W07 Essay - Aristotelian Analysis of Macbeth

 

As ambition developed, Macbeth plotted to become the next King of Scotland. These intentions were eventually planted by the three weird sisters (witches) as soon as they met Macbeth and Banquo returning from their victorious wars against two separate armies from Ireland and Norway. Their prediction to Macbeth said that he will be “Thane of Cawdor” and eventually King of Scotland, and to Banquo they said “Thou shalt get kings, though thou be none” a way of saying that he will become the forefather of Scottish Kings. So all hail, to both Macbeth and Banquo!

Like a joke, Macbeth and Banquo realized that the prophecy was about to be accomplished when they were told by Ross and Angus (two King’s men) that Thane was convicted and condemned to death for treason. Soon after that, King Duncan has named Macbeth Thane of Cawdor. Coincidence or destiny? Macbeth began to believe in the prophecies. Macbeth shares the prophecies with his wife and soon discover how ambitious she was to the point of concocting a plan for the murder of King Duncan without studying the consequences so that Macbeth can be King of Scotland; she practically minimizes the guilty conscience and the seriousness of succeeding to the killing a King. The plot also intended to kill his best friend Banquo and his son (Fleance). Unfortunately, Banquo succumbs but his son escapes the murders. 

The climax is noticed when the assassination of King Duncan occurred; Macbeth has a sharp pointed knife used to stab the King and at some point traumatized by seeing the King’s blood in his hands. Lady Macbeth was not pleased with the way the action took place and considered her husband as a weak man for not planting the evidence on the guards. Therefore, she took the daggers (used to kill the King) away from Macbeth and went back to the crime scene to smear blood on the sleeping guards and plant the daggers on them. These actions led to the next plot of assassinations. Now the paranoiac Macbeth was ordered the capture of the castle which was under the leadership of the Thane of Fife Sir Macduff and where Malcolm the eldest son of King Duncan was, and killed Macduff’s wife and children.

The denouement happened when Macbeth discovers that his wife committed suicide. Her sudden death brought silence to Macbeth’s evil plans; since then, he became a free-electron strengthened by the witches’ prophecy considering himself invincible and unfortunately will lose his life to Macduff and his kingdom to Malcolm the son of King Duncan.

Although his character is a mix of good and bad, Macbeth is the protagonist in these scenes. The drive of these scene is his ambition to fulfill the prophecy by killing all the threats encountered. Banquo, the witches, and Lady Macbeth are the most antagonists. Knowing that his children will become Kings, therefore Banquo became a threat to Macbeth. On the other side, Lady Macbeth is the true villain for misguiding Macbeth; at some other scenes, she might be considered as a protagonist for her role of being a help to Macbeth to carry out the bloody plan to become the next King and she is an antagonist by opposing Macbeth whenever she sees him as a weak man and putting Macbeth to danger because of her actions. The witches played a major role in shaping the mind of Macbeth; they knew his weakness and use it as an opportunity to destroy many lives. 

Macbeth’s fatal flaw resides in his obsession with power which led to pride and selfishness. Although he mentions to him that “We will proceed no further in this business: he hath honour’d me of late, and I have bought golden opinions from all sorts of people…”, however, the cunning Lady Macbeth offered to do it herself saying “Prithee, peace: I dare do all that may become a man; Who dares do more is none”, and told him that he can only portray himself as a man only after executing the plan to killing the King stating “And, to be more than what you were, you would Be so much more the man”. His ambition went extreme when he murdered King Duncan who trusted him and requested the two murderers to kill Banquo and his son Fleance – just because of a prophecy although Banquo worn him

“And oftentimes, to win us to our harm
The instruments of darkness tell us truths;
Win us with honest trifles, to betray's
In deepest consequence.” He became very selfish and power hungry; and did not believe that a man of woman born could kill him, which was accomplished later on by Macduff, Malcom and the English army marching on Macbeth, and Macduff killing him.

            The three major thoughts are the guilty play, the ambition, and the irrationality. Macbeth conscience was no longer in peace since the murder of the King and since then, he couldn’t sleep. Although he became the King of Scotland and because of the feeling of guilt, the sound of voices saying “Sleep no more!” hunted him. His ambition was extreme; although the King and his family was the real (current) treat, Macbeth ordered the murder of his best friend Banquo and his son Fleance; also plotted to eliminate Macduff and his family believing that as the advisor of King Duncan, he will become a real treat which was real. And the last thought about Macbeth is irrationality. Less sleep forced him to see Banquo as a ghost during the banquet feast which led him becoming a tyrant in order to confirm his supremacy to the kingdom – killing without mercy, dictatorship became his state of ruling. This affected the wife as well who became hopeless to realize that she has built a “zombie”; she became very afraid of Macbeth and often will be sleepwalking. Lady Macbeth constantly sees blood on her hands and kept brushing them off with hands. Reading of Macbeth encourage virtue in the audience member in understanding that as part of sins family, murder is one of the worst to arrive; and once done, there is no concrete repair. Once a person is comfortable and commit a sin, a little one will lead to greater until if no repentance is done can lead to the destruction of the soul of the sinner; in this case, the heart get harder which lead less satisfaction feeling by committing more sins to cover previous ones.

