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Sample student essay: Macbeth and the nature of evil
MACBETH SHOWS THAT NO ONE IS IMPERVIOUS TO THE EFFECTS OF EVIL
In Macbeth Shakespeare focuses on the evil consequences of one man’s thrust for power. Through their prophecies, the witches plant an evil seed in Macbeth’s mind which has numerous repercussions, not only for Macbeth but for the King, his family and the people of Scotland. Shakespeare shows that once his ambition has been inflamed, no one is immune from the consequences. Whilst both Macbeth and Lady Macbeth sacrifice their honour and pay a heavy price, many others are also killed to satisfy their thirst for power.
From the opening scene, it becomes clear that the witches are determine to use their supernatural powers to plant the seeds of evil and to undermine Macbeth’s honour. They create moral havoc by targeting his ambition. If the witches state that “fair is foul and foul is fair”, Macbeth soon finds that the prophecies “cannot be ill cannot be good”. When the witches plant the seed that Macbeth is likely to become King, Macbeth is captivated by their prophecies. “I stood rapt in the wonder of it”. It is his ambition that promotes evil thoughts that undermine his sanity and corrupt him. As Shakespeare shows, Macbeth’s ambition creates “present fears” that are linked with “deep and dark desires” and that encourage him to put aside his moral compunctions. After he commits the murders, he again seeks out the witches who give him a false sense of confidence. They predict that he will be safe from harm and Macbeth continues on his killing spree.
Lady Macbeth continues the corruption begun by the witches which has an immediate effect on Macbeth and a long-term corrosive effect on herself. Shakespeare depicts the transformative power of evil as Lady Macbeth becomes “top – full of Direst Cruelty” in order to encourage Macbeth to murder King Duncan. She manipulates him, criticises his manhood and suggests that he is cowardly. She states that she would have plucked a baby from her breast and “dash’d the brains out” had she so broken a promise as Macbeth seems to be doing. Whilst she intimidates Macbeth and convinces him that it is cowardly to thwart one’s desires, she, ironically, pays the heaviest price. Her belief that a “little water clears us of this deed” returns to haunt her as she becomes increasingly obsessed with the evil she has unleashed. She is unable to remove neither the stain nor the deaths. She is also dismayed at the tyrant that continues unabated.
Owing to both the influence of the witches and Lady Macbeth, Macbeth succumbs to evil and pays a heavy price. Foolishly, he sets aside his scepticism and renounces his honour as he contemplates the ‘deep and dark desires”. His conscience alerts him to the evil nature of murder; he is fully aware of the “even – handed justice” or “judgement” which instructs people about good and evil. He also knows that “Bloody instructions return to plague the inventor”. Most importantly, Macbeth knows that he should not commit evil deeds, because his conscience will torment him and undermine his honour. Despite all this, Macbeth wields the dagger and King Duncan becomes his first victim. He suffers the shocking consequences of Macbeth’s “overleaping” ambition that causes a “heat-oppressed brain” to turn towards evil.
Macbeth continues to pay a heavy price and does not enjoy his royal status. Owing to his conscience, Macbeth becomes paranoid and guilt gives way to hallucinations and “strange self-abuse”. Macbeth becomes suspicious of everyone. He tries to harden himself to the pangs of his conscience. He wants to fight fear and become fearless by killing more people. He states, “t’is the initiate Fear that wants hard Use”. Macbeth has become a cruel tyrant and transforms Scotland into a country “almost afraid to know itself”. He sets spies on each of his thanes and even distrusts the witches for he is determined to make ‘assurance double sure’ by slaughtering Macduff’s entire family. This propels him to the final showdown.
So the evil effects spread throughout Scotland, and even Banquo suffers from the cruel effects of evil. Banquo is honourable and rightly dismisses the witches even though they predict that his sons will be king. Because of this secret knowledge, Banquo becomes Macbeth’s second victim. Macbeth feels that “under him my genius is rebuked”. He is killed while his son Fleance escapes.
