brave macbeth essay

Bravery and Honour in Shakespeare's Macbeth Essay Example

Shakespeare first presents Bravery and Honour in act 1 scene 2 when we hear about Macbeth’s part of the Battle against Norway through reported action. Bravery is shown in Act 1 scene 2 as Macbeth is described by the captain as a courageous war hero: ‘for brave Macbeth’. The adjective ‘brave’ used to describe Macbeth is the audiences first indication of the theme of bravery that runs throughout the play. Shakespeare also uses the simile ‘like valours minion’ to imply that Shakespeare is the Servant of bravery itself which emphasizes his fearlessness and heroism. The quote ‘well he deserves that name’ not only reinforces the captain’s declaration of Macbeths bravery but also introduces the idea of honor to the play as the captain is telling King Duncan and the audience that Macbeths actions deserve honor and recognition. Honour is also portrayed in Act 1 Scene 2 when Duncan grants Macbeth the title of Thane of Cawdor ‘and with his formal title greet Macbeth’. This shows that Duncan respects Macbeth and wants to him to have the Honour of being Thane of Cawdor. This is Ironic because it creates the comparison between the old Thane of Cawdor ‘disloyal traitor’ and Macbeth which foreshadows Macbeth’s dishonor later in the play.

Macbeth’s act of treason in Act 2 Scene 1 introduces the duality of honor and dishonor in the play because Macbeth a man who the audience once saw as heroic and respectable commits the most disgraceful act that can be committed because not only is he betraying the King he is also betraying God through the Divine right of Kings. The duality is also seen between the characters of Macbeth and Banquo. Shakespeare uses Character foil between these two characters to present honor and bravery throughout the play, an example of that is when both Banquo and Macbeth had the option to commit treason to gain power. Macbeth chooses to kill Duncan ‘I go, and it is done…That summons thee to heaven or to hell’ which shows that he is willing to destroy his honour and loyalty in favour of getting what he wants despite the praise and Respect (Title of Thane of Cawdor) that Duncan has given him. Whereas Banquo despite being given the same opportunity decides that his honour and loyalty especially to the king is more important than his own ambition and desires. ‘Merciful powers, restrain in me the cursed thoughts that nature Gives way to in repose’ also shows us that unlike Macbeth Banquo is brave enough to resist the desire and Temptation.

Shakespeare also presents bravery through his portrayal of 17th century gender stereotypes and Lady Macbeth. When we first meet Lady Macbeth the idea of bravery shifts from bravery in battle like in act 1 scene 2 and instead presents us with a female character who is both physically and emotionally brave and goes completely against gender stereotypes. This is shown throughout the play, but one example is Lady Macbeths Soliloquy in Act 1 Scene 5. During her soliloquy Lady Macbeth demands the spirits ‘unsex me here’ which presents the idea that during the 1700s Women were seen as weak and fragile so Lady Macbeth wants to remove the feminine weakness from her being. Through this request that her femininity is removed the audience links masculine qualities like courage and strength to Lady Macbeth. This contrasts with the idea that Macbeth is ‘too full o’ th’ milk of human kindness to catch the nearest way’ as it suggests that Macbeth is weak willed and unable to commit treason out of cowardice. As well as this ‘milk’ creates a motherly tone and could suggest that Macbeth has been raised to be honorable rather than a murderer. This suggests to the audience that in the play Macbeth bravery is not confined to the stereotypical gender roles.

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Mr Salles Teaches English

How is fear and bravery shown in 'Macbeth'?

Turn grade 7 into grade 9.

Flattery Often Works - So Does Typing Up Your Essay!

Hi Mr Salles,

I am in year 10 sitting my English literature exam in just under two weeks. Please can you look at this practice exam question and perhaps mark it or give feedback to. I understand you are probably very busy at this time with millions of emails from very stressed teenagers- like me!

Feel free to use as an example if you want to.

The question: How was fear and bravery shown in 'Macbeth'?

The extract was Act 4 Scene 2 when Lady Macduff is speaking with Ross.

Thank you!!

P.S. never stop making videos because they have helped me go from a struggling grade 5 to a grade 7+!!!!!

‘Macbeth’ is a cautionary tale set in 11th century Scotland. Shakespeare explores Macbeth as a tragic hero, whilst using characters like Banquo and Macduff as foils for his actions. Ultimately by the end of the play, Macbeth’s hamartia results in his hubris which leaves the audience feeling cathartic.

My Comments

That’s an ok thesis statement, but so what? It doesn’t:

Tell us Shakespeare’s viewpoint in presenting Macbeth’s hamartia this way, or why he wants a feeling of catharsis in his audience.

It doesn’t use the key words of the question - fear and bravery - so it is not really answering the question.

In act 1, we are introduced to Macbeth and Banquo by noblemen during conversation. The sergeant relays happenings in the war, explaining that Macbeth ‘ unseamed ’ his victims. This verb suggests here that Macbeth has immense skill. Shakespeare uses the idea of unseaming as it correlates to the menial housework of women during the 16th century. Like the repetition of a woman's job, this is second nature to him. Therefore implying a certain amount of ease to Macbeth's work despite brutally murdering his enemy. Although as an audience we have not been formally introduced to Macbeth we can infer that he is a character who follows traditional values; such as a ruthless persona in battle.

This is an interesting interpretation of ‘unseamed’, so strong AO2 marks.

However, you are going to run out of time because you use too many words to say what you mean. Your main skill is going to be two say the same, with far fewer words.

To do this:

Chop out anything we don’t need to know for your interpretation.

Remove anything we already know from elsewhere in the essay.

Choose words which can replace a phrase.

Be as specific as possible.

For Example: Rewrite of that Paragraph

We first meet Macbeth in battle, when the sergeant tells us he ‘unseamed’ Macdonwald, which emphasises Macbeth’s skill as a warrior. This verb correlates with menial female skill in sewing, which implies how often Macbeth practises this sort of brutality. We can infer that he has developed a brave and ruthless persona in battle.

This is literally half the length, but includes all your brilliant ideas, and includes three extra words - Macdonwald, sewing and brave - to improve your context mark and directly use the words in the question. This is also an example of 4: being specific.

You should do this to each paragraph.

