The Shakespearian tragedy, Macbeth has been said to be one of Shakespeare’s most profound and mature visions of evil. In Macbeth we find not gloom but blackness, a man who finds himself encased in evil. Macbeth believes that his predicaments and the evils that he commits are worth everything he will have to endure. In spite of this towards the end of the play he realizes that everything he went through, was not worth the crown, or the high price he had to pay of losing his wife, and finding himself alone. Macbeth is shown as a kind and righteous man in the beginning of the play. He is the Thane of Glamis, and a brave warrior among men and is highly regarded by the king of Scotland. All these traits make Macbeth great. Conversely, several factors transform this one great man into a great tyrant and a malevolent murderer. Macbeth grows great throughout the play yet in reality becomes less and less as a man. Macbeth proves that wearing a crown and having the power does not fulfill all of one’s dreams and fantasies. Being the king does not necessarily make the man.

In the first act we meet the witches and the mood of Macbeth is set-dark, gloomy, evil, supernatural- a perfect atmosphere to accompany the tragic hero. When Macbeth first meets the witches he is at the height of his moral ascendancy. He is Thane of Glamis and he just slaughtered a traitor from the Netherlands in the name of Scotland. However, Macbeth’s curiosity begins to stir when these three witches tell him of his fate.

“All hail Macbeth! Hail to thee, Thane of Glamis! All hail, Macbeth! Hail to thee, Thane of Cawdor! All hail, Macbeth! That shalt be king hereafter!” (Act 1, Sc.3 48-50)

Macbeth is already the Thane of Glamis and the audience knows that King Duncan named him Thane of Cawdor. However, the last two prophecies could not make sense to Macbeth, and what they reveal to Banquo is even more puzzling.

“Thou shall get kings, though thou, be none.” (Act 1, Sc.3 67)

A curious Macbeth yearns to know more when the witches suddenly vanish. A moment later, the prophecies prove to be true.

“And, for earnest of a greater honour, He bade me, From him, call thee Thane of Cawdor: In which addition, Hail! Most worthy Thane, for it is thine!” (Act 1, Sc.3 104-107)

Macbeth wants to test the truth by asking Banquo if he also believes that the rest of the prophecies could be true. Banquo is suspicious of the witches’ motivation to deliver the news, and therefore he dismisses it.

“But, ‘t is strange: And oftentimes, to win us our harm, The instruments of darkness tell us truths, Win us with honest trifles, to betray’s In deepest consequence.” (Act 1, Sc. 3 120-125)

Banquo’s warning is lost on Macbeth and Macbeth becomes so caught up in the contemplation of his own future, he loses consciousness of what is right and what his wrong. His beliefs, and his morals seem to be in all the wrong places. Macbeth’s thoughts turn to how the witches’ prophecies can be made good; he wants to give fate a little push. Only murder, he realizes will help him gain the crown and sit on the throne. To kill Duncan would have to be the only way and at first this thought seems horrible to him.

“Whose horrid image doth unfix my hair, And make my seated heart knock at my ribs Against the use of nature? Present fears are less Than horrible imaginings. My thought, whose murder is yet but fantastical, Shakes so my single state of man.” (Act 1, Sc.3 135-142)

However, after this contemplation about murdering Duncan, Macbeth decides that maybe fate itself will bring the crown to him.

“If chance will have me king, why Chance may crown me without my stir.” (Act 1, Sc. 3 144-146)

Just as Shakespeare would have it, to make for a good play, Macbeth’s hopes are dashed when Duncan names his son, Malcolm, Prince of Cumberland – a title, which carries with it the succession. At this point Macbeth is infuriated. Duncan’s only intension of repaying Macbeth was by going to stay at his castle overnight.

“From hence to Inverness, And bind us further to you.” (Act 1, Sc. 4 42-43)

At this stage in the play, Macbeth seems to have a pretty decent life ahead of him; Thane of Cawdor, Thane of Glamis and the king is coming over to his castle to eat, drink, be merry and spend the night. Which would be a great honor to any man. Nevertheless, Macbeth craves more. This is a turning point in the play where Macbeth begins to grow great but becomes less as a man.

