macbeth thematic essay

William Shakespeare

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Macbeth is a play about ambition run amok. The weird sisters ' prophecies spur both Macbeth and Lady Macbeth to try to fulfill their ambitions, but the witches never make Macbeth or his wife do anything. Macbeth and his wife act on their own to fulfill their deepest desires. Macbeth, a good general and, by all accounts before the action of the play, a good man, allows his ambition to overwhelm him and becomes a…

From the moment the weird sisters tell Macbeth and Banquo their prophecies, both the characters and the audience are forced to wonder about fate. Is it real? Is action necessary to make it come to pass, or will the prophecy come true no matter what one does? Different characters answer these questions in different ways at different times, and the final answers are ambiguous—as fate always is.

Unlike Banquo, Macbeth acts: he kills Duncan …

To call Macbeth a violent play is an understatement. It begins in battle, contains the murder of men, women, and children, and ends not just with a climactic siege but the suicide of Lady Macbeth and the beheading of its main character, Macbeth . In the process of all this bloodshed, Macbeth makes an important point about the nature of violence: every violent act, even those done for selfless reasons, seems to lead inevitably to…

Nature and the Unnatural

In medieval times, it was believed that the health of a country was directly related to the goodness and moral legitimacy of its king. If the King was good and just, then the nation would have good harvests and good weather. If there was political order, then there would be natural order. Macbeth shows this connection between the political and natural world: when Macbeth disrupts the social and political order by murdering Duncan and usurping…

Over and over again in Macbeth , characters discuss or debate about manhood: Lady Macbeth challenges Macbeth when he decides not to kill Duncan, Banquo refuses to join Macbeth in his plot, Lady Macduff questions Macduff's decision to go to England, and on and on.

Through these challenges, Macbeth questions and examines manhood itself. Does a true man take what he wants no matter what it is, as Lady Macbeth believes? Or does a real…

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Theme of Revenge in Macbeth

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Macbeth Themes

Theme is an overarching idea present in a literary piece. Themes in Macbeth , another masterpiece of Shakespeare, are aplenty. Not only does it present excessive ambition, but also shows the works of supernatural being, violence and betrayal. Some of the major Macbeth themes are discussed below.

Examples of Themes in Macbeth

Ambition is one of the major themes in the play , Macbeth. In fact, ambition is also one of the themes of Julius Caesar, but Macbeth shows excessive ambition and its working. Macbeth, though not overambitious in the beginning, becomes ambitious when he hears prophecies of the witches that he would become the king. This bait works more on his wife Lady Macbeth than on him. Macbeth’s ambition grows so strong that he lets his vicious side of killing free to kill not only the king but whoever comes his way. His end shows that excessive ambition sometimes take humanity out of a person.

Supernatural Equivocation

The working of supernatural beings is another overarching theme of Macbeth. Three witches play an important role to awaken the ambition of Macbeth to become the king. The witches, once predicted that Macbeth will be the king, keep an eye on the events. They weave a spell through different ingredients and lead to Macbeth’s downfall. Since everything has ensued from the incantation of the witches, it could be stated that supernatural equivocation is one of the major themes in this play.

Betrayal and Treachery

As soon as Macbeth hears prophecy of his becoming the king from the witches, he starts thinking about ways to get to the position. This instigates treacherous thoughts in him. He plans to kill the king at the inciting of his wife Lady Macbeth, who joins him without feeling any qualm for the king or others. The betrayal in Macbeth lies in treachery of Macbeth. Duncan is not only his king, but also a kinsman and friend. Therefore, this betrayal is another significant theme of the play.

The theme of crime in Macbeth is not only prominent but also very glaring. There is a crime of murder, a crime of rebellion and a crime of treason. The first crime of murder is a universal crime that Macbeth commits against his relative and king, Duncan. The second crimes are state crimes Macbeth commits with the cooperation of his wife. By the end, he realizes that his crimes are too heavy to win atonement for him.

Violence and Consequences

As soon as the play opens, the witches meet in murky air, a condition that gives birth to violent events. Macbeth hears prophecy and plans to kill Duncan. Lady Macbeth, his wife too hears the same thing and joins him. When Duncan visits Macbeth, both husband and wife plans to kill him and succeeds in their plan. This leads to a vicious cycle of violence with the killing of guards as well as a protracted attack of others on Macbeth. However, it does not mean that violence is the only theme; it is just part of the larger thematic purpose.