Macbeth and Banquo are viewed as equal. When they meet with King Duncan to discuss future plans with the war, Duncan states how he has ‘ begun to plant thee ’ when conversing with the two. The use of natural imagery with the verb ‘ plant ’ highlights how Macbeth and Banquo were given the same opportunity within the ranks but the outcome of this is in their hands. Macbeth appears to have an open-mind, acting within the interest of the crown, yet as the play continues we know this to be untrue; whereas Banquo acts with superego at all times. Only Banquo gave out a ‘ harvest ’ for Duncan whilst Macbeth did not. Macbeth’s hamartia only allows him to have a selfish ego. Duncan proudly takes responsibility for Banquo's greatness, even promoting him within the ranks to ‘ noble’ . Shakespeare used this quote here as a paraphrase from the bible. In the Jacobean era, society was devout Christian. The audience correlates this with the idea of Banquo not being able to sin, as within his society he is a respected noble man.

The single word analysis and embedded quotations really works well for high AO2 marks.

The ego and superego idea is not really relevant to your argument here about responsibility to the crown, but the examiner will possibly like it.

After learning the prophecies from the witches, Macbeth becomes fearful over his relationship with Banquo. This is because Banquo's prophecy is that he will have a ‘ long line of kings ’. Shakespeare creates irony within this idea as his audience knows that Banquo cannot commit sin whilst in later events Macbeth does, showing how he is a much more violent character. And to contrast this, Banquo should be fearful of Macbeth. Although presenting as a brave character, Macbeth now has fearful tendencies when thinking about his best friend. Shakespeare chooses to give Banquo the prophecy of begetting kings instead of being king himself as for Banquo to be king it would imply Banquo having to commit regicide, which he simply cannot do.

Also, to give Macbeth jealousy. In act 3, we see Macbeth’s anagnorisis as he realises he has a ‘ fruitless crown’ with no successor, hence at some point Banquo’s prophecy will become true. The adjective ‘ fruitless ’ conveys how Macbeth and Lady Macbeth have no children. We learn at some point that Lady Macbeth did give birth but due to complications at childbirth the baby died, but it also hindered the pair conceiving again. Macbeth expresses how he now views his efforts as worthless- with the country despising him yet also no heir- and he also confirms to the audience his fears with Banquo.

Thank you for reading Mr Salles Teaches English. This post is public. Please share it so other students can get top grades.

Often student try to show off everything they know. There is no mark for this, unless you relate it back to the question. The paragraph from ‘also’ scores no marks, as it is not related to bravery or fear (though you could easily link it to fear).

In act 4, we see Macduff’s family talking with another nobleman Ross. Macduff has fled to Scotland to join a rebellion against Macbeth. During this point in the play, Macbeth has killed Banquo so Macduff now acts as a binary character to Macbeth. Shakespeare cleverly introduces Macduff much earlier in the play, therefore ensuring his audience does not react opposingly to the character because they would not know too much about him. By Macduff fleeing it shows confidence and bravery which Macbeth otherwise lacks. He is at his optimum confidence that he can defeat the king. Yet, Macduff is going to commit regicide also, but against Macbeth who is tyrannical and murderous. Shakespeare's Christian audience would not have related Macduff with committing treason as Macbeth was an unruly king who was never supposed to reign. Macduff killing the king is viewed as a gracious act which reinstates order within Scotland.

There is a lot of showing off what you know in this paragraph, which doesn’t often link to Macduff’s bravery or fear.

I also completely disagree that Macduff shows bravery here - leaving his family behind is reckless, which is why Ross comes to warn Lady Macduff, and also why Shakespeare has them all slaughtered.

(An examiner won’t mark you down for disagreeing with you!)

To contrast the relationship between Macbeth and Lady Macbeth, Shakespeare uses bird imagery between the Macduff family as a symbol for bravery. Macduff is described to have ‘ flown away ’ by his wife who is not all too happy with this. His wife represents an idealistic wife during the Jacobean era. Shakespeare uses stereotypes to create the character of Lady Macduff. She later states that Macduff’s ‘ flight was madness’ suggesting that she is not happy with his decision. Although she does not accept the tyrannical ruler- Macbeth- she does not want to lose her husband to him in battle. This ideology is very understandable (still in modern times) that many families whose men went to war would not want to lose their loved one in battle. Here Shakespeare explores how prominent figures in society still struggle with the proposition of war.

Even though I disagree with this, it is well argued.

Far too many words to make your points!

Beware colloquial language - use the language of the expert by being specific rather than general. ‘Not too happy’ becomes ‘outraged at’.

I am delighted that you are dealing with the extract chronologically, rather than starting with it, as it means you can link it to your argument.

Macbeth’s jealousy of familial love and children leads to his hamartia. From the beginning of act 1 to the final moments of act 5, Shakespeare portrays Macbeth as a tragic hero, one whose lack of family leads to his downfall. By act 5, the audience feels a sense of pity for Macbeth as he sees all of his life destroyed. Lady Macbeth is dead, he will always be left with a ‘ fruitless crown ’.

Great ideas, but not yet related to the question - bravery and fear.

In that last battle between Macbeth and Macduff, Macbeth appears over confident as he flippantly says, ‘ thou closest labour ’ during the fight. Macbeth projects himself this way as he is still under the illusion of the witches. He believes Macduff is wasting his effort as Macbeth is told ‘ no man born of woman can harm’ him. This is until Macduff informs Macbeth that he was ‘untimely ripp’d’ when he was born, hence him not being born of a woman as he did not actually go down the birthing canal. Macbeth’s excessive pride is reflected on Macduff; although Shakespeare ensures that his audience does not hate Macduff the way they did Macbeth.

In his final moments Macbeth becomes fearful, not due to the fact he knows he will die, rather to what he has done and his memory he has left behind. He is insistent that he ‘ will not yield ’ as he would rather be remembered as a tyrant over ‘ kissing Malcolm’s feet’ . Shakespeare creates this ending as it reinforces the idea of serving the king; acting in the interests of the crown with superego at all times, and the punishment for treason. If Macbeth was portrayed as a character who was redeemed at the end then Shakespeare's play would have no purpose. Macbeth staying in the same state of mind teaches the audience the horrible consequences of practising supernatural teachings and committing the ultimate sin: regicide.

This is a very strong paragraph as it relates to the question and to Shakespeare’s purpose. These ideas would have been excellent in your thesis statement at the start!