“The Prince of Cumberland! That is a step On which I must fall down, or else o’erleap, For in my way it lies. Stars, hide your fires! Let not light see my black and deep desires; The eye wink at the hand, yet let that be, Which the eye fears, when it is done, to see.” (Act 1, Sc. 5 48-53)

Here, Macbeth finally decides that murder is the only way to attain his goal and satisfy his ambition.

Lady Macbeth has already received the news concerning the prophecies of the witches in a letter from her husband. Lady Macbeth doubts that her husband will be able to follow through with any sort of evil crime to gain his crown. However, she knows he would accept the crown if it was given to him unfairly. In this scene this soliloquy reveals a lot about Macbeth’s character we never really knew before.

“Glamis thou art, and Cawdor; and shalt be what thou are promised. Yet I do fear thy nature: It is too full o’ the milk of human kindness To catch the nearest way. Thou wouldst be great; Art not without ambition, but without the illness that should Attend it; what thou wouldst highly, that wouldst thou holily; wouldst not play False, and yet wouldst wrongly win…” (Act 1 Sc.5 15-22)

Here we see that Macbeth is not the trust worthy and noble man we are lead to believe in the beginning of the play. In this soliloquy, we see that Macbeth can be devious and thinks defiantly but he is too emotionally weak to actually play foully for his own purposes.

When Macbeth returns to his wife he tells her that Duncan will arrive later that day and will spend the night. The both know what must happen to Duncan in order for Macbeth to be crowned. The union between Macbeth and Lady Macbeth is set and they both devise a plan to make it seem like Duncan’s guards killed him. As it will go, Macbeth will henceforth be crowned King, and all will work out to their advantage and no one will be the wiser.

“When Duncan is asleep (whereto the rather shall his day’s hard journey soundly invite him), his two chamberlains will I with wine and wassail so convince, that memory the warder of the brain, shall be a fume, and the receipt of Limbeck only:” (Act 1 Sc.7 60-65)

In the beginning of act 2 Macbeth takes his first fall towards degradation of himself and his morals. He succumbs to his evil thoughts and kills Duncan.

“I go, and it is done: the bell invites me. Hear it not Duncan; for it is a knell Which summons thee to Heaven or to Hell.” (Act. 2, Sc. 2 62-64)

Here the climax of Macbeth’s good fortune is reached. The witches’ prophecies concerning him have been fulfilled and chance has diverted the attention from the true murderer. Macbeth has been thus far fortunate and has gone from Thane to king overnight. This raises him in status and prosperity. On the other hand, his morals and human compassion decline.

Now that Macbeth is crowned king he has gone as far in material magnitude as he can go but morally he can go lower, and he will. The idea that Banquo’s children will become future kings enrages him.

“For Banquo’s issue have I filled my mind; For them gracious Duncan have I murdered; Put rancours in the vessel of my peace Only for them; and mine eternal jewel Given to the common enemy of man, To make them kings, the seed of Banquo kings! Rather than so, come, fate, into the list, And champion me to the utterance!” (Act 3, Sc.1 64-71)

In this soliloquy we can see that the cause of Macbeth’s hostility towards his friend is fear for the present, Banquo could ruin him by revealing that he believes Macbeth killed the king, and envy for the future- Banquo’s sons will be kings. If Macbeth had been a man of cool and logical temperament, he would have accepted what he could not change. However, Macbeth’s mind is full of remorse, he is still dissatisfied, and the fact that he killed the king still haunts him. Macbeth is not in the right state of mind at this point in the play to make decisions. He has not slept due to having nightmares and he is over whelmed with all these evil wrong doings and thoughts in his head. He cannot put things in order, and killing people who do not fit into his plans, have to be exterminated for Macbeth’s own good and peace of mind. In conclusion he decides that having Banquo and Fleance murdered is the only way out.

“It is concluded: Banquo, thy soul’s flight, If it find heaven, must find it out tonight.” (Act 3, Sc. 1 140-141)

Macbeth’s scheme backfires when Fleance manages to escape from the murderers. When Macbeth learns of this he realizes the witches’ prophecies could still hold true. This ignites Macbeth’s fire to kill more. He cannot afford to have his plans backfire on him and he will have to kill more people who get into his way. He is confused and Macbeth honestly believes the only way to clear his mind is to get rid of the people who cause him worry.

