Character Analysis: Macbeth by William Shakespeare
Character Analysis
M acbeth
William Shakespeare
1. Macbeth
Introduction
Macbeth is the central character of Shakespeare's tragedy. He begins the play as a
celebrated warrior, a loyal subject of King Duncan, and a man of genuine courage.
However, the promise of power — first planted by the witches and then fuelled by his
wife's ambition — gradually destroys him. His story is one of moral collapse, guilt, and
the terrible cost of unchecked ambition.
Early Character: The Brave Soldier
At the start of the play, Macbeth is presented in heroic terms. A wounded soldier reports
his bravery on the battlefield in vivid, almost violent praise. The King himself calls him
'valiant cousin, worthy gentleman.' This early portrait is important because it shows us
what Macbeth has — honour, status, and the love of his king — which makes what he
later throws away all the more tragic.
"For brave Macbeth — well he deserves that name — / Disdaining Fortune, with
his brandished steel, / Which smoked with bloody execution." (Act 1, Scene 2)
Page 1
, Character Analysis: Macbeth by William Shakespeare
The imagery here is dramatic and admiring. Macbeth's sword is described as smoking
with blood — a warrior in full fury. This is the version of Macbeth that exists before
ambition corrupts him.
The Temptation of Ambition
When the witches prophecy that Macbeth will become king, they do not force him to do
anything — they simply plant an idea. The terrifying truth is that Macbeth's reaction
shows the thought was already somewhere inside him. He immediately imagines
murdering Duncan, and the vision disturbs him deeply:
"Why do I yield to that suggestion / Whose horrid image doth unfix my hair /
And make my seated heart knock at my ribs?" (Act 1, Scene 3)
This moment is psychologically rich. Macbeth is frightened by his own mind. He knows
the thought is wrong, yet he cannot dismiss it. Lady Macbeth then becomes the force
that pushes him from thought to action, calling on dark spirits and questioning his
manhood to overcome his hesitation.
The Murder of Duncan and Guilt
Macbeth commits regicide — the murder of a king — which in Shakespeare's world was
not just a crime but a profound sin. Before the murder, Macbeth hallucinates a dagger
floating before him, a powerful symbol of how deeply guilt has already begun to infect
his mind even before he acts:
"Is this a dagger which I see before me, / The handle toward my hand?" (Act 2,
Scene 1)
After the murder, his response is immediate and overwhelming guilt. He cannot say
'Amen' when he hears someone praying — as though he has cut himself off from God.
He tells Lady Macbeth: 'Macbeth shall sleep no more,' a line that captures how he has
destroyed his own inner peace permanently.
"Will all great Neptune's ocean wash this blood / Clean from my hand? No, this
my hand will rather / The multitudinous seas incarnadine, / Making the green
one red." (Act 2, Scene 2)
Page 2
, Character Analysis: Macbeth by William Shakespeare
This is one of Shakespeare's most powerful images. Macbeth feels that even all the
water in the ocean cannot clean him — that his guilt is so great it would stain the sea
itself. It reveals a man who, even in the moment of victory, is already spiritually ruined.
Descent into Tyranny
Once he becomes king, Macbeth's character changes sharply. He becomes paranoid
and ruthless. He arranges the murder of his friend Banquo because the witches
prophesied that Banquo's descendants — not his own — would be kings. He then
massacres the family of Macduff, a nobleman who has fled to England. These later
crimes are different from the first murder. With Duncan, there was conflict, hesitation,
and guilt. With Banquo and Macduff's family, there is cold, calculated cruelty.
"I am in blood / Stepped in so far that, should I wade no more, / Returning
were as tedious as go o'er." (Act 3, Scene 4)
This line perfectly captures Macbeth's state of mind at this point. He knows he has gone
too far. He cannot go back. So he decides to keep going forward — deeper into crime.
This is the logic of tyranny: each evil act demands another to protect it.
The Witches and Fate
The three witches are an important influence on Macbeth throughout the play. After
becoming king, he visits them again and receives new prophecies that make him feel
invincible. They tell him that 'none of woman born shall harm Macbeth' and that he
cannot be defeated until Birnam Wood moves to Dunsinane. Macbeth takes these as
absolute promises, not as the riddles they really are. This overconfidence leads directly
to his downfall.