You also get high AO1 marks for writing about the ending, as that shows you are dealing with the whole text.

Overall within his play, Shakespeare presents emotions of fear as rational; excluding Macbeth who is a static character and has selfish fear. Similarly with the theme of bravery, Macbeth conveys how hubris can lead to becoming a tyrant.

This is an interesting conclusion. Have you shown fear as rational? I’m not sure you have, or said why Shakespeare would want to do this.

It is also odd (but ok!) not to use the most obvious quotes:

I have almost forgot the taste of fears

Yet I do fear thy nature

Our fears in Banquo stick deep

For brave Macbeth (well he deserves that name)

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Brave Macbeth

Introduction.

In the typical character arc of a tragic hero, the audience must admire the protagonist for their virtues at the start of the play so we can then follow their fall from grace in the final scenes. Shakespeare satisfies this requirement by presenting “noble” Macbeth as the “brave” and loyal defender of Scotland, fighting to secure King Duncan’s throne against the rebels and foreign invaders.

In the second scene, the Sergeant, a credible witness who is “bloody” from the battle, describes Macbeth’s courage when he surged through the enemy’s lines and killed the “merciless Macdonwald”:

“For brave Macbeth – well he deserves that name – Disdaining fortune, with his brandish’d steel, Which smoked with bloody execution, Like valour’s minion carved out his passage Till he faced the slave; Which ne’er shook hands, nor bade farewell to him, Till he unseam’d him from the nave to the chaps, And fix’d his head upon our battlements.”

The protagonist’s fearless defence of Scotland is certainly awe-inspiring.

The hyperbolic image of his sword “smoked with bloody execution” epitomises his military prowess on the battlefield. His “steel” blade is so hot with killing the enemy it is almost on fire.

The wounded soldier also describes Macbeth as “brave” and “disdaining fortune”. That bold willingness to lead the army and confront the “slave” in the dangerous “hurly burly” is heroic. The parenthetical “well he deserves that name” reinforces the Sergeant’s opinion that his nobleman is someone who the audience should admire because of his qualities and not just his rank.

Macbeth is then compared to “valour’s minion”. If this a reference to the goddess Arete of Greek mythology, then the protagonist is one of her most faithful of servants. This simile suggests he is the manifestation of virtuous bravery.

Finally, Shakespeare uses a quick succession of positive adjectives in this scene to emphasise Macbeth’s personality. The epithet “brave” in this extract is then reinforced when King Duncan labels him as “valiant”, “worthy” and “noble”. The audience is positioned to see Macbeth as the brilliant hero.

The “hardy” soldier vividly describes how Macbeth “carved out his passage” to face the “merciless Macdonwald” and then brutally “unseam’d him from the nave to the chaps”, decapitated the rebel and “fix’d his head upon our battlements”. This violent presentation leaves the audience in no doubt that Macbeth utterly defeated his rival.

Shakespeare probably sourced the moment from Raphael Holinshed’s “Chronicles of Scotland”, which was first published in 1577. The historians do mention how Macbeth “caused the head to be cut off, and set upon a poles end, and so sent it as a present to the king”.

However, they had also described Macbeth “entering the castell by the gates” and discovering “the carcasse of Mackdonwald lieng dead there amongst the residue of the slaine bodies”. In this version, Macdonald committed suicide and Macbeth merely finds the corpse.

Shakespeare simply ignores these details in history book. By depicting the protagonist brilliantly vanquish Macdonald, the playwright inflates Macbeth’s bravery.

Holinshed described Macbeth as a “valiant getleman” and believed he would have be “worthie the governmet” if he had not “somewhat cruell of nature”.

The Fresh Assault

The Sergeant then describes Macbeth’s reaction to the “fresh assault” made by the King of Norway:

“Yes; As sparrows eagles, or the hare the lion. If I say sooth, I must report they were As cannons overcharged with double cracks, so they Doubly redoubled strokes upon the foe: Except they meant to bathe in reeking wounds, Or memorise another Golgotha, I cannot tell. But I am faint, my gashes cry for help”

Rather than being “dismay’d” by the “furbished arms and new supplies of men”, Macbeth and Banquo are completely untroubled.

This fortitude is clear in the comparison of the captains to “eagles” and the “lion”. These animals are fierce predators who completely dominate their territory. A docile “hare” is no threat to the majestic lion, and small and insignificant “sparrows” are no match for the “eagles”. It is worth noting that the lion remains a symbol of English monarchy and was considered, in Shakespeare’s day, the king of beasts in the concept of the Great Chain of Being. The eagle is also perched at the top of the avian primate hierarchy. Once again, the Sergeant is praising Macbeth’s immense bravery.

Confronted by this “fresh assault”, Macbeth and Banquo “doubly redoubled” their “strokes upon the foe”. The Sergeant compares them to “cannons” which are “overcharged” with gunpowder. The anachronism in this simile only reinforces their tremendous power.

The Sergeant concludes his narrative of the battle with the allusion to Golgotha. According to the Gospels, Golgotha was the hill outside of Jerusalem where Jesus was crucified. By linking the captains to the crucifixion, the Sergeant is implying they are the saviours of Scotland who are prepared to die for its people.

The Sergeant, whose “gashes cry for help”, is unable to complete the story. Fortunately, the “worthy thane of Ross” enters the stage and describes the final “dismal conflict” against Norway’s king and “that most disloyal traitor, the thane of Cawdor”.

Ross compares Macbeth to “Bellona’s bridegroom”. Since she was the Roman god of war, that makes Macbeth the god of war – Mars. By deifying the character, Ross elevates the protagonist’s bravery into the realm of myth. He is a superhero.

In the last line of the scene, the King rewards Macbeth for his bravery with a new title – the Thane of Cawdor.

By establishing the character’s great military might, Shakespeare is trying to make his inevitable downfall more dramatic and shocking.

Further Reading

Macbeth’s bravery on the battlefield is commendable. However, you should also consider Macbeth’s nobility if you are analysing the protagonist in terms of Aristotle’s concept of a tragic hero.

Witches’ Appearance in Macbeth

Noble Macbeth

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Grade 9 essay on bravery in Macbeth

Here’s a grade 9 essay on the theme of bravery in which I argue bravery is associated with loyalty and cowardice disloyalty.