            The drama of the play has several dictions. Act 2 scene 2 shows Macbeth trying to overcome his unrest conscience after the murder of King Duncan when he said “Me thought I heard a voice cry: Sleep no more! Macbeth does murder sleep.” Another diction can be found after the murder of Sir Macduff’s family which had a profound effect on Lady Macbeth and states “Out, damned spot! out, I say!--One: two: why, then, ‘tis time to do’t.--Hell is murky!--Fie, my lord, fie! a soldier, and afeard? What need we fear who knows it, when none can call our power to account?--Yet who would have thought the old man to have had so much blood in him.    Doctor Do you mark that?  Lady Macbeth continues,” The thane of Fife had a wife:  where is she now? -- What, will these hands ne’er be clean?--No more o’ that, my lord, no more o’ that: you mar all with this starting.”

            Some indications of music and spectacle are seen in these acts. In Act 2 Scene 2, Macbeth has returned from murdering the king, Lady Macbeth asks Macbeth for the daggers in order to plant them onto the sleeping guards as she exits, Macbeth hears a knocking sound, “Whence is that knocking? How is’t with me, when every noise appals me? Lady Macbeth responds,” My hands are of your colour; but I shame To wear a heart so white. Knocking within I hear a knocking At the south entry: retire we to our chamber; A little water clears us of this deed: How easy is it, then! Your constancy Hath left you unattended. Knocking within Hark! more knocking. Get on your nightgown, lest occasion call us, And show us to be watchers.Be not lost So poorly in your thoughts.” Another example is also in Act II Scene 2 after Macbeth states he has “done the deed”, then references an owl screeching, “Macbeth- “I have done the deed. Didst thou not hear a noise? Lady Macbeth- I heard the owl scream and the crickets cry. Did not you speak? Macbeth - When? Lady Macbeth - Now. Macbeth - As I descended?” A performance of this play will requires fanfare and maybe tutari to be heard as a sign of welcoming the King while scenario of Macbeth killing the King can.

Although a sad story, the same does happen in our nowadays politics. This is an enjoyable story to read or to watch. We learn that power for power leads to selfishness. Power should come from the people and serve the people for a better cause. Dangerous decisions lead to negative consequences. In most cases, people fight for glory and not legitimacy. You can reach the top level but without legitimacy, the true power that belongs to the silent majority will soon or later overthrow you. The play shows that one sin must really be avoided by practicing the motto “no even once” because one sin will always call the other one to cover the previous and like the greatest counsel from Banquo to macbeth “the instruments of darkness tell us truths; Win us with honest trifles, to betray's in deepest consequence.” Therefore, it matters not what position we hold in this world or our political standing. We must build our standing by living according to the principles of the living gospel of Christ. Although he became very cruel, even Macbeth couldn’t accept the death of his own wife. In other words, despite his evil acts, he remained human with a sense of knowledge of good and evil when he said “She should have died hereafter;

There would have been a time for such a word.

To-morrow, and to-morrow, and to-morrow,

Creeps in this petty pace from day to day

To the last syllable of recorded time,

And all our yesterdays have lighted fools

The way to dusty death.

Out, out, brief candle!

Life’s but a walking shadow, a poor player

That struts and frets his hour upon the stage

And then is heard no more: it is a tale

Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury,

Signifying nothing.”

In the end, he really realized that his actions of getting all the powers were just in vain. His wife and children had gone, so no one from his family will enjoy that with him.

Vocabulary.com defines peripety as a sudden and unexpected change of fortune or reverse of circumstances. Lady Macbeth is one of the perfect example in this play. I believe they had a peaceful life but the sudden change of mind inciting her husband to commit several crimes in order to secure the kingdom for her husband did not, unfortunately, bring the joy of being King and Queen; in fact, she became miserable saying  “The thane of Fife had a wife: where is she now?-- What, will these hands ne’er be clean?--No more o’ that, my lord, no more o’ that: you mar all with this starting… Here’s the smell of the blood still: all the perfumes of Arabia will not sweeten this little hand. Oh, oh, oh!