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In Shakespeare's Macbeth the four major themes are greed, ambition, lust and evil. Ambition means an eager and sometimes an exorbitant desire for honor, power and a goal. It is the determination to overcome adversities to reach a certain goal. Greed is an excessive desire to acquire or possess more than one needs or desires. One is greedy when he or she is selfish. Lust is a strong inclination or desire for a certain thing.
It can be expressed in various ways. Evil is anything morally bad or wrong that has a potential to cause pain, injury or death. Anything unpleasant or villainous is admonished evil. These characteristics or qualities lead to the storys catastrophic ending.
The first theme is evil. For example, In Act I Scene 1, the Three Witches say, Fair is foul and foul is fair: Hover through the fog and filthy air. (I- 1 L 11 p. 6) If one perceives good as evil and evil as good, that person is reprobate and probably craven. A person that is covered in sin is on the verge of mental destruction. The line vastly demonstrates the Witches selfish disdain for good. The line also forespeak's about the characters real natures.
In the story we discover that the characters are not who they really are. Macbeth is ambitious yet a moral coward that fears his acts and consequences. Macbeth would not have murdered Duncan and cover himself with sin, unless Lady Macbeth indoctrinated him. Although, Macbeth was a courageous general, he transformed into a craven murderer who would vastly suffer self-depravity.
Macbeth and his wife possessed quite admirable qualities at first, yet after various murders it led to their downfall. The second theme is lust. For instance, Macbeth demonstrates lust that he possesses to be king after he is entitled Thane of Cawdor. MACBETH: [Aside] Two truths are told, As happy prologues to the swelling act Of the imperial theme. -- I thank you, gentlemen. [Aside] Cannot be ill, cannot be good: if ill, Why hath it given me earnest of success, Commencing in a truth? I am thane of Cawdor: If good, why do I yield to that suggestion 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 yet is but fantastical, Shakes so my single state of man that function Is smother'd in surmise, and nothing is But what is not. (I- 3, L 123 - 128, p. 24) A person is having horrible imaginings about things that he wants; when he witnesses the supernatural prophecies become all of a sudden true. Everyone usually acquire confusion towards things when they see or feel something sudden and irrational. In Macbeth, the protagonist reveals a great deal of confusion. After, Macbeth murders Duncan; he becomes hysterical and frightened of the consequences. He begins to have horrible imaginings and superstitions. The third theme is ambition.
In addition, in Act 1 Scene 7, Lady Macbeth states, Lady Macbeth: Was the hope drunk Wherein you dress'd yourself? hath it slept since? And wakes it now, to look so green and pale At what it did so freely? From this time Such I account thy love. Art thou afeard To be the same in thine own act and valour As thou art in desire? Wouldst thou have that Which thou esteem " st the ornament of life, And live a coward in thine own esteem, Letting 'I dare not' wait upon 'I would, ' Like the poor cat i' the adage? (I- 7 L 38 - 46 Page 44) She loves Macbeth profoundly and her only ambition is to help him acquire the throne of Scotland.
Lady Macbeth thinks that Macbeth will be less of a person if he does not steal the Scottish throne, se she declares him a coward for not desiring to proceed with King Duncan's murder plan. The fourth theme mostly includes hatred, bitterness, despair, exhaustion, and hopelessness. For example in Act V Scene 5 of Macbeth, Macbeth states, MACBETH: Tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow, Creeps in this petty pace from day to day To the last syllable of recorded time, And all our yesterdays have lighted fools The way to dusty death. Out, out, brief candle! Life's but a walking shadow, a poor player That struts and frets his hour upon the stage And then is heard no more; it is a tale Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, Signifying nothing. (V- 5 Line 19) Here, Macbeth is full of despair, and he sees thinks of life as a story and of death as a natural occurrence that is to be welcomed. He has seen so much death, and caused so much pain to others that himself, that he has become numb to it.
He no longer cares about anything, and wishes to die himself. It is an enormous pressure for Macbeth, because his wife has just died and his castle is going to be charged upon. He is lethargic toward time because it is going to move so slowly to him because his wife is dead. He has hatred and bitterness toward himself because he is the one who murdered Duncan. Macbeth thinks he is covered with blood so profoundly that he desires to depart this life. In conclusion it is clear that there are many possible reasons why Macbeth may have behaved in the way that he did.
One definite reason is his inevitable ambition that leads to murder and degeneration, which later eventuality in death. Another reason is the unfounded belief of the supernatural. Macbeth believed The Witches veritable prophecies and proceeded with further crimes. In the end of the story when Lady Macbeth died, Macbeth compared life to a candle and thought of his lifes ending, for his sinful acts he would have to pay the ultimate price.
William Shakespeare wrote Macbeth in the early seventeenth century.
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Research essay sample on Tomorrow And Tomorrow Thane Of Cawdor