It includes some useful historical context which you can weave into your essays.

If you are sitting the AQA English Literature paper tomorrow, good luck.

I hope this essay proves helpful.

Bravery and fear in Macbeth

Bravery and its antithesis, cowardice, are key themes in the play. Shakespeare portrays Macbeth at first as a brave and loyal warrior, but then as a coward. Macbeth murders his king in the manner of a coward as a result of his hamartia, which is his ‘vaulting ambition’. Although at first, Macbeth’s conscience naturally prevents him from committing regicide, Lady Macbeth is able to manipulate her husband through falsely suggesting it is only a lack of courage which prevents him from fulfilling his destiny of kingship as the witches foretell. Further, Shakespeare subtly associates bravery with loyalty and cowardice with disloyalty. And whereas bravery leads to honour and success, cowardice and treachery, although they may lead to power in the short term, ultimately, lead to ruin. Namely they lead to the ruin of Macbeth and Lady Macbeth who both suffer from the tragic flaw of ambition.

Our first introduction of Macbeth comes through one of Duncan’s captains recounting his heroic and brave deeds on the field of battle. In this exchange between Duncan, his son, Malcolom, and the Captain, the association between bravery and loyalty is firmly established. Malcolm addresses the Captain as ‘brave friend’, and the Captain likewise bestows the epithet of ‘brave’ on Macbeth, ‘But all’s too weak:/ For brave Macbeth (well he deserves that name)’. These are men who have fought for their king and won him victory, so they are presented as loyal and valiant. Macbeth is ‘Valour’s minion’. Valour is personified or presented as a deity and Macbeth is Valour's favourite. Further, no words (‘But all’s too weak’) can capture how courageous he is on the battlefield. The recount of Macbeth’s heroic deeds before the introduction of Macbeth and the bombast used to capture Macbeth’s impressive feats on the battlefield unseaming and then decapitating the ‘merciless Macdonald’ depict Macbeth as a brave warrior of legendary renown. Shakespeare through personification of Valour, hyperbole and bombast firmly establishes Macbeth as brave. This presentation then makes Macbeth’s murder of Duncan and his downfall all the more dramatic. Macbeth’s character arc takes him from the most loyal and brave of all the king’s soldiers to the most villainous traitor and a ‘butcher’: a cruel, murderous tyrant. 

When the witches then prophesize Macbeth will become king, it is ironic that his mind goes to contemplating the murder of Duncan. Because while it may be implied, ultimately the Weird Sisters words are equivocal. They do not advise Macbeth to murder Duncan or even suggest that is the natural progression or course to secure kingship. It appears the notion of murdering Duncan leaps to Macbeth’s mind after the Third Witch cries ‘All hail Macbeth, that shalt be king hereafter’, because Banquo asks ‘Good sir, why do you start and seem to fear/ Things that do sound so fair?’ Banquo's words imply Macbeth’s facial expression is anguished, and he does not understand why, which suggests the notion of murdering Duncan does not come to his mind and neither does he suspect Macbeth thinks of murdering Duncan.

However, it is evident in Macbeth’s aside later in which Shakespeare provides us access into Macbeth’s private thoughts that the ‘horrid image’ is the murder of Duncan. This brings Macbeth’s loyalty immediately into doubt, especially as he keeps these thoughts hidden. Macbeth’s own thoughts and ruminations directly contradict the public presentation of him as loyal. And although Macbeth is horrified by his own thoughts as his ‘seated heart knocks at [his] ribs’, Shakespeare foreshadows how Macbeth’s ambition may prove too strong: his loyalty and conscience will be defeated by his ‘vaulting ambition’. Shakespeare also suggests that while one can typically trust a valiant kinsman who proves their worth on the battlefield, it is not always the case that those who show ‘valour’ will be loyal. 

Shakespeare also foreshadows Macbeth will kill Duncan and become a traitor through his structuring of the play: we see Macbeth immediately replace the Thane of Cawdor after the witches' prophecies, and his betrayal is further hinted at through Duncan’s lament. Duncan laments that you cannot trust someone by their appearance. The Thane of Cawdor was ‘a gentleman whom [he] built an absolute trust’ he says, and this lament, in light of Macbeth’s aside previously, hints that Macbeth will also ironically betray Duncan. Duncan once more will suffer from his own trusting nature. 

Shakespeare presents Macbeth as worthy to succeed The Thane of Cawdor for his valour on the battlefield, but perhaps inwardly undeserving for his evil ruminations which he fails to suppress and then later shares in a letter with Lady Macbeth. Macbeth’s private thoughts are inconsistent with his public image. As Shakespeare wrote Macbeth after the gunpowder plot, an assassination attempt on King James I, Shakespeare is perhaps suggesting to the king and the public at large that they should be wary of judging people at face value. Shakespeare lived in a time that was rife with treason with discontent Catholics eager to supplant James with a Catholic monarch, returning England to Catholicism. King James I like Duncan must be careful with whom he builds trust. 

Indeed Macbeth is a play which can be read as an allegorical story in which regicide disrupts the natural order of being and leads to ruin. When Macbeth later tries to embolden himself to murder Duncan, his conscience prevents him from going through with the evil ‘deed’. While it might be tempting to interpret Macbeth as lacking courage as Lady Macbeth suggests, it is not a lack of courage but his sense of loyalty and his conscience which prevent him from regicide. Macbeth in his own private ruminations notes Duncan arrives at his castle in ‘double trust’, as his ‘kinsman’ and ‘host’. And that he should protect Duncan, ‘not bear the knife [himself]’. Macbeth’s soliloquy makes it clear that Macbeth is aware that his actions are doubly treacherous. As he plans to murder Duncan in his sleep, in which he should feel safe under Macbeth’s protection, in the castle he has bestowed upon Macbeth, Macbeth’s murder is not just evil but also the way of a coward. 

This is why in the next scene in response to Lady Macbeth’s accusation that he is afraid to be the same in action as he is in desire he replies tersely, ‘I dare do all that may become a man/ he who dares do more is none’. The implication in Macbeth’s reply is clear: it is not manly to kill a man while they sleep–let alone one’s own king. To kill Duncan in his sleep requires some courage of will, but it is not the bravery or the valour which defines Macbeth in the opening. It is instead an act of cowardice which would make him less of a man or not a man anyone would respect. It is brave to grapple and kill on the battlefield, but it is cowardice to murder someone who is unguarded in ‘double trust’ while they are asleep.

