Literary Essay Example: Textual Analysis of Macbeth

Introduction

Shakespeare is famous for most of his writings. However, Macbeth seems to be one of the best. From the onset of the play to the end, the audiences are kept on the edges of their seats and this is done through powerful images and what one may consider as being extraordinary events. Shakespeare is able to maintain a high engagement with the audience and sustain the engagement from the moment that the audience first meets the evil and wild witches to the point where Macduff enters with the head of Macbeth and the good is restored.

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Lady Macbeth Character Analysis

There are various aspects in the play Macbeth by Williams Shakespeare that makes it very famous to date. First, an individual loves literature, then they know that Lady Macbeth is a female character who is very famous. Shakespeare portrays Lady Macbeth character traits as being a smart, ambitious, and brave woman. However as one continues watching the play, one realizes that Lady Macbeth is undone by her ambition and ruthlessness. The soliloquy the Macbeth has that begins with Tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow to the last syllable of recorded time, can be seen as being representative of Macbeth's utter hopelessness especially near the end of this tragedy play and is not only about the life of Macbeth but life in general. The other aspect that makes it interesting to read Macbeth or watch the play is the widely held superstition that if one mentions the plays name aloud in the world of theater then the persons involved would have bad luck.

Macbeth: Shakespeare Characters

In the Macbeth play, Shakespeare has been able to utilize the characters to his advantage. He is able to create various characters whom the audience can relate to in real life. As the audience continues to watch the play, they are constantly shocked by the actions of the individuals or the characters. In an incident in the play where Macbeth kills Duncan, the audience is left in awe as they have a perception of Macbeth even before the predictions of the witch. This is because the audience knew Macbeth as a loyal and very trustworthy soldier to the king. Moreover, the audiences also become symphonic towards the other characters in the play. When the audience finds out the play to kill the family of Macduff, they tend to become sympathetic to the family.

Shakespeare has also ensured that the witches in Macbeth are very extraordinary and powerful as characters. The power that Shakespeare has given the witches is so powerful that almost everything that they are involved with or touch or victimize almost automatically turns to evil. The witches have the power to govern the evil deeds in the play through Macbeth. How does Macbeth feel about the witches prediction? The predictions and the cunning plans that the witches have tends to create confusion and disorder. A good instance is when Lady Macbeth is able to demonstrate some form of subversive and most importantly manipulative power that leads Macbeth to kill King Duncan. Moreover, Lady Macbeth is placed in a position that ensures that she can manipulate Macbeth for her own gain, as Macbeth is weak. In the Macbeth play, the reaction of nature to evil is strong. Macbeth has a very strong fear of death. Therefore, he is willing to go to extraordinary lengths to ensure that his life is extraordinary. When Macbeth hears that Macduff fled, his first instinct is to kill his family. One may consider this act as a measure to protect what he has of his life or to hurt Macduff.

Setting of Macbeth by William Shakespeare

Shakespeare has implemented various dramatic settings in the Macbeth play. Shakespeare ensures that the powerful images of dark castles and wild heaths in the play complement the underlying sense of evil. Various murders take place in the play. One of the key murders is that of King Duncan. During the time of Shakespeare, killing the king was considered as one of the worst crimes that an individual could commit. Shakespeare uses the killing of Macduff's sons on stage to paint a powerful picture in the minds of the audience that the play is surrounded by a higher level of evil.

Conclusion

The various apparitions encountered by Macbeth in the play ensure that an extraordinary atmosphere is created in the play. The dagger that Macbeth visualizes before he murders the king brings about doubts and fears of what he is about to do. The audience in this instance is kept with a sense of the unknown. The other apparitions that Macbeth encounters in the play seems to lead him in the direction that everything that he does makes him unstoppable. These apparitions include a crowned child, an armed head, and a bloody child.