Conflict of Good and Evil

The conflict of good and evil starts as soon as Macbeth harbors the thought of becoming the king. He becomes ambitious due to the prophecy of the witches which is the start of evil. This evil, once unleashed, refuses to be bottled up. This leads to murders, conspiracies and manipulations in the whole kingdom in which king, guards and many others are killed. The good prevails by the end when Macbeth faces defeat. Banquo, Malcom and Donalbain too are shown in good light, representing good along with Duncan. Therefore, the theme of the conflict between good and evil runs deep in the play with the resultant deaths various good and bad people.

Conflict between Loyalty and Treachery

The first reaction of Macbeth after hearing the prophecy is that of disbelief and shock. He does not and cannot think of betraying his beloved king. However, a second thought of becoming the king starts treacherous musings. This leads to conspiracy and consequential killings. Lady Macbeth also harbors loyal thoughts but when she sees herself a queen, she starts taking part in the conspiracy and weaving new plots . This leads to a conflict in the minds and on the scene which eventually ends with a lot of bloodshed. This conflict rather becomes a secondary theme after conflict of good and evil.

Meaninglessness of Life

Although this not the major theme of the play and not even overarching, it shows that meaninglessness of life is a thematic strand. It appears within the play at two places; once when the Lady Macbeth loses her mental balance, and other when Macbeth faces death in the shape of advancing attack of Macduff and Malcolm. This is the point where he comes to the conclusion that life does not signify anything and that it is just a story told by an idiot.

Statecrafts

Another overarching but implicit thematic strand is that of the statecraft. It is said that politics has no heart, and it seems true in the case of Macbeth. Macbeth is not only relative of Duncan, the King, but also his subordinate and loyal Thane. However, when it comes to ambition in politics, he mercilessly orders his killing and that of his guards and children. This happens in the statecraft which is a field of conspiracies, treacheries and treasons.

Trust and Distrust

The theme of trust and distrust also looms large in the background of Macbeth’s ambition and treachery. Malcom and Donalbain expresses deep doubts and misgivings over other people when they see that conspiracies are being hatched to kill them, too. After the murder of their father and Banquo, they have lost trust and faith in every body near and dear to them. Although this theme could be analyzed on personal level, it is present on state level as shown from the first scene of Macbeth to the last scene where Macbeth feels that he has been deceived by the witches.

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Macbeth Themes

Macbeth is a favorite choice by teachers introducing teenagers to the Bard, often with a focus on examining the Macbeth themes. The play is a great theatrical triumph, offering audiences of all ages everything we could ask for in a drama. It has a strong supernatural element, something that is very much in fashion today, sex, revenge, lots of violence, and – the cream on top – it’s a thriller, a gripping murder story. It grips us in exactly the same way as it did our ancestors four centuries ago. And on top of all that it’s a great work of literature.

So let us get down to looking at the main themes in Macbeth. Macbeth explores several ideas or key themes throughout the play.  Here are four of the key themes in Macbeth:

1. Theme of Appearance and Reality in Macbeth

Something that preoccupies Shakespeare, and which he brings into every one of his plays, is the way that so many things in life are not what they seem. That is a very strong thematic strain in Macbeth … so much so that we’ve pulled together the most significant Macbeth ambition quotes with some commentary.

In the first moments of the play we see the witches chanting “Fair is foul and foul is fair.”  That’s the statement of this theme. Things that seem good will be bad and things that seem bad will be good. When Duncan arrives at Glamys he comments on how lovely it is. Banquo, who is traveling with him says, “the heaven’s breath smells wooingly here,” but it is far from a heaven. Lady Macbeth has just finished describing it as a hell, and indeed, that’s what it turns out to be, with conspiracy and murder. And those things from people who are regarded as good, faithful, loyal, trustworthy. As Lady Macbeth puts it, one should “look like the innocent flower but be the serpent under it.” It’s one of Shakespeare’s most striking images of this theme.