After Macbeth murders Duncan in his sleep, he then ironically suffers from sleeplessness. And the motif of sleeplessness reminds us that a guilty conscience is one which cannot rest or sleep easily. Shakespeare signposts clearly the spiritual and psychological consequences of regicide. Spiritually Macbeth is damned to hell as he hints when he feels he can not utter the word ‘amen’ after murdering Duncan. Psychologically his mind is ‘full of scorpions’, a metaphor suggesting he is constantly fearful and paranoid. And his conscience won't let him sleep. This is foreshadowed shortly after murdering Duncan when he hallucinates a voice crying, ‘Sleep no more. Macbeth has murdered sleep.’ It is reasonable to assume a lack of sleep then exacerbates Macbeth’s paranoia and causes him to become more and more villainous.

We later see Lady Macbeth afflicted with a fretful waking hallucination and glimpse into her tortured dreams. She too is punished for her treachery and cowardice through her fretful sleep. There is further irony also in the scene with Lady Macbeth’s hallucination because she cannot wash a spot (blood) clean from her hands. ‘Out, damned spot!’ she cries. It is implied that in this moment Lady Macbeth is reimagining the blood on her hands from murdering Duncan, and her frenzied cries remind us of Macbeth’s lament and hyperbolic cry ‘Will all great Neptune's ocean wash this blood clean from my hand?’ The subtext in the scene observing Lady Macbeth’s night terror is that she was naive to suggest to Macbeth ‘A little water clears us of this deed’. It won’t. The guilt produced by this act of cowardice will torture the mind with waking hallucinations.

Shakespeare makes a clear distinction between the bravery needed to hack one’s enemy to pieces on the battlefield, and the barbarism of slaying one’s own kinsman. While Macbeth appears to feel no remorse for the murder of his enemies such as the ‘merciless Macdonald’ whom he kills savagely, he is utterly racked with guilt and haunted by murdering his king. Whereas his savagery on the battlefield received plaudits and titles, the murder of Duncan brandishes Macbeth as an evil traitor. A traitor for committing an act so abhorrent that it can only be hinted at through the innuendo of ‘deed’. Eventually Macbeth dies a traitor and becomes a foil to Macduff and ironically Macduff slaying Macbeth mirrors Macbeth slaying Macdonald. The play starts and ends with a loyal and brave warrior defeating a disloyal and villainous warrior.

Further, Shakespeare suggests the great chain of being is restored: Malcolm, Duncan’s rightful heir to the throne according to the principle of primogeniture, the established form of succession in the Jacobean era, succeeds Macbeth. Once again, a king who has the divine right to rule sits on the throne and it is suggested he will restore harmony to Scotland. This would have appeased King James, Shakespeare’s patron, who was both king of Scotland and England, who wanted to rule without conflict. Malcolm who appears far more temperate and peaceful, certainly more than the ‘butcher’ Macbeth, and more akin to King James, inherits the throne. And this would have sat well with King James, the play ending with a traitor and a coward laid low, and a rightful heir taking the crown.

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Macbeth and Violence — Example A Grade Essay

Here’s an essay on Macbeth’s violent nature that I wrote as a mock exam practice with students. Feel free to read and analyse it, use the quotes and context for your own essays too!

It’s also useful for anyone studying Macbeth in general, especially with the following exam boards: CAIE / Cambridge, Edexcel, OCR, CCEA, WJEC / Eduqas.

Thanks for reading! If you find this resource useful, you can take a look at our full online Macbeth course here . Use the code “SHAKESPEARE” to receive a 50% discount!

This course includes: 

• A full set of video lessons on each key element of the text: summary, themes, setting, characters, context, attitudes, analysis of key quotes, essay questions, essay examples
• Downloadable documents for each video lesson 
• A range of example B-A* / L7-L9 grade essays, both at GCSE (ages 14-16) and A-Level (age 16+) with teacher comments and mark scheme feedback
• A bonus Macbeth workbook designed to guide you through each scene of the play!

For more help with Macbeth and Tragedy, read our article here .

THE QUESTION

Starting with this speech, explore how far shakespeare presents macbeth as a violent character. (act 1 scene 2).

Debate: How far is Macbeth violent? (AGREE / DISAGREE)

Themes: Violence (break into different types of violence)

Focus: Character of Macbeth (what he says/does, other character’s actions towards him and speech about him)

PLAN — 6–8 mins

Thesis – Shakespeare uses Macbeth to make us question the nature of violence and whether any kind of violent behaviour is ever appropriate

Point 1 : Macbeth has an enjoyment of violence

‘Brandished steel’ ‘smoked with bloody execution’

‘Unseam’d him from the nave to’th’chops’ ‘fixed his head upon the battlements’

Context — Thou shalt not kill / Tragic hero

Point 2 : Macbeth is a violent character from the offset, but this violence is acceptable at first

‘Disdaining Fortune’ ‘valiant cousin/ worthy gentleman’

‘Worthy to be a rebel’

Context: Divine Right of Kings / James I legacy

Point 3:  The witches and Lady Macbeth manipulate that violent power

‘Fair is foul and foul is fair’ ‘so foul and fair a day I have not seen’

‘Will these hands never be clean?’ ‘incarnadine’

‘Is this a dagger I see before me?’

Context: Psychological power — Machiavelli / Demonology

(Point 4) Ultimately, Macbeth is undone by violence in the end

Hubris — ‘Macduff was from his mother’s womb untimely ripp’d’

‘Traitor’ ‘Tyrant’

‘Life is a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing’

Context: Violence for evil means is unsustainable, political unrest equally is negative and unsustainable — support James

Macbeth is certainly portrayed as a violent character from the offset, but initially this seems a positive trait: the Captain, Ross and others herald him as a great warrior, both an ally and valuable asset to Duncan and his kingdom. Furthermore, Duncan himself is overjoyed at Macbeth’s skill in battle. Yet, as the play progresses and Macbeth embarks upon his tragic fall, Shakespeare encourages us to question the nature of violence itself, and whether any kind of violence is truly good. Ultimately, Shakespeare demonstrates that Macbeth’s enjoyment of violence works against him, as it is manipulated by the evil forces at work in the play, and it ends in destroying not only himself but his entire life’s work, reputation and legacy.

