Macbeth Temptation Analysis

Improved Essays
The Evil Temptation In Shakespeare’s Macbeth (1623), the reader learns about the main character Macbeth, who is doomed to face a tragic fate due to his greedy ambition of wanting to become king of Scotland. In the play, he appears to be an overall reprehensible man, however, there were many factors that motivated him to engage in such heinous acts – including murder and regicide to name a few – in order to fulfill his ambition. Although his nefarious deeds may show that he is a terrible human being, Macbeth indeed revealed moral qualities and was an unfortunate victim of temptation given that external influences incited him to pursue his desire with unforeseen negative consequences that lay ahead of him.
From the start of the play, one
…show more content…
Such negative effects seen in Macbeth include being mentally unstable and feeling constantly anxious because he was hallucinating imaginary-figures that were never physically present (e.g. the flying dagger and ghosts). Essentially, one price he paid was dealing with a schizophrenic-like mental condition. For all that was worth about listening to the witches was that they were right about Macbeth’s succession to the crown, but at what cost? Their prophecy was too ambiguous that it never occurred to Macbeth to realize nor fear the price he would have to pay for his desires – namely, his own life. Due to his tyrannical and unethical actions, this set him up as a target for murder – how ironical. The readers find out that just as Macbeth perpetrated regicide when he killed Duncan, was the same way that Macbeth died – Maduff defeated Macbeth, restoring Scotland to Malcolm.
Clearly, Macbeth was not demonic nor a monster, but a victim of temptation who was indisputably influenced by malignant characters and provoked by his own egotistical ambition. Moreover, he was initially a noble soldier with moral integrity, and despite of his unethical actions, he still showed his sense of ethics through his guilt of his murderous acts. Otherwise, if Macbeth was truly a monster he would manifest no remorse nor troubling-like

Related Documents

  • Decent Essays

    ‘Macbeth’ looks at the devastation that can occur when ambition oversteps its good boundaries. The attraction that ambition causes plays a key factor in Macbeth and Lady Macbeth’s decision to kill Duncan, and begin much of the action of the play. Ambition is the main driving force of the play. Ambition is struck into Lady Macbeth by the prophecy, Lady Macbeth’s desires for her husband inspire ambition within him. It is the corrupting influence of “vaulting ambition” that transforms Macbeth from a good and great man into a cruel murderer.…

    • 90 Words
    • 1 Pages
    Decent Essays
  • Improved Essays

    It is a natural human inclination to achieve success; however, any desire in excess can become a destructive force. This is what happened to William Shakespeare’s tortured protagonist Macbeth in one of the Bard’s most unsettling tragedies. Although Macbeth’s ambition initially appeared to be typical of a soldier’s need to succeed and receive recognition from his leader, it would eventually take over his life, obliterate his conscience, and transform his character from hero to villain. Macbeth was clearly his own worst enemy, but there were others in his life who contributed to the orchestration of his downfall. The witches and his equally ambitious wife fed his ego and whetted his appetite for power.…

    • 253 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Decent Essays

    In William Shakespeare’s drama Macbeth, the protagonist Macbeth is corrupted by his ambition for power. He becomes callous, assertive, and loses his morals. William Shakespeare’s use of imagery, metaphors, and characterization illustrates Macbeth’s perversion from his ambition for power, revealing the larger theme of ambition as a transforming poison.…

    • 49 Words
    • 1 Pages
    Decent Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Macbeth is one of Shakespeare’s well-renowned plays that centralizes on a king’s struggle with guilt and, ultimately, the road to his demise. Although Macbeth was known for being a man of bravery and honor, Shakespeare utilized a plethora of literary devices to showcase that his ambition had overcome his state of mind. In Macbeth, Shakespeare used strong dynamic characters, significant motifs, and powerful soliloquies to develop the theme that the ultimate desire for power has the capability to tempt even the most noble men to be driven to corruption. To begin with, Shakespeare uses a strong dynamic character to develop the theme that the desire for power can cause noble men to become corrupt. In Act 1, Macbeth concluded that the key to the…

    • 1173 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Out of fear, Macbeth has Macduff’s family killed because after he receives the witches’ prophecies. Following that act, he suffers with the guilt of his decision as he debates whether or not he should battle a man who now has no family. After the Thane of Cawdor sends for Banquo and Fleance to be killed, he endures intense feelings of remorse and also hallucinates because he realizes that it is his fault that Banquo will not be attending the banquet. Finally, the most evident example of Macbeth’s mental deterioration is when he kills King Duncan and he begins to see images that are not there. In addition, he stops sleeping, and he refuses to accept responsibility for what he has done.…

