Macbeth, Article Critique Example

Macbeth is probably one of the most memorable plays in English history. It is the story of a general who murders a king to take his throne. Then, he orders the murder of his rivals, but some survive to mount a war against him at which time he is killed and beheaded. Within the plot there are a number of supernatural portents which add to the ensuing drama, and Macbeth himself is not a typically flat character.

The plot includes a number of supernatural events such as witches, prophesies, and ghosts. If these events were removed altogether, the storyline could still be motivated by other means. For example, instead of prophesies, Macbeth’s ambition could be motivated by some internal dialogue of his own as presented in a monologue to himself on the way back from battle. The witches could be replaced with some less paranormal characters such as advisors, messengers, and other court personnel. Furthermore, the ghostly apparitions could be replaced by other means of conveying information – perhaps another monologue illustrating the ambition overriding the guilt or the fear overriding the moment of conquest. Nevertheless, the supernatural modes of communicating the motives in the characters are not necessarily outdone with the alternatives. It was one of the most fascinating and attractive features of Shakespearian Theater that the stories often included bazaar and fanciful characters and events that are not otherwise accessible to us in everyday life.

Not only are these events atypical to everyday life, but Macbeth is an atypical Shakespearian character. He is not really good nor completely evil. Macbeth embodies a sort of amoral ground where external forces motive him to act in ways he might otherwise not. For example, had the witches not convinced him of his accession to the throne, he may have not had the seed of an idea necessary plot Duncan’s murder in the first place. Furthermore, he is egged on by the power lust of Lady Macbeth. She even helps him plan to get the centuries drunk enough to black out. They even go as far as planning for the murder of the chamberlains to keep the plot silent. So, it seems Macbeth is acts in ways he sees as necessary based on the prevailing social situations. In other words, Macbeth is more of a fool than anything else. He is easily manipulated by others (especially women it seems – the witches and his wife), and despite his prestige on the field of battle as a victorious general, he is somehow unequipped to make wise decisions in real-life politics, at least not without the interference of others. So, he is not completely bad or completely good, but he is clearly not steadfast in his own mindset and is of a pliable enough constitution to put him in situations that compromise his well-being and stature. This he does entirely for the lust for power. It is as if he is mad – which incidentally is not so far from many of Shakespeare’s characters.

Macbeth is still such a memorable and classic work until modern times. He is representative of a number of actual historical figures who were competent generals but not so competent politicians. So, there are lessons to be learned form Macbeth. How many of us have been the victim of social pressures and ill-directed motivation such that we make decisions that are against our best interests? Macbeth represents this all too human failing on a much grander scale.