Tragically, many lives are lost because of one couple’s ambition. They both sacrifice their honour and do not enjoy their status because they become paranoid about the consequences. Once Lady Macbeth encourages Macbeth to commit murder, there is no stopping him. To soften his conscience, he continues killing and changes the whole atmosphere of Scotland. No one escapes. The citizens are so sick of the tyrant that they are relieved by his death. Shakespeare shows that one man’s evil thirst for power does not pay and many other suffer a heavy price.
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Macbeth Essays
There are loads of ways you can approach writing an essay, but the two i favour are detailed below., the key thing to remember is that an essay should focus on the three aos:, ao1: plot and character development; ao2: language and technique; ao3: context, strategy 1 : extract / rest of play, the first strategy basically splits the essay into 3 paragraphs., the first paragraph focuses on the extract, the second focuses on the rest of the play, the third focuses on context. essentially, it's one ao per paragraph, for a really neatly organised essay., strategy 2 : a structured essay with an argument, this strategy allows you to get a much higher marks as it's structured to form an argument about the whole text. although you might think that's harder - and it's probably going to score more highly - i'd argue that it's actually easier to master. mainly because you do most of the work before the day of the exam., to see some examples of these, click on the links below:, lady macbeth as a powerful woman, macbeth as a heroic character, the key to this style is remembering this: you're going to get a question about a theme, and the extract will definitely relate to the theme., the strategy here is planning out your essays before the exam, knowing that the extract will fit into them somehow., below are some structured essays i've put together., macbeth and gender.
Home — Essay Samples — Literature — Macbeth — Macbeth: A Tragic Hero Analysis
Macbeth: a Tragic Hero Analysis
- Categories: Macbeth Tragic Hero
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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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Essay – To What Extent Is Macbeth Responsible For His Own Downfall
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Resource Description
to be, or not to be, that is the question.
To what extent is Macbeth responsible for his own downfall?
In Shakespeare’s Macbeth, Macbeth is the tragic hero whose ambition is his tragic flaw. Macbeth is partially responsible for his downfall because of his self-induced thoughts, predominantly the initial thought of killing Duncan in order to become king. Macbeth is not entirely responsible for his downfall as his responsibility is delineated by what he is able to consciously control. His responsibility is extenuated because the three witches and Lady Macbeth majorly contributed to his downfall by manipulating him and influencing his actions and decisions; ultimately reducing his responsibility as he is portrayed as being an amenable character.
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Macbeth Essay with corrections (Year 11)
This is an essay I wrote in year 11. My teacher's corrections and suggestions are very helpful and with their help I ended up getting an A on the SAC.
BlinkieBill
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State Ranker Essay Guide: Shakespearean Plays (Macbeth) William Shakespeare: a legendary playwright and icon within the literary canon - yet the most feared of all composers up for grabs to study by students during the HSC. So, why does such fear of Shakespeare exist?
Essay Questions on William Shakespeare's Macbeth. 1) Discuss the various roles of the witches in 'Macbeth' with special emphasis on Coleridge's remark that "the witches have the power of tempting those that have been tempters themselves.". 2) What is, at the end of the play, your attitude to Macbeth?
Sample student essay: English Works Notes, 2015. MACBETH SHOWS THAT NO ONE IS IMPERVIOUS TO THE EFFECTS OF EVIL. In Macbeth Shakespeare focuses on the evil consequences of one man's thrust for power. Through their prophecies, the witches plant an evil seed in Macbeth's mind which has numerous repercussions, not only for Macbeth but for the King, his family and the people of Scotland.
1 Found helpful • 3 Pages • Essays / Projects • Year: Pre-2021. Throughout Shakespeare's Macbeth, appearances deviate from reality. This concept directly reflects the turbulent time in which Macbeth was written. Mary Queen of Scots (King James' mother) is beheaded for her complicity in a plot to murder Queen Elizabeth I, her cousin
Summary of Macbeth. The action begins on the eve of a battle between the Scottish army and a Norwegian rebellion, when the two famed generals of King Duncan, Macbeth and Banquo, meet three mysterious women (witches) that have previously cast a prophecy in a storm. For more analysis on Shakespeare's use of pathetic fallacy in Macbeth, check ...