Macbeth is confused by the witches  – they seem to be women but they have beards. They are not what they seem. Then they set out something that seems quite simple, clear, and attractive – that he will be king. But it’s not simple and clear, and in fact, it’s chaotic, and he will have to be disloyal and commit several crimes to achieve it. Confusion is the tone throughout – confusion about what is right and what is wrong, what is fair and what is foul. Those things hover chaotically through the fog of understanding.

On his way to kill Duncan Macbeth sees a dagger, but it’s not real. The dagger is the thing that’s been in his mind since encountering the witches, even when he’s smiling at Duncan. As Donalbain puts it “there’s daggers in men’s smiles,” another striking image o the theme. Macbeth also sees Banquo’s ghost, which is not real.

This theme pervades the play and is evident in every scene – for example, Malcolm presenting himself as evil, a dangerous tyrant, who would terrorise his subjects if he became king. He is concealing his goodness and pretending to be bad to test Macduff. At the end of the play, we find that the witches have deceived Macbeth in a series of lies. Macbeth believes himself to be invincible – that no man of woman born can harm him – but he discovers that it’s a trick: his sense of invulnerability has been an illusion and the reality is that he is vulnerable, and he’s killed by Macduff.

2. Theme of Ambition in Macbeth

Macbeth is very much about ambition. It’s introduced at the beginning as part of the political setting. As the play opens we learn about some Scottish rebels who have been trying to wrest power away from the rightful king, Duncan, and elevate themselves into powerful positions. Their ambition backfires and they are defeated.

In the modern world, we rather admire ambition but Shakespeare saw it more as a corrupting force and his ambitious characters like Julius Caesar and Macbeth come to sticky ends while pursuing it. And in Macbeth’s case, once he gives way to ambition he is transformed from a good to an evil man. He recognises his ambition as being overwhelming – ‘vaulting ambition’ he calls it – but he knows that he doesn’t have the strength to resist it.

In Macbeth ambition is not straightforward. Who is the ambitious character? It is not only Macbeth. Lady Macbeth is just as ambitious as he is, and arguably more so. Macbeth seems to be an Aristotelian tragic hero but that is complicated by Lady Macbeth’s role in the play. In terms of classical tragedy, Macbeth seems to fit into the pattern. He’s a hero, highly regarded by the other feudal lords of Scotland. When the idea strikes him that he can become king he believes that all he has to do is kill Duncan, he will be elected king, and he will live happily ever after as king. The rest of the play works that idea through and throws up its various complications. In the end, the hero, by now regarded as a villain, is brought down by his fatal flaw – ambition. That is the Aristotelian tragic idea.

There’s far more than that to it though. What about Lady Macbeth? At the beginning of the play, Macbeth is still a good man and his naturally good qualities, which his wife sees as faults, stall him. This is where Lady Macbeth’s ambition becomes evident.   She uses all the tactics at her disposal – her sexuality, emotional blackmail, flattery – to ensure that he carries out the murder. Then she herself begins to resemble a classical tragic hero. So here we have two different models of ambition, and two different examples of a classical tragic hero.

Ambition, resulting in the murder of the divinely given king, entails a series of violations of the natural order, all of which return to haunt Macbeth relentlessly. These are the consequences of giving way to ambition. Killing one’s king is a violation of nature, and in violating nature Macbeth forfeits the benefits of its regenerative power. He becomes an insomniac unable to benefit from the regeneration that sleep brings. Lady Macbeth, as guilty as he is, goes mad and takes her own life.

3. Theme of Guilt in Macbeth

Macbeth could almost be seen as a dissertation on guilt. Both Macbeth and Lady Macbeth suffer the most torturous guilt as a result of their regicide.

Modern English has an idiom to describe the state of someone who is guilty of great violence. We say that they have blood on their hands. Shakespeare has these two characters literally covered in blood then uses the blood on their hands to carve out his theme, equating blood with guilt. The word ‘blood’ appears 109 times in the text, and, using it, or referring to it, Shakespeare makes some of the most beautiful poetry in the English language. After the murder, Macbeth stares at his red hands in horror and says “What hands are here? Ha! They pluck out mine eyes/Will all great Neptune’s ocean wash this blood/Clean from my hand? No, this my hand will rather/The multitudinous seas incarnadine,/Making the green one red.” We see such images all the way through.

