Macbeth is said to be one of Shakespeare's shortest yet most tragic plays. Having also read Julius Caesar, the assumption I make is that the tragedy referred to here, is ambition; how ambition can lead to one’s mental destruction and cloud their judgement.
Macbeth was prophesied great power and was told that the person to slay him wouldn't be anyone born from a woman. That promise drove him insane. He decided that nothing would get in the way of him getting what he deserved. He went to great lengths to ensure him of that, but somewhere along the way, the colour of the blood that was on his hand started turning brighter, darker, larger (figuratively speaking) until he became unstable. The ghosts of the murdered started haunting him. However, he remembered the witches telling him “the power of man, for none of woman born//Shall harm Macbeth”. Little did he know Macduff was untimely ripped from his lifeless mother’s body, implying that he was not born from a woman.
The tragedy doesn't only lie in the fact that Macbeth’s political ambition got the best of him. The tragedy also lies in the fact: Macbeth was honourable, admired, brave, a patriot, noble and “too full o’ th’ milk of human kindness”. Unfortunately, the tiny bit that yearned for power grew bigger because of the witches clever and subtle deception.
It's especially hard for the readers (or at least me) to accept Macbeth as a man turned. A man we can no longer hope to become what he once was. A man who was so pure was ultimately so heavily influenced by evil spirits and it just seems too cruel. What made it worse was how bravely he fought till his very end and during this fight I once again glimpsed the old Macbeth.
Macbeth was prophesied great power and was told that the person to slay him wouldn't be anyone born from a woman. That promise drove him insane. He decided that nothing would get in the way of him getting what he deserved. He went to great lengths to ensure him of that, but somewhere along the way, the colour of the blood that was on his hand started turning brighter, darker, larger (figuratively speaking) until he became unstable. The ghosts of the murdered started haunting him. However, he remembered the witches telling him “the power of man, for none of woman born//Shall harm Macbeth”. Little did he know Macduff was untimely ripped from his lifeless mother’s body, implying that he was not born from a woman.
The tragedy doesn't only lie in the fact that Macbeth’s political ambition got the best of him. The tragedy also lies in the fact: Macbeth was honourable, admired, brave, a patriot, noble and “too full o’ th’ milk of human kindness”. Unfortunately, the tiny bit that yearned for power grew bigger because of the witches clever and subtle deception.
It's especially hard for the readers (or at least me) to accept Macbeth as a man turned. A man we can no longer hope to become what he once was. A man who was so pure was ultimately so heavily influenced by evil spirits and it just seems too cruel. What made it worse was how bravely he fought till his very end and during this fight I once again glimpsed the old Macbeth.