Final Moments: Despair and Courage
As his world collapses — his wife dies, his army deserts, the prophecies unravel —
Macbeth delivers one of Shakespeare's most famous and bleakest speeches:
"Tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow, / 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." (Act 5, Scene 5)
Page 3
Character Analysis
M acbeth
William Shakespeare
1. Macbeth
Introduction
Macbeth is the central character of Shakespeare's tragedy. He begins the play as a
celebrated warrior, a loyal subject of King Duncan, and a man of genuine courage.
However, the promise of power — first planted by the witches and then fuelled by his
wife's ambition — gradually destroys him. His story is one of moral collapse, guilt, and
the terrible cost of unchecked ambition.
Early Character: The Brave Soldier
At the start of the play, Macbeth is presented in heroic terms. A wounded soldier reports
his bravery on the battlefield in vivid, almost violent praise. The King himself calls him
'valiant cousin, worthy gentleman.' This early portrait is important because it shows us
what Macbeth has — honour, status, and the love of his king — which makes what he
later throws away all the more tragic.
"For brave Macbeth — well he deserves that name — / Disdaining Fortune, with
his brandished steel, / Which smoked with bloody execution." (Act 1, Scene 2)
Page 1
, Character Analysis: Macbeth by William Shakespeare
The imagery here is dramatic and admiring. Macbeth's sword is described as smoking
with blood — a warrior in full fury. This is the version of Macbeth that exists before
ambition corrupts him.
The Temptation of Ambition
When the witches prophecy that Macbeth will become king, they do not force him to do
anything — they simply plant an idea. The terrifying truth is that Macbeth's reaction
shows the thought was already somewhere inside him. He immediately imagines
murdering Duncan, and the vision disturbs him deeply:
"Why do I yield to that suggestion / Whose horrid image doth unfix my hair /
And make my seated heart knock at my ribs?" (Act 1, Scene 3)
This moment is psychologically rich. Macbeth is frightened by his own mind. He knows
the thought is wrong, yet he cannot dismiss it. Lady Macbeth then becomes the force
that pushes him from thought to action, calling on dark spirits and questioning his
manhood to overcome his hesitation.
The Murder of Duncan and Guilt
Macbeth commits regicide — the murder of a king — which in Shakespeare's world was
not just a crime but a profound sin. Before the murder, Macbeth hallucinates a dagger
floating before him, a powerful symbol of how deeply guilt has already begun to infect
his mind even before he acts:
"Is this a dagger which I see before me, / The handle toward my hand?" (Act 2,
Scene 1)
After the murder, his response is immediate and overwhelming guilt. He cannot say
'Amen' when he hears someone praying — as though he has cut himself off from God.
He tells Lady Macbeth: 'Macbeth shall sleep no more,' a line that captures how he has
destroyed his own inner peace permanently.
"Will all great Neptune's ocean wash this blood / Clean from my hand? No, this
my hand will rather / The multitudinous seas incarnadine, / Making the green
one red." (Act 2, Scene 2)
Page 2
, Character Analysis: Macbeth by William Shakespeare
This is one of Shakespeare's most powerful images. Macbeth feels that even all the
water in the ocean cannot clean him — that his guilt is so great it would stain the sea
itself. It reveals a man who, even in the moment of victory, is already spiritually ruined.
Descent into Tyranny
Once he becomes king, Macbeth's character changes sharply. He becomes paranoid
and ruthless. He arranges the murder of his friend Banquo because the witches
prophesied that Banquo's descendants — not his own — would be kings. He then
massacres the family of Macduff, a nobleman who has fled to England. These later
crimes are different from the first murder. With Duncan, there was conflict, hesitation,
and guilt. With Banquo and Macduff's family, there is cold, calculated cruelty.
"I am in blood / Stepped in so far that, should I wade no more, / Returning
were as tedious as go o'er." (Act 3, Scene 4)
This line perfectly captures Macbeth's state of mind at this point. He knows he has gone
too far. He cannot go back. So he decides to keep going forward — deeper into crime.
This is the logic of tyranny: each evil act demands another to protect it.
The Witches and Fate
The three witches are an important influence on Macbeth throughout the play. After
becoming king, he visits them again and receives new prophecies that make him feel
invincible. They tell him that 'none of woman born shall harm Macbeth' and that he
cannot be defeated until Birnam Wood moves to Dunsinane. Macbeth takes these as
absolute promises, not as the riddles they really are. This overconfidence leads directly
to his downfall.
Final Moments: Despair and Courage
As his world collapses — his wife dies, his army deserts, the prophecies unravel —
Macbeth delivers one of Shakespeare's most famous and bleakest speeches:
"Tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow, / 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." (Act 5, Scene 5)
Page 3