As his guilt grips him Macbeth begins to imagine things – the ghost of Banquo, the friend he murdered – those hallucinations begin even before the actual killing when he imagines a dagger hanging in the air in front of his eyes. His guilt is already evident. Lady Macbeth’s guilt expresses itself in nightmares, also featuring blood, in which she relives the killing of Duncan. The whole text is a dramatisation of guilt. The couple do not live to enjoy the fruits of their misdeed: from the moment of the murder until their deaths their lives are intolerable, made so by the anguish of guilt.

 4. Theme of Sin and Retribution in Macbeth

‘Sin and Retribution’ is an Old Testament way of describing Crime and Punishment . Sin has religious associations whereas crime does not. In the same way retribution goes beyond punishment. You can be punished by being imprisoned or executed but retribution suggests something nasty that may happen to you after your death. Shakespeare’s audience would all have believed that if you behaved yourself and went to church an eternity of bliss awaited you but if you sinned then you had an eternity of torture to look forward to.

That is one of the tensions in this play. Macbeth is worried about what he is about to do because of that fear of retribution, but his yearning to be king is so powerful that he’s willing to make the exchange.

There is a crime at the centre of this play: the murder of a king. Macbeth decides to kill the king and does. But this is more than a crime. It is a grave sin: he kills the king who has been chosen by God. But it is even worse. Duncan is his cousin. So there are two crimes – one against family and one against state. And there’s another – a crime against trust. Duncan is murdered by his host.  Macbeth contemplates this as he is churning it over in his mind: he should “against the murderer shut the door/Not bear the knife myself.” His responsibility as a host was to protect his guest, so murdering him is a massive betrayal.

All that amounts to a grave sin. Macbeth considers all that and concludes that it would be alright if it weren’t for the ‘life to come.’ If he could skip that… but he knows he can’t. If he murders Duncan the hereafter will be waiting for him. Retribution is certain and it will be in proportion to his sin – which is very serious. He almost gives up and, in fact, makes that decision but at that moment Lady Macbeth appears and makes him change his mind.

We are reminded of the presence of Hell all through the play, in the events and in the imagery. The evil sisters, the witches, are a constant presence, guiding Macbeth towards his destruction. Glamys, the castle of the Macbeths is a representation of Hell, its hellish atmosphere created by the language of Lady Macbeth – its “thick night,” its “murdering ministers,”  its “dunnest smoke of hell,” its blanket of darkness.

At the end of the play, Macbeth receives his punishment for the crime – he is decapitated by Macduff – but the divine retribution expresses itself in guilt, insomnia, paranoia and the fear of what is to come.

Shakespeare Themes by Play

Hamlet themes , Macbeth themes , Romeo and Juliet themes

Shakespeare Themes by Topic

Ambition, Appearance & Reality , Betrayal , Conflict , Corruption , Death , Deception , Good & Evil , Hatred , Order & Disorder , Revenge , Suffering , Transformation

Macbeth’s blood-covered face… with blook being one of the recurring Macbeth themes

What do you think of these Macbeth themes – any that you don’t agree with, or would add? Let us know in the comments section below!

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order and chaos

I think Good vs Evil should be added

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Read below our complete notes on “Macbeth”, a famous play by William Shakespeare. Our notes cover Macbeth summary, themes, characters, and analysis.

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.

The drama revolves around a Villain named Macbeth who is ambitious and brave but because of his thirst for power, he begins to do evil. He receives a prophecy from three witches that he will become the king of Scotland. To make this prophecy true, he kills the king of Scotland and many other people who become a threat to his throne. At the end he faces a downfall.

The play has many elements i.e. temptation, conspiracy, madness, pathos and destruction.

Macbeth by William Shakespeare Summary

This play portrays a tragic downfall of a brave warrior, Macbeth. After defeating the forces of Norway and Ireland, he receives a prophecy from a trio of witches that he will become the king of Scotland. The other part of the prophecy is that the children of Banquo, another Scottish general, will become the future kings. Macbeth is already made the Thane of Cowder. He is happy and ambitious after receiving the prophecy.