“Strange things I have in head, that will to hand, Which must be acted, ere they maybe scanned.” (Act 3, Sc. 5 139-140)

“My strange and self abuse is the initiate fear, that wants hard use: we are yet but young in deed.” (Act 3, Sc. 5 142-145)

In Macbeth’s second meeting with the witches they reveal to him three conflicting truths yet again:

“Macbeth! Macbeth! Macbeth! Beware Macduff! Beware the Thane of Fife. Be bloody, bold and resolute: laugh to scorn The power of a man, for none of woman born Shall harm Macbeth. Be lion-mettled, proud, and take no care Who chafes, who frets, or where conspirers are: Macbeth shall never vanquished be, until Great Birnam wood to high Dunsinane hill Shall come against thee.” (Act 4, Sc. 1 71-94)

After this Macbeth believes he is immortal since “none of woman born” shall bring harm to him. His next move is to kill Macduff, and Macbeth orders the murders of every man, woman and child in the Fife castle. Right now, Macbeth appears to have no feeling of remorse, all that matters is himself and his own world.

Meanwhile in England, Macduff, Malcolm and other Lords are planning a revolt against the evil tyrant Macbeth. They believe he is not fit to have the kingship and they know he is putting Scotland in a terrible state.

“Alas poor country! Almost afraid to know itself. It cannot Be called our mother, but our grave; where nothing But who knows nothing, is once seen to smile; Where sighs, and groans, and shrieks that rend the air are made, Not marked; where violent sorrow seems a modern ecstasy: the dead Man’s knell…” (Act 4, Sc. 3, 164-170)

Also when Macduff learns that Macbeth slaughtered everyone he loves, Macduff develops more hate against the king, and has more passion to kill him.

“Bring thou this fiend of Scotland and myself; Within my sword’s length set him; If he ‘scape, heaven forgive him too!” (Act 4, Sc. 3 231-234)

Macbeth’s rule will soon come to an end. England’s army along with Scotland’s army will not stand for this tyranny another day.

“This time goes manly, Come, we go to the King: our power is ready; Our lack is nothing but our leave. Macbeth is ripe for shaking, and the powers above put on Their instruments.” (Act 4 Sc. 3 234-237)

Macbeth is left alone in his castle; his army deserted him, Lady Macbeth fell guilt stricken (then insane) and killed her self. Macbeth has not one person by his side, and he knows the war against him is coming. He is but a man wearing a crown, a man who committed savage crimes for the sake of his own being. Macbeth knows this; it is at this point he sinks his lowest. Macbeth still believes growing great is about being loved and having friends, growing old and being respected, and of that he has none. He realizes that the price he paid for the kingship was much to high and there was far too much to loose but now it’s too late to turn back. He will not die lonely and a coward.

“This push will cheer me ever, or disseat me now. I have lived long enough: my way of life Is fall’n into the sere, the yellow leaf; And that which should accompany old age, As honor, love, obedience, troops of friends, I must not look to have; but, in their stead, Curses, not loud but deep, mouth-honor, breath, Which the poor heart would fain deny, and dare not!” (Act 5, Sc. 3 20-28)

“I’ll fight, till from my bones my flesh be hacked! Give me my armour.” (Act 5 Sc. 3 32-33)

When the invaders come to his castle Macbeth fights the battle alone. To his own dismay he also finds out that Macduff was born of a C-section.

“Despair thy charm; And let the angel whom thou still Hast served tell thee, Macduff was from his mother’s womb Untimely ripped.” (Act 5 Sc. 8 13-16)

Alone, confused, frustrated and shamed Macbeth dies a warrior by the sword of the worthy Macduff.

In the fatal end Macbeth was called upon to pay the price for all his wrong doings. Macbeth could have been a great man. Macbeth was Thane of Cawdor and Glamis and most importantly respected by the King. Macbeth had a loving wife and a dear friend in Banquo and all this he yearned for, when he realized little to late he had it already. Had it not been for his belief in his own charmed existence and his belief in supernatural prophecies, if he had listened to Banquo’s warning, he would have never risked everything he loved, everything he had, and his own life for that crown. If Macbeth did not have so much pride in his own ambition he would have been a happy and respected man.

“I have no spur to prick the sides of my intent, but only vaulting ambition, which o’erleaps itself and falls on the other.” (Act 1 Sc. 7 25-30)

Macbeth spoke these words in the beginning of the play and it was still to early in time, for him to realize how true that really was.