Macbeth: Hero Or Villain

Macbeth is simply a victim of circumstance. At the beginning of the primary act, you hear that Macbeth is a brave and courageous warrior. You initially hear this from Ross when he says, “Macbeth met the Norwegian attacks shot for shot, as if he were the immortal of war’s husband. Finally, he broke the enemy’s spirit, and we were victorious” (Sparknotes). When King Duncan heard about Macbeth’s bravery, he told Ross to rush to Macbeth to inform him that he will become the Thane of Cawdor. You then see the witches conversing with one another about future plans involved meeting Macbeth once the battle was over. When they met with Macbeth, they explained in riddles how he would become the Thane of Cawdor, Thane of Glamis, and also the next king. When Macbeth first heard this, he was taken aback, despite the fact that the Thane of Cawdor was still alive, and how outrageous it was that he would become king. The witches also gave a prophecy to Banquo, saying that he himself won't be a king but his sons will be. Moments later, the witches had disappeared, and Ross showed up to bring Macbeth the news that he is the new Thane of Cawdor. When Macbeth heard this, he couldn’t believe that the witches were right. Macbeth says to himself, “This supernatural temptation doesn’t seem to be a bad thing, but it can’t be good either. If it’s a bad thing, why was I promised a promotion that turned out to be true? Now I’m the thane of Cawdor, just like they said I would be. However, if this is a good thing, why do I find myself pondering over murdering King Duncan” (Sparknotes). This is the first indication we have about Macbeth wanting to kill Duncan, or at least trying to understand the witches' prophecy.

Lady Macbeth's Influence

In Act one Scene 5, we see how Lady Macbeth is naturally evil, unlike Macbeth. She explains how she asks these supernatural spirits to take away all the good in her body. Her evil heart influenced Macbeth while he was facing the decision to kill Duncan. One part of him wants to be loyal, and the other part wants to kill Duncan and become king. Soon he is influenced by Lady Macbeth to perform the deed. “Macbeth himself is easily manipulated and, not only is he greatly affected by the witches and cannot decide whether they signal 'good' or 'ill,' he is largely controlled by Lady Macbeth” (Enotes). In a way, he can be seen as a villain in the scene where he kills Duncan because he is more scared of being caught than the deed itself. I believe that the only reason he felt this way, though, was because of his wife's influence.

Macbeth's Ambition

In a way, Macbeth might be seen as a villain shortly after he becomes king. He lets power get to his head, and his ambitions get the better of him. Once he makes the decision to kill Banquo, it is when he can be seen as a villain. He even tells Lady Macbeth not to worry about it because he can handle it on his own. However, even though Banquo was dead, his son escaped. The son is the key in the prophecy because the witches said that Banquo won’t be king, but his sons will. Knowing this, Macbeth visited the witches seeking advice. There, the witches told him that no man of woman born could ever harm Macbeth. This gave Macbeth a sense of overconfidence about no one being able to harm him. If Macduff had not killed Macbeth, Macbeth might have become even more corrupt. The witches' prophecies and his unchecked ambition together paved the path of his descent into tyranny.

The Conclusion of Macbeth's Journey

In the end, Macbeth can be seen as a villain due to his actions that were influenced by fate, the witches, and his wife. In my opinion, Macbeth started as a humble, brave man who let ambition and anxiety get the better of him, eventually leading to his downfall. The tragedy of Macbeth lies in his transformation from a noble warrior to a tyrannical ruler, driven by unchecked ambition and the influence of others.

References:

• Sparknotes. (n.d.). Macbeth: No Fear Translation. Retrieved from https://www.sparknotes.com/nofear/shakespeare/macbeth/
• Enotes. (n.d.). Macbeth Analysis. Retrieved from https://www.enotes.com/topics/macbeth
• Shakespeare, W. (1606). Macbeth. (Various editions).