Afterwards, King Duncan declares that he will spend a night at Macbeth’s castle as a celebration of their victory. Macbeth informs Lady Macbeth about the King’s arrival and prophecies of witches. Lady Macbeth appears to be very evil. She makes the plan to kill the king and convinces Macbeth to act accordingly by challenging his manhood.

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.

The next morning, Macduff comes to Macbeth’s castle to receive the king but finds him dead. Subsequently, Macbeth kills the chamberlains to show anger towards king’s death and to show that he is innocent. Banquo discusses the certain issue with Macbeth and departs.

Later, Macbeth proclaims himself the king in front of everyone. He fears his friend Banquo because of the second part of the prophecy, so he arranges two murders to kill Banquo and his son, Fleance. Murderers kill Banquo but his son manages to escape outside the castle in the dark woods.

Although, he successfully executes his plans but he starts behaving abnormally during dinner. He starts witnessing Banquo’s ghost and Lady Macbeth gives excuses for his unusual behavior.

Afterwards, Macbeth again meets the witches and receives three prophecies; Beware of Macduff, none of woman born shall harm him and that he is safe until Burnam’s wood moves to Dunsinane hills. Macduff goes to England to meet Malcolm and plan revenge against Macbeth. They decide to take help from King Edward of England and plan to attack Scotland with 10,000 soldiers. Meanwhile, Ross comes and tells Macduff that his family has been killed by Macbeth.

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.

Lady Macbeth dies and the war begins. Macbeth fights keeping in mind that no-one can kill him as everyone is born out of mother. He kills Seward’s son and disappears. Macduff finds him, tells him that he was born by cesarean-section and beheads him.

Afterwards, he declares Malcolm the king of Scotland and everyone curses Macbeth and Lady Macbeth for their cruelty.

Themes in Macbeth

Kingship vs. tyranny:.

In the play Duncan is always referred to as a “king” while Macbeth becomes known as “tyrant” when he comes to the throne. This is because of the qualities present in a good king and a tyrant.

Macbeth starts doing evil for the thirst of power and throne which shows his violent temperament and disloyalty towards the country.  He kills the king and other people who are a threat to his kingship.

On the other hand, Duncan is kind-hearted and loyal towards his country. At the end, Macbeth faces downfall because of his cruel and immoral nature.

Relationship between Cruelty and Masculinity:

This theme shows that violence is not just a male’s attribute, females can also show violence. It is explored by the character of Lady Macbeth and the three witches in this play.

As we can clearly see, how Lady Macbeth shows aggression, cruelty and violence. She plans to kill the king and forces Macbeth to follow her evil plan and to kill every person who she sees as a threat.

On the other hand, we can see three witches who seem cruel and evil from their conversations throughout the play.

Fate vs. Freewill:

Another major theme of this play is fate vs. freewill. The character of Macbeth and three witches represent this theme.

Although, Macbeth is told by the witches about his future that he will become the king but he is not told how to take the position of king. Prophecy of witches is fate but how to make it reality depends upon Macbeth’s freewill. Instead of waiting for the right time, he chooses a wrong path that leads him towards downfall.

Reason vs. Passion:

This theme is represented by Macbeth and Lady Macbeth. Throughout the play we can see the difference between their persuasive strategies.

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.

On the other hand, Lady Macbeth passionately examines the pros and cones of her plan of killing the king. She is an emotional and evil person who uses emotional arguments to convince her husband to do the crime.

Macbeth Characters Analysis

Macbeth is the villain of the play. His initial impression is of a brave and courageous warrior who has won the battle through his bravery and dedication. However, when he meets the three witches, his lack of strength of character and overly ambitious nature is revealed. Shakespeare tries to convey the effects of ambitious nature and self-doubt in a person with weak character.

When Macbeth receives the prophecy from witches he becomes happy but later he is persuaded by his wife’s emotional argument to kill the king. He is a rational person who knows the consequences of doing evil but he is also occupied by evil forces.

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.

In the end of the play, Macduff beheads him and he faces a downfall.

Lady Macbeth:

Lady Macbeth is one of the Shakespeare’s most evil female characters. She is Macbeth’s wife and a deeply ambitious and cruel woman who lusts for power and position. Her first appearance in the play is when she is plotting Duncan’s murder. She is a cruel and ruthless woman who convinces her husband to commit a sin by challenging his manhood.

