Shakespeare

Shakespeare not only presents the actions of characters, but also helps us to understand what motivates characters to act the way they do. The tragedy, Macbeth, is a play where there are many dreadful events, and strong motivations behind them. Macduff and Macbeth are two characters of Macbeth who encounter great, but not always good, motivation for their actions. Macbeth is a heroic character at the beginning of this play "unseaming men from the nave to the chops." In addition to the prophecies, Lady Macbeth is a firm generator of motivation for Macbeth's actions. Another strong source of motivation is Macbeth's ambition. He wants nothing more than to be King and along with kingship comes happiness, or so Macbeth thinks. His ambition is the fatal flaw that causes his eventual downfall. Macbeth became over-ambitious, and eventually placed all of his faith in the last prophecies made by the witches- that he could not be killed by anyone born of woman, that he is safe until Birnam Wood comes to Dunsinane Hill (where Macbeth's castle is) and the he should beware Macduff. Macbeth treats the first two prophecies too seriously and the third one not seriously enough. It is basically the first prophecy that unchecked his ambition- for he thought he was invincible. In the end, Macbeth is murdered by Macduff, who was born of cesarian section, not naturally, after the soldiers had used trees from Birnam wood to camouflage themselves against Macbeth's armies. Throughout the play, it is Macbeth's ambition that destroys his good nature and forces him to break all moral boundaries. Until he meets the witches, he is loyal to his king and country, his friends and his wife. If he had not sought after becoming king, then the prophecies would not have had any effect on him.

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