Morality in Macbeth - 961 Words

Morality is the distinction between right or wrong and justice is fair treatment. However, there are competing understandings of morality and justice. In the play Macbeth, William Shakespeare presents characters that take moral actions and immoral actions. Those who take moral actions are rewarded for them while those who take immoral actions are punished. In the play, Duncan and Macbeth are rewarded for their notable actions. Macbeth and Lady Macbeth have strong ambitions that they achieve through immoral actions. Ultimately, after a tragic downfall, justice is served through punishing all responsible for immoral actions. King Duncan was an honest king favored by many. His generosity is shown when he titles Macbeth Thane of Cawdor. King Duncan proclaims, â€Å"No more that thane of Cawdor shall deceive our bosom interest: go pronounce his present death, and with his former title greet Macbeth† (Shakespeare 8). King Duncan is munificent, but gave Macbeth this title because he cares for the people of Cawdor. He is a fair KingKing since he did this for the better of the people. Morality is proven in the play after King Duncan is rewarded for his great actions. After King Duncan’s death Macbeth states, â€Å"So clear in his great office, that his virtues will plead like angels, trumpet-tongued, against the deep damnation of his taKing-off† (Shakespeare 20). King Duncan was virtuous and was rewarded by being honored and well respected by everyone including his murderer. He was veryShow MoreRelatedEssay On Social Morality In Macbeth938 Words   |  4 Pagesforward are parallel to the guises both the witches as well as Lady Macbeth undertake in order to achieve their ends. Upending against the narrative was the perceived notion that reigned within the time of Shakespeare through which public norms had enabled an extensive division between the genders took root as the social norms of the age. Through his utilization of powerful, dominant female characters, Shakespeare writes Macbeth against the social norms of the age. Within the age the play was writtenRead MoreAmbition Over Morality. â€Å"Ambition Is One Of The Ungovernable1200 Words   |  5 PagesOver Morality â€Å"Ambition is one of the ungovernable passions of the human heart. The love of power is insatiable and uncontrollable.†(John Adams) A quote such as this gives great detail to the power ambition truly has. Ambition is without a doubt a key component in Shakespeare’s play, Macbeth, that drives Macbeth to the brink of insanity, causes him to kick morality to the side, and commit unfathomable wrongful acts in order to gain power. This is shown through direct verbalization from Macbeth, contrastsRead MoreHamlet by William Shakespeare: The Three Weird Sisters1189 Words   |  5 PagesSatan. Indeed, both Genesis 3 and Macbeth are allegorical representations of man’s downfall as a result of the loss of innocence. In Macbeth, Shakespeare demonstrates that knowledge inspires reckless ambition, which, in humanity’s fallibility, is bound to suppress morality in favour of selfish desire. Firstly, the characters of the three Weird Sisters are symbolic of Satan, us ing knowledge to bring needless suffering into the world. Secondly, the character of Lady Macbeth, symbolic of Eve, becomes insaneRead MoreEssay On Supernatural Manipulation In Macbeth773 Words   |  4 PagesThe play, Macbeth, is established around the central idea that once you have completely abandoned your mind, morals, and being you lose everything you have. It is clear that the acts committed by the conflicted and mislead Macbeth, have the potential to shatter him as a mortal, such is the overall theme of Macbeth. But, when contemplating the presence of the unnatural forces in the play it is difficult to truly decipher what is meant by their intentions. The intervention of the supernatural evidentlyRead MoreMacbeth Good And Evil Essay1281 Words   |  6 Pages Macbeth Good and Evil. No one is one hundred percent good or bad, but everyone has a good and evil sides that can be controlled if the distinction between right and wrong is made. The uncontrolled ambition of Lady Macbeth that made her become evil and the deep regret that she had after the evil act was committed show that everyone has a good and an evil sides. Macbeth, by William Shakespeare, introducesRead MoreMacbeth Character Analysis1073 Words   |  5 Pagesthe Shakespeare play, Macbeth, there is a character who at first appears to be a noble and honest soldier under the reign of Duncan, but his ambition got to the best of him after hearing the three witches prophecies. Macbeths characteristics change gradually throughout the play. His lust for power is causing him to do terrible decisions that only creates guilt and paranoia for the fallen character. Shakespeare demonstrates the impact of the change of personality on Macbeth and other prominent charactersRead MoreSleep in Macbeth789 Words   |   4 PagesSleep became a very important symbol in William Shakespeare’s â€Å"Macbeth†. A major theme of the play was guilt and how it ate away at the life and personality of Macbeth and Lady Macbeth, tearing them away from who they used to be. The nightmare that their lives turned into was a reflection on their lack of sleep and inability to escape from the evils they committed. Right after Macbeth murders Duncan, he says â€Å"Now o er the one half-world / Nature seems dead, and wicked dreams abuse / The curtainRead MoreThe Classification Of Water Imagery Present Throughout Shakespeare s Macbeth Essay1134 Words   |  5 PagesShakespeare is renowned for his vividly descriptive, original, and pioneering use of imagery in many of his plays, but their effect on the audience’s understanding of his plays is most obvious in the tragedies, particularly in Macbeth. Images in Shakespeare’s works are used, according to Shakespeare critic G. Wilson Knight, to craft a play’s â€Å"atmosphere† or the permeating tone or mood of a play (3). However, this attitude between images and atmosphere creates an environment where different definitionsRead MoreTragic Circumstances, Social Pressures, and Flaws in Shakespeares MacBeth957 Words   |  4 PagesThe play Macbeth by William Shakespeare uses the genre of tragedy through the inclusion of distinctive elements of tragic circumstance, social pressures and flaws within the individual’s character. Shakespeare manipulates these features of a tragedy to evoke audience interest leaving responders with insightful thoughts about human nature such as the dangers of vaulting ambition, the fragility of human morality and the temptation of deviation from the natural order. Early in the play, ShakespeareRead MoreThe Danger Of Unchecked Ambitions1305 Words   |  6 Pagesplay, Macbeth by William Shakespeare, unchecked ambitions awakens evil within characters, allowing them to be compared and contrasted. In the beginning of the play Lady Macbeth is initially presented as a confident yet ruthless individual who lacks concern for the well being of others. Meanwhile, Macbeth, the new Thane of Cawdor is able to maintain loyalty to King Duncan but also Scotland, being a character that easily obtains sympathy from the audience. Therefore, Macbeth and Lady Macbeth can be