Firstly, Macbeth is established as a character who embraces violence, though he uses it as a force for good in the sense that he defends Duncan and his Kingdom against traitors and the King of Norway’s attack. In the play, it is interesting to note that Macbeth’s reputation precedes him — despite being the central focus of the tragedy, we do not meet him until Act 1 Scene 3, and so this extract occurs before we have seen the man himself. The Captain’s speech begins with the dramatic utterance ‘Doubtful it stood’, creating a sense of tension and uncertainty as he recounts the events of the battle to Duncan and the others. Yet, the tone of the speech becomes increasingly full of praise and confidence as he explains how Macbeth and Banquo overcame ‘Fortune’, the luck that went against them, and their strong willpower enabled them to defeat ‘the merciless Macdonwald’, the alliteration serving to underscore the Captain’s dislike of the man, while the adjective ‘merciless’ implies that the traitor himself was also cruel and violent. The sense that Macbeth enjoys the violence he enacts upon the traitor is conveyed through visual imagery, which is graphic and quite repellent: ‘his brandish’d steel… smoked with bloody execution’ and ‘he unseam’d [Macdonwald] from the nave to th’chops’. The dynamic verb ‘smoked’ suggests the intense action of the scene and the amount of fresh blood that had stained Macbeth’s sword. Furthermore, the verb ‘unseam’d’ suggests the skill with which Macbeth is able to kill — he does not simply stab the traitor, he delicately and expertly destroys him, almost as if he’s a butcher who takes pleasure in his profession, and indeed at the end of the play Macduff does call him by this same term: ‘the dead butcher and his fiend-like queen’. Interestingly, much of the violence that occurs in the play happens offstage, Duncan is murdered in between Acts 2.1 and 2.2., as are Banquo and Macduff’s family. Even in this early scene, the audience hear about the violence rather than experiencing it directly. This suggests perhaps that for a Jacobean audience at a time of political instability, Shakespeare wanted to discourage the idea or enjoyment of violence whilst still exploring the idea of it in human nature and psychology. Furthermore, a contemporary audience would be aware of the Biblical commandment ‘thou shall not kill’, which expressed that violence and murder of any kind was a sinful act against God. Therefore, we can see that Macbeth is established as a tragic hero from the offset, though he is a successful character and increasing his power within the feudal world, this power is built upon his capacity for and enjoyment of violence, which will ultimately cause him to fail and in turn warn the Jacobean audience against any kind of violence in their own lives.

We could also interpret Macbeth as inherently violent, but under control of his own power at the beginning of the play, an aspect of himself which degenerates under the influence of evil. Though he is physically great, he is easily manipulated by the witches and Lady Macbeth, all of whom are arguably psychologically stronger. The use of chiasmus in the opening scene — ‘fair is foul and foul is fair’ is echoed by Macbeth’s first line in Act One Scene 3: ‘so foul and fair a day I have not seen’. Delving deeper into the meaning of these lines also reveals more about Shakespeare’s opinions on the inherent nature of violence; though the language is equivocal and can be interpreted in many ways, we can assume that the witches are implying that the world has become inverted, that ugliness and evil are now ‘fair’, what is seen as right or normal in Macbeth’s violent world. Macbeth uses similar lines, but with a different meaning, he is stating that he has never seen a day so ‘foul’, so full of gore and death, that was at the same time so ‘fair’, so good in terms of outcome, and positive for the future. Shakespeare is perhaps exposing an inherent paradox in violence here, that war and murder is thought by many to be noble if it leads to a positive political outcome. Furthermore, Lady Macbeth encourages and appeals to Macbeth’s sense for violence by directly associating it with masculinity and male traits that were considered noble or desirable in the Jacobean era. She questions him just prior to Duncan’s death, stating ‘I fear thy nature is too full o’th’milk of human kindness / to catch the nearest way’, using ‘milk’ as a symbol of femininity to imply his womanly and cowardly nature, while in turn asking evil spirits to ‘unsex’ her and fill her with ‘direst cruelty’. In this sense, it could be argued that Shakespeare is commenting on the connections between nature and violence, perhaps a Jacobean audience would have understood that Macbeth fighting for the king was an acceptable outlet for his violence, whereas Macbeth using violence for personal gain and Lady Macbeth’s wish to become more masculine, and therefore more violent, are all against the perceived view of natural gender and social roles of the time. Overall, we could say that the culture itself, which encourages Machievellian disruption and political vying for power through both women and men stepping out of the social norms of their society, encourages more violence and evil to enter the world.

Alternatively, it could be argued that Shakespeare uses Macbeth’s success through violence to criticise the nature of the Early Modern world, and so it is not Macbeth’s violence itself which is at fault, but the world which embraces and encourages this in him. Duncan responds to the Captain’s speech by exclaiming ‘valiant cousin’ ‘worthy gentleman!’, demonstrating his extreme faith in Macbeth’s powers. The Captain additionally terms him ‘Brave Macbeth’, stating ‘well he deserves that name’, suggesting that the general structure of the world supports violent and potentially unstable characters such as Macbeth, enabling them to rise to power beyond their means. Interestingly the downfall of Macbeth is foreshadowed early on in this extract, as the term ‘worthy’ is also applied to the traitor in the Captain’s speech, when he states Macdonwald is ‘worthy to be a rebel’, the repetition of this adjective perhaps subtly compares Macdonwald’s position to Macbeth’s own, as Macbeth’s own death also is similar to the initial traitors, with his own head being ‘fixed…upon the battlements’ of Inverness castle. Through this repetition of staging and terminology, we realise that the world is perhaps at fault more than Macbeth himself, as it encourages a cycle of violence and political instability. Though there is a sense of positivity in extract as Duncan has succeeded in securing the throne and defeating the traitor, the violent context in which this action occurs, being set in 11th century feudal Scotland, suggests the underlying political unrest that mirrors the political instability of Shakespeare’s own time. The play was first performed in 1606, three years after James I had been made King of England (though he was already King of Scotland at this time), and in 1605 there had been a violent attempt on his life with the Gunpowder Plot from a group of secret Catholics who felt they were being underrepresented. Shakespeare’s own family were known associates of some of the perpetrators, so it is likely that he intended to clear suspicion of his own name by creating a play that strongly supported James I’s Divine Right to rule. In this sense, we can see that the concept of a cycle of violence that is created through political instability is integral to Shakespeare’s overall purpose, he is strongly conveying to the audience that not only is Macbeth’s personal violence sinful, but the way in which society encourages people to become violent is terrible and must be stopped, for the good of everyone.