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.

Moreover, she remains firm to her decision of murdering the king and persuades Macbeth but later on the guilt of sins makes her mad. She tries to wash away the invisible blood stains from her hands. Her strength becomes her weakness and she commits suicide by the close of the play.

The Three Witches:

The three witches are referred to as “weird sisters” in the play. They are the ones who give prophecy about Macbeth’s future and play upon him like puppeteers.

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.

Furthermore, some of their prophecies seem fulfilling and some are acted upon by Macbeth.

Banquo is another Scottish General and Macbeth’s friend. He is a brave, ambitious and virtuous person unlike Macbeth.  He also receives a prophecy from witches that his children will come to the throne in future.  This prophecy becomes a threat to Macbeth’s kingship and he orders to kill Banquo and his son, Fleance. However, his son escapes but he is murdered.

Later, his ghost haunts Macbeth and he starts acting abnormally.

King Duncan:

He is the king of Scotland who is murdered by Macbeth for the lust of power and throne. He is a virtuous man and a good king who is faithful towards his country. His decision to pass the kingdom to his son, Malcolm, becomes the reason of his death.

Macduff is the thane of Scotland. He is loyal towards king and turns against Macbeth after discovering king’s death.  He flees to England to meet Malcolm where he comes to know about his family’s murder so he plans to take revenge from Macbeth. He also wants to unseat Macbeth from the throne.

Malcolm is the son of Duncan.  He flees to England fearfully after his father’s death. He raises an army there to take back his throne from Macbeth. In the end of the play, Malcolm becomes the king with the support of Macduff and England army.

He is Duncan’s son and Malcolm’s younger brother who flees to Ireland after his father’s death.

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

She is the goddess of three witches who guides them to plot mischief against Macbeth.  She is evil and weird.

Macbeth Literary Analysis

The play “Macbeth” portrays a tragic downfall of a brave warrior, Macbeth. At first he appears as a brave and courageous Army General who has won the battle through his bravery but later we come to know about his real self when he receives the prophecies from the three witches.  The prophecies are that Macbeth will become the king of Scotland soon and children of Banquo, another army general, will inherit the throne in future.

After these prophecies, Macbeth appears to be an evil, ruthless and overly ambitious person. He lacks the strength of character and starts doing evil to become the king. The thirst for power and position leads him towards a great downfall.

On the other hand, Lady Macbeth, a violent and ruthless woman, persuades him to murder the king because of the lust of throne and power. He is a masculine soul in a female body that is strong and overly ambitious about her plans. In the beginning she strongly acts upon her evil plans but later she cannot carry the burden of her sins that leads her towards madness. This shows that no matter how strongly one commits sins, at some point in life those sins overly burden him/her and haunt him/her.

Moreover, Banquo, who is faithful towards Duncan and does not plot evil to make the prophecy come true, is killed by Macbeth. But later on we discover that his ghost starts haunting Macbeth and he starts acting abnormally. It shows the contrast between personalities of the two, Macbeth and Banquo. Both are ambitious and brave but Macbeth is evil and Banquo is virtuous because he does not choose a wrong path to become more powerful.

Additionally, the king of Scotland named Duncan is also a virtuous and honored king who is killed by Macbeth because of his lust for throne. Duncan is referred to as ‘King’ throughout the play whereas Macbeth is referred to as a ‘Tyrant’ when he declares himself as a king. It shows the contrast between a good king and a tyrant. Macbeth murders every person who comes on his way of becoming the king. He is a wicked and immoral person who commits sins whereas Duncan is a moral person who rules the Scotland justly and peacefully.

The play also portrays the consequences and effects of thirst for power of a person who is morally weak and lacks the decisive power. Macbeth knows the consequences of his evil deeds but keeps on committing sins because he lacks the decisive power, he is constantly persuaded by his wife to murder those who are a threat to his kingship. It leads him to a tragic downfall.

More From William Shakespeare

• A Midsummer Night’s Dream
• The Merchant of Venice
• Twelfth Night
• The Taming of the Shrew
• As You Like It
• Much Ado About Nothing
• The Comedy of Errors