5) The sleepwalking scene in Act V is one of the most memorable in all of drama. Relate this scene to the overall play and examine what makes Lady Macbeth's revelation so provoking. 6) Choose two of the minor characters in Macbeth and examine how they contribute to the play's action. 7) The witches tell Banquo that he will be the father of ...
In actual fact, Macbeth is a play, and the 17,000 words I mentioned earlier make up the script. When you refer to Macbeth, whether it be in your essay writing, verbally or otherwise, always refer to it as a play or text. This will show that you truly understand the context in which Macbeth came to be. 5. Underline Macbeth when referring to the play
4 Pages • Essays / Projects • Year Uploaded: 2022 'What's more to do, Which would be planted newly with the time, As calling home our exiled friends abroad That fled the snares of watchful tyranny; Producing forth the cruel ministers Of this dead butcher and his fiend-like queen' To what extent are Malcolm's comments a true reflection of the characters and events that occur in Macbeth?
4 Pages • Essays / Projects • Year: Pre-2021. This is an example of an essay plan on Shakespeare's Macbeth. It shows quotes and analysis on how to answer the question in dot points. This document is 30 Exchange Credits.
Strategy 2: A structured essay with an argument. The key to this style is remembering this: You're going to get a question about a theme, and the extract will DEFINITELY relate to the theme. The strategy here is planning out your essays BEFORE the exam, knowing that the extract will fit into them somehow. Below are some structured essays I've ...
Macbeth's essay for English year 9 english macbeth max york 10en3 extensively explores the flaws of human condition and human nature caused human motivation, Skip to document. University; High School. ... HSC (New South Wales Higher School Certificate) Grade: 12. 999+ Documents. Go to course. 4. The women of Troy Quotes, and analysis.
Include an introduction that sets out your argument. Ensure your argument is consistent throughout your essay. Write a topic sentence for each paragraph which include the key words from the exam question. Include a conclusion that summarises your line of reasoning. "Critical style".
Macbeth Essay Topics. Alicia has taught students of all ages and has a master's degree in Education. These essay topics will help students explore and understand the major themes and characters of ...
Macbeth can be undoubtedly considered a tragic hero. His noble beginnings, fatal flaw, moral decline, and ultimate demise align with the classic definition of a tragic hero as outlined by Aristotle. Macbeth's journey serves as a timeless reminder of the dangers of unchecked ambition and the devastating consequences of succumbing to one's ...
In Act 5. 1 Lady Macbeth starts to sleep walk because she can't deal with the fact that her husband killed King Duncan and that it's all her fault and she says "My bloody hands". This shows she's saying it's her fault and she holds the guilt. This leads to her committing suicide in Act 5.5. Level 5 essay.
Macbeth is partially responsible for his downfall because of his self-induced thoughts, predominantly the initial thought of killing Duncan in order to become king. Macbeth is not entirely responsible for his downfall as his responsibility is delineated by what he is able to consciously control. His responsibility is extenuated because the ...
2 Found helpful • 4 Pages • Essays / Projects • Year: Pre-2021. Deals with character transition of both Macbeth and Lady Macbeth through the themes of guilt and ambition. Includes useful quotes too.
Macbeth Essay with corrections (Year 11) 2 Aug 2022 309 downloads VCE Units 1&2 English. This is an essay I wrote in year 11. My teacher's corrections and suggestions are very helpful and with their help I ended up getting an A on the SAC.
Section II — Module B: Close Study of Text. 20 marks Attempt ONE question from Questions 2-5 Allow about 40 minutes for this section. Answer the question in a SEPARATE writing booklet. Extra writing booklets are available. In your answer you will be assessed on how well you:
Studying from past student work is an amazing way to learn and research, however you must always act with academic integrity. This document is the prior work of another student. Thinkswap has partnered with Turnitin to ensure students cannot copy directly from our resources. Understand how to responsibly use this work by visiting 'Using ...
3 Found helpful • 2 Pages • Essays / Projects • Year: Pre-2021. 17/20 essay on Macbeth to which we had to analyse a visual representation of Macbeth and incorporate into our essay.
2 Found helpful • 3 Pages • Essays / Projects • Year Uploaded: 2021. Essay question: How does Shakespeare explore how the pursuit of power can impact the individual and their wider world? 18/20