In summary, Macbeth is established from the offset as a violent character, who takes pride and pleasure in fighting and killing. However, Shakespeare is careful not to make this violent action central to the enjoyment of the play (until the very end, when Macbeth himself is defeated), to force us to engage with the psychology of violence more than the physical nature of it. Though the women in the play are passive, Lady Macbeth and the witches prove to incite violence in Macbeth’s nature and lead ultimately to more evil entering the world. Finally, we can interpret the violence of the play as a criticism of the political and social instability of Jacobean times, rather than it being purely Macbeth’s fault, Shakespeare is exploring how the society itself encourages instability through the encouragement of Machiavellian ideas such as power grabbing, nepotism, greed and ambition.

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Introduction

Macbeth was written by William Shakespeare in either 1605 or 1606. Its full name is “The Tragedy of Macbeth”. It was first performed in around 1606.

Macbeth by William Shakespeare Summary

Lady Macbeth plans to get the chamberlains drunk to show them as culprits after murder. When everyone sleeps, they start acting upon their plan and Macbeth stabs Duncan with a knife and kills him. After that, Lady Macbeth stains the clothes and faces of chamberlains sitting outside the king’s chamber and puts the knives near them to show that they are the culprits.

Moreover, Lady Macbeth starts behaving abnormally because of the guilt of her crimes. Death of Macduff’s family increases her madness and she becomes ill. English army attacks and reaches towards Burnam’s wood and they plan that each soldier will carry a bush in front of him. It seems like the forest is moving towards Dunsinane and the Prophecy of witches becomes true.

Themes in Macbeth

Kingship vs. tyranny:, relationship between cruelty and masculinity:, fate vs. freewill:, reason vs. passion:.

Macbeth is very logical and clear-sighted. He knows that he is doing evil and the consequences of it. He feels guilty for breaking King Duncan’s trust but he is persuaded by his wife to do evil.

Macbeth Characters Analysis

Moreover, he also starts behaving abnormally because of the guilt of the sins committed by him but again the thirst for power makes him strong and he begins to act according to his evil plans.

Lady Macbeth:

She represents the relationship between femininity and violence in the play. Macbeth says that Lady Macbeth is a masculine soul residing in a female body which shows that females can also be cruel and ruthless.

The Three Witches:

Macbeth believes in their prophecies which lead him towards darkness and downfall.  However, their true identity is unclear. Although, they are servants of Hecate but the play does not tell us whether they are independent agents playing with human lives or the agents of fate.

King Duncan:

He is Banquo’s son who escapes the castle when murderers attempt to kill him. After that he does not appear in the play.

Macbeth Literary Analysis

More from william shakespeare.

William Shakespeare

• Literature Notes
• Macbeth at a Glance
• Play Summary
• About Macbeth
• Character List
• Summary and Analysis
• Act I: Scene 1
• Act I: Scene 2
• Act I: Scene 3
• Act I: Scene 4
• Act I: Scene 5
• Act I: Scene 6
• Act I: Scene 7
• Act II: Scene 1
• Act II: Scene 2
• Act II: Scene 3
• Act II: Scene 4
• Act III: Scene 1
• Act III: Scene 2
• Act III: Scene 3
• Act III: Scene 4
• Act III: Scene 5
• Act III: Scene 6
• Act IV: Scene 1
• Act IV: Scene 2
• Act IV: Scene 3
• Act V: Scene 1
• Act V: Scene 2
• Act V: Scene 3
• Act V: Scene 4
• Act V: Scene 5
• Act V: Scene 6
• Act V: Scene 7
• Act V: Scene 8
• Act V: Scene 9
• Character Analysis
• Lady Macbeth
• Character Map
• William Shakespeare Biography
• Critical Essays
• Major Themes
• Major Symbols and Motifs
• Macbeth on the Stage
• Famous Quotes
• Film Versions
• Full Glossary
• Essay Questions
• Practice Projects
• Cite this Literature Note

Character Analysis Macbeth

Macbeth is introduced in the play as a warrior hero, whose fame on the battlefield wins him great honor from the king. Essentially, though, he is a human being whose private ambitions are made clear to the audience through his asides and soliloquies (solo speeches). These often conflict with the opinion others have of him, which he describes as "golden" (I:7, 33). Despite his fearless character in battle, Macbeth is concerned by the prophecies of the Witches, and his thoughts remain confused, both before, during, and after his murder of King Duncan . When Duncan announces that he intends the kingdom to pass to his son Malcolm , Macbeth appears frustrated. When he is about to commit the murder, he undergoes terrible pangs of conscience. Macbeth is at his most human and sympathetic when his manliness is mocked and demeaned by his wife (see in particular Act I, Scene 7).

However, by Act III, Scene 2, Macbeth has resolved himself into a far more stereotypical villain and asserts his manliness over that of his wife. His ambition now begins to spur him toward further terrible deeds, and he starts to disregard and even to challenge Fate and Fortune. Each successive murder reduces his human characteristics still further, until he appears to be the more dominant partner in the marriage. Nevertheless, the new-found resolve, which causes Macbeth to "wade" onward into his self-created river of blood (Act III, Scene 4), is persistently alarmed by supernatural events. The appearance of Banquo 's ghost, in particular, causes him to swing from one state of mind to another until he is no longer sure of what is and "what is not" (I:3,142).

But Macbeth's hubris or excessive pride is now his dominant character trait. This feature of his personality is well presented in Act IV, Scene 1, when he revisits the Witches of his own accord. His boldness and impression of personal invincibility mark him out for a tragic fall.

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Home — Essay Samples — Literature — Macbeth — Macbeth: A Tragic Hero Analysis

Macbeth: a Tragic Hero Analysis

• Categories: Macbeth Tragic Hero

About this sample

Words: 619 |

Published: Mar 16, 2024

Words: 619 | Page: 1 | 4 min read

Table of contents

The definition of a tragic hero, macbeth’s tragic flaw: ambition, the influence of the supernatural, moral decline and guilt, the tragic end.