    • 1192 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Macbeth is a play written by William Shakespeare about a “dead butcher and his fiend like Queen” (5.8.82). In the beginning of the play, the main character Macbeth is a noble war hero who is honest and morally upright. Macbeth is then introduced to a group of evil witches who begin to play psychological mind games on him, which eventually lead to his destruction. The major causes of Macbeth’s downfall are hubris, errors in judgement, and forces beyond his control. One character flaw Macbeth possesses is Hubris.…

    • 1229 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Lady Macbeth was affected by Macbeth's motivation to be king and cause her to think that “these hands ne’er be clean[,] no more” (V.i.40) because of everything that had been done. Macbeth’s motivation to kill Duncan because himself harm initially when he had finished killing Duncan, because, he would “go no more:”(ll.ii.65) and was “afraid to think what [he] [had] done,”(ll.ii.66) and he couldn’t go back to face what he had done. This created a motivation to never be caught with what he had done. Macbeth harmed himself by following his motivations and harmed Lady Macbeth. Macbeth harms the people around him by spreading fear throughout everyone by killing people who know too much information about the Macbeths.…

    • 702 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    In life there are many events that can manipulate the human mind and lead people to do corrupt things in order to achieve the power of success they desire. Throughout literature the theme of passion versus responsibility is always recurring. This conflict is present in Shakespeare play, Macbeth demonstrates how passion versus responsibility can affect not only the individuals, but also everyone else. Mary states that Macbeth provides a starting point for of Shakespeare 's teaching about tyranny and the limitations to human desire (McGrail 1). Stating that Macbeth fate leads to an unexpected love for honor.…

    • 868 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    Sharing his plan with Lady Macbeth, the would-be queen, shows he hoped “it would find welcome lodgement with her,” and she would encourage his greed for more power (Flathe 2). Realizing it is against his morals, Macbeth tries to back out of the murder plan but he is “charged with cowardice” by Lady Macbeth (Richardson 1). She scolds him for being too frightened to achieve his goal to become king and not being “the same in thine own act and valor as thou art in desire” (1.7.40-41). This accusation spurs his ambition and his greed, so he murders Duncan, knowing the prophecies are on his side. By committing this crime, Macbeth destroys a bond with a parent-like figure and violates the “powers of [his] own superego, or conscience” (Reid 5).…

    • 1131 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Decent Essays

    In the story of “ Macbeth”, Macbeth was driven by ambition. He didn't care what he had to do or who he had to hurt to get what he wanted. Macbeth kills the king. Later on he started to have guilty conscious. He started going crazy and not doing so good.…

    • 358 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Decent Essays
  • Improved Essays

    It led him to become power hungry, greedy, violent and to commit regicide and murder. At the beginning of the play he is portrayed as an honourable, well respected, admirable warrior “for brave Macbeth - well he deserves that name”. However, as the play progresses, he becomes morally corrupt due to his lust and ambition for power, this is evident in his choice of actions, such as his…

    • 949 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Macbeth Good Vs Evil

    • 792 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Immediately following the death of Duncan, Macbeth fell into a trance fueled by his realizations of the crimes he committed and in his statement that, “I had most need of blessing, and “Amen” stuck in my throat.” (II.ii.32-33) he expresses that he knew of his wrongdoings. Throughout the rest of the tragedy, Macbeth’s guilt builds up to acting out more violently to cover any suspicions, up until the point in which his insanity drives his own wife to commit suicide. Faced with the oncoming English army led by Macduff, Macbeth faces the last moments of his misled life, confessing his guilt to his Macduff and explaining: “Of all men else I have avoided thee. But get thee back.…

    • 792 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Macbeth by William Shakespeare is a well known tale about a man whose own ambition drives him to become the murderer of anyone in his way. Following an ominous prophecy by three witches, Macbeth allows power to blind his moral character and stops at nothing to rise to the top as King of Scotland. As his plans unfold, they soon fall apart and he answers for his crime by facing extreme consequences. In William Shakespeare’s Macbeth, Macbeth is responsible for his own downfall.…

    • 1053 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    Excessive ambition and greed will change a man’s personality. The sight of blood tempts a noble person to do greedy and dishonourable deeds. Macbeth is an honourable man, having being recognized as a trustworthy and brave man by the King. The thoughts and plans of murdering King Duncan have made him guilty, however, he still continues…

    • 1592 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Great Essays

    Landy Andrianjafy Mrs. Delhove British Literature 11 December 2015 Why was Macbeth a Horrendous King? Macbeth is a British classic tragedy written by William Shakespeare. This play involves treason and how it is committed. Another theme that is mentioned is how ambition may lead to other problems.…

    • 1219 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Great Essays