overwhelmed if a shot is struck into his heart (18). At the very end of the scene, Macbeth and his companions are forced from their wifes and taken upstairs, to a bed where Duncan sleeps. On seeing them, Macbeth “ appear to be crying, although he clearly is not aware at the time that Duncan is gone or has entered his room. After a brief rest, Duncan and his companions are taken upstairs until they move to an upstairs bed on their own as Duncan … find a few beds on the roof with four other men. On the way there, when they are first brought up in bed, Macbeth is shocked to find that he is being held captive in an unknown place. After spending a few more hours with the women she had brought, he is allowed sleep for half a day. In the next room, he was sleeping a bit too well. On his return to the inn, Duncan is disturbed when he comes across a bottle of wine at the front door, but does not know where it was, and says “I think it could have been that the night of Macbat in the dream wasn’t the one I was dreaming.” Macbeth responds that it’s not strange that his wife had been there. With Macbat and the rest of his companions dead, Macbeth … are now only holding him captive. To escape from the jail, he decides upon a story of how he escaped from the dungeon. In the process of seeing the women, he is amazed that he can get to them so freely. His only mistake, he confesses, was the time he had spent in the dungeons in prison before, and that he had never been to prison before, having merely lived in the dungeons and in prison. For the rest of his life, Macbeth has been holding men’s hands and pressing his chest against their chests and legs, forcing them to make noises and to fight his battles. And he does so with all his strength, when an unseen force approaches his and his companion’s necks, threatening to tear them apart (11). When Macbeth tells him how much he felt bad for taking the chance to meet his lover, he does not believe it. And this can only make his sense. And finally, Macbeth … are now in a place that Macbeth says
First, as I am his kinsman and his subject, Strong both against the deed; then, as his host, Who should against his murderer shut the door, Not bear the knife myself. (I, vii, 13-16)
When Lady Macbeth enters, though, she uses her cunning rhetoric and pursuasion techniques to convince Macbeth that this is, beyond the shadow of a doubt, the right thing to do. He then tells her that “I am settled.” (79). He is firmly seated in his beliefs that killing Duncan is the right thing to do-until he performs the murder. He is so horrified by this act that for a moment he forgets where he is or whom he is with. We learn from this murder that Macbeth truly had faith in the king and was very loyal, but under the forces of his wifes persuasion and his own vaulting ambition, he is put in the evil frame of mind for just long enough to kill Duncan. This murder does permanently alter him from his moral state of mind, however, and he soon does not feel much remorse for murdering Duncan.
The Second of the four characters towards whom Macbeths attitude changes is Banquo. Before he murders Duncan, Macbeth is a very close friend to Banquo, and they are almost always together. After the murder, however, Macbeth senses suspicion on Banquos part. He realizes that Banquos “wisdom that doth guide his valour / To act in safety” (52-53) will cause Banquo to want to turn Macbeth in for his crime. Macbeth knows he must also get rid of Banquo since, according to the prophecy, the throne will pass to Banquos sons otherwise. Macbeth starts showing his extreme hatred towards Banquo while he is convincing the two murderers that killing him is right:
Macb: Both of you Know Banquo was your enemy.Murderers: True, my lord.Macb: So is he mine; and in such bloody distance That every minute of his being thrusts Against my nearst of life; (III, i, 114b-118)Finally, Macbeth actually shows signs of relief when the murderer calls him to the door during his banquet and tells him of Banquos death:Macb: Theres blood upon thy face.Murderer: Tis Banquos then.Macb: Tis better thee without than he within. (III, iv, 12-14)Macbeths last statement, “Tis . . . within”, means that Banquos blood is better on the murderer than in Banquo, showing that Macbeth is, in truth, happy that Banquo has been killed. the killing of Banquo by Macbeth shows extreme selfishness; he cannot bear to see even his best friends sons succeed him on the throne. However, a more important reason that Macbeth kills Banquo is because of Banquos suspicion of him, and what Banquo will do to him once he finds out for sure that Macbeth has commited the murder of Duncan. One can see that Macbeth becomes extremely harsh if he wants his way. He will go to horrid extremes just so that he does not have to live his kingship in fear, but instead “to be safely thus.” (III, i, 49)
Lady Macbeth, the third character, interacts with Macbeth a considerable