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Grade 9 Macbeth Essay Question Model Answer ( WJEC Eduqas GCSE English Literature )

Revision note.

English Senior Content Creator

Grade 9 Macbeth Essay Question Model Answer

Your WJEC Eduqas GCSE English Literature Shakespeare component will ask you to write two essays on Macbeth:

One short essay question based on an extract from the play

One longer essay question — you won’t have access to an extract

This revision guide is for the longer, 25-mark essay. For a model answer on the extract question, click here .

To get the highest marks for this essay, you need to make a clear plan, and then put forward your own argument and sustain it throughout your writing. 

In your GCSE exam, you will also need to refer to different parts of the play throughout your answer to explore the development of Shakespeare’s themes or ideas.

How am I assessed?

The exam board recommends you spend 40 minutes on this section of the exam paper, and the essay is out of 25 marks. Here is how the marks are divided:

Unlike many other exam boards, Eduqas does not specifically assess its students on context. This means that you don’t need to learn historical information about the Jacobean era or biographical details about William Shakespeare himself.

However, exploring an audience’s reception of the text — including contemporary fears and ideas about the supernatural, or beliefs about God or the monarchy — can help to make your analysis much richer. Analysis of these ideas and beliefs counts as AO1, and you can be awarded high marks in your English exams.

Grade 9 Macbeth model answer

Below you will find a sample answer for an Eduqas GCSE English literature Macbeth question. This Macbeth model answer includes annotations which show where and how this answer has met the assessment objectives. It’s an example answer to the following question:

Guilt is a key theme in Macbeth. Write about how Shakespeare presents guilt at different points in the play. Refer to characters and events from the play in your answer.

Annotated Macbeth Grade 9 essay

Shakespeare presents guilt through the characters of Macbeth and Lady Macbeth to explore the terrible mental, and ultimately fatal, consequences of their sinful actions (AO1) .

The act of regicide is such a religiously appalling act that Macbeth feels intense guilt immediately after committing the murder of King Duncan (AO1) . In Act 2, Scene 2, Macbeth returns to Lady Macbeth having just killed Duncan, and — among other incoherent utterances — states that “Macbeth does murder sleep”. Shakespeare uses the symbol of sleep to represent peace and order, and so Macbeth’s frantic exclamation suggests that his mind and conscience are disordered and that, perhaps, he will never attain eternal peace by reaching Heaven. The guilt he feels also manifests in hallucinations: he hears a ghostly knocking on the doors of Dunsinane castle. Furthermore, Macbeth’s continued use of religious diction in this scene (“amen”; “God”; “blessing”) suggests he implicitly understands the religious consequences of his deed: killing a king is a direct challenge to God’s order and Macbeth seems to recognise, even at this early stage, that it will not go unpunished (AO1) .

Macbeth’s guilt continues to have disastrous consequences for his mental state later in the play. In Act 2, Scene 2, Shakespeare introduces the motif of blood (AO2) , which is a physical manifestation of his characters’ guilt. Macbeth asks whether all the water in “Neptune’s ocean” will be able to clean his hand of Duncan’s blood, but he cannot rid himself of the image of blood, which symbolises his guilty conscience. In Act 3, Scene 2, Macbeth confides to his wife that his feelings of paranoia and guilt have only increased, using the metaphor of a “scorpion” to describe how his mind and judgment have been poisoned by guilt (AO1) . Just two scenes later, his mental collapse is revealed when he sees an apparition of Banquo, covered in blood. The blood — and so his feelings of guilt — have overwhelmed him completely. Shakespeare presents his total mental deterioration through frequent use of repetition and broken sentences, as well as switching between blank verse and the unusual use of rhyming couplets in Macbeth’s speech (AO2) .

Despite Lady Macbeth initially believing she could live with the consequences of regicide, her guilt ultimately consumes her too. In her soliloquy in Act 1, Scene 5, she calls on spirits to “stop up th’access and passage to remorse”. Her hubris is clear at this point in the play: the use of the imperatives suggests that she thinks she has the agency and power to control evil forces and feelings of remorse about the murder of the king, her guest. Even after the regicide, she believes that only “a little water clears us of this deed”. However, like her husband, the feelings of guilt — using the same imagery of blood — begin to haunt her and ultimately lead to her own mental collapse and suicide. By Act 5, Scene 1, Lady Macbeth is a hollow shell of the seemingly powerful woman she once was (AO2) , sleepwalking and speaking incoherently. Again Shakespeare uses an unusual verse form to depict her mental state: she speaks not in blank verse, but in prose, which he usually reserved for characters of low status, or those who have lost their minds (AO2) . Tellingly, Lady Macbeth also echoes the language of Macbeth in this scene (AO2) , expressing surprise that King Duncan would have “had so much blood in him”. This reminds the audience of the character’s hubris in believing she could have lived guilt-free after such a heinous act, but the blood also symbolises her feelings of guilt, which now overpower her completely.

In conclusion, Shakespeare seems to suggest that the guilty — those who commit mortal sins like regicide — will suffer dire consequences, both in life and after death, for their crimes (AO1) . Both Macbeth and Lady Macbeth are totally overwhelmed by their guilty consciences, leading to their mental disintegration and, ultimately, their deaths (AO1) .

Shakespeare, William. Macbeth . Edited by Cedric Watts, Wordsworth Classics, 2005

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Courage in Macbeth

• English Literature
• Created by: cristelle_bae
• Created on: 28-10-19 17:26
• 1.2- Macbeth's bravery is praised
• 1.7- Lady Macbeth questions Macbeth's courage
• 2.3- Macbeth defends the killing of Duncan's servants
• 4.3- the Macduff's must show courage to defeat Macbeth
• 5.3- Macbeth's courage comes from the fact that he thinks he is invincible
• 5.8- Macbeth bravely fights
• 1.2- SARGEANT: 'Brave Macbeth- well he deserves that name'
• 1.7- MAC: 'I dare do all that may become a man'
• 1.7- LM: 'screw your courage to the sticking place'
• 2.3- MAC 'that had a heart to love and in that heart courage to makes love known?'
• 4.3- MAL: 'dispute it like a man'

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