I currently am unable to send my essay to my teacher, as a result it would be great if you guys could give my essay a grade, any feedback also appreciated
In the eponymous tragic play Macbeth, Shakespeare explores the corrosive impact of unchecked ambition and inner conflict on the human psyche, charting the protagonist’s descent from ‘valiant warrior’ to morally disintegrated ‘tyrant’. Through the use of dramatic structure, soliloquy, and supernatural elements such as prophecy and illusion, Shakespeare constructs a tragic narrative driven by Macbeth’s hamartia:his overwhelming desire for power which ultimately leads to his downfall. Set within a patriarchal and hierarchical Jacobean society, the play acts as a cautionary tale that emphasises the disruption of the natural order and divine right of kings, revealing how personal ambition, when manipulated by external forces and internal weakness, can unravel not only the self, but the stability of the state. Shakespeare intends to highlight the severe repercussion of going against religion as your guilt eventually overrides your ambition, similar with Lady Macbeth’s catharsis at the end of the play when she says ‘Out damned spot, Out I say’ which then leads to her eternal damnation.
In the beginning of the paly, we are introduced with an in-media res, as the witches underline their authoritative nature which will be taking place in the play, as they all say in unison ‘When shall we three meet again, in thunder, lightning or in rain?’ The use of the pathetic fallacy in the line higlights how the supernatural are made to be such a powerful force that they have distorted the order of the divine right of kings to be at the top of the hierarchy. This may be rather shocking a Jacobean audience as people were mostly religious at the time, and believed that God had controlled what happens in earth. Moreover, it could also be argued that this statement also foreshadows the events that will be taking place later on in the play, through the use of the noun ‘thunder’ which is heard by people, emphasises how the witches and Lady Macbeth will be emasculating and feeding Macbeth with a set of equivacations. Secondly, the use of the noun ‘lightning’ foreshadows a rare act that happens on earth, this takes place in the play as Macbeth commits regicide, which then results him to feel a sense of guilt immediately after King Duncan’s murder, as he states ‘will all great neptune’s ocean...’ Therefore, it could be argued that the regicide was the peripeteia in ‘Macbeth’ as displayed by the last noun ‘rain’ which indicates how no longer any of the characters are able to escape from the ‘tyrant’ as many other characters are killed, also foreshadowed as Macbeth states, ‘We have scorched the snake not killed it.’ Hence, Shakespeare, whom was a patron of James I, illustrates the chaos which was prevalent during 1606 due to the rise in the belief of witchcraft and how they lead to a character’s disintegration.
Later on in the act, Macbeth conveys his beliefs and how imprisoned he feels in his mind, as he believes that he is no longer in control of his brain due to the witches and his wife, Lady Macbeth. This is revealed to the audience in Macbeth’s soliloquy, as he claims to have a ‘heat-opresse’d brain’ which could imply how consequences of any thougts in distrupting the Great Chain of Being is already causing himself to no longer control his action, which could highlight how he feels guilty to turn from a ‘valiant warrior’ to have any thoughts of committing regicide when he turns paranoid due to hallucination as the states ‘Is this a dagger I see before me.’ Moreover, it could be stated that as the ‘heat’ which is applied to his ‘brain’ Macbeth is easily manipulated by the witches and Lady Macbeth, as they mould his brain for him to have thoughts that they wish for Macbeth to have as Lady Macbeth tells Macbeth to have her ‘milk for gall’ which illustrates how she wishes for her husband to have more ambition. Later on in the tragic play, Macbeth has been manipulated so much to the point that he becomes devil-like as displayed in the chremamorphism ‘something wicked this way comes.’ This highlights how Macbeth, whose name is ‘Son of God’ has transformed so much that he almost turns against not only God’s representative on earth, but also God himself, similar to the devil. Moreover, it could be stated that the witches are proud of Macbeth as they have turned him into a cruel king whom relies upon truths despite being ‘betrayed’ by ‘deepest consequences.’ Therefore, in the beginning of the play, Macbeth’s id, which is chasing his desires due to his ambition, overrules any guilt although his ‘mind is full o’ scorpions’ he is not aware of his disintegration that will occur later on in the play.
As displayed in the extract, Lady Macbeth whom is very similar to her husband, eventually is filled with guilt leading to her paranoid state of mind as she takes her own life away. This is best displayed as repeatedly states ‘Out damned spot, Out I say’ which highlights her unavoidable guilt as she no longer takes control over her mind and action. She also believes that her guilt is so excessive that even ‘all the perfumes of Arabia will not sweeten this little hand.’ She rather begings to diminish herself as a character and no longer can hold power over anyone, despite her yearning through her repetition of imperatives. Hence, Shakespeare highlights the severe repercussion that will take place in life if you do not follow the Jacobean patriarchy as she is attempts to get rid of her femininity when she orders ‘unsex me here.’ This also huglights how Lady Macbeth goes agains typical societal norms and rather tends to take control over her relationship, leading to her guilt at the end of the paly.
Later on in the extract, Lady Macbeth also states ‘Hell is Murky’ which higlights how she will be in eternal damnation for her attempts in witchraftry and following her id of becoming a powerful queen, despite having to commit regicide. Moreover, it could be argued to be her eventual anagnorisis as she realises her downfall in life, no longer being able to shape her husbands life. Later on in the act, we are also revealed Macbeth’s nihilistic viewpoints in life, as he states ‘Life is nothing but a walking shadow.’ The use of the metaphor displays Macbeth’s pessimistic viewpoints in life, as he realises that he will be murdered as he was a ruthless ‘butcher’ himself. This could also be a result of Lady Macbeth’s death, which not only heighten his hamartia, but also be argued that one of the spirits inside is ‘mind’ has been removed which causes him to transform back to his normal beliefs, as he rather tends to question his wrongdoings and feels guilty for taking place in regicidal actions through his anagnorisis in the play. Therefore, Shakespeare cleverly constructs the play similar to a greek tragedy, as the Macbeth’s are eventually imprisoned by their inner conflict leading to their hamartia and eventual death. Shakespare intends to warn the readers about the severe repercussions of taking part in any attempts to go against the Great Chain of being and could be a deterrent to the people whom were a part of the gunpowder plot against the king at the time, implying how they will also be eternally damned due to their guilt of their immoral actions later on in life.