Macbeth Essay On Good Behavior Essay Research

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In Macbeth, a dramatic tragedy by William Shakespeare, The heroic characters are rewarded and the evil, punished. Lady Macbeth, from her appearance in the play, is an evil woman and causes her husband’s change of role. She goes insane with guilt and kills herself. Lady Macbeth receives her punishment in full. Malcolm, King Duncan’s son, is a heroic and honourable person throughout the play. He is crowned King of Scotland in the last act and finally gets what he deserves. Macbeth is on both sides of this debate. He wins the battle in the first scene and is granted the title of Thane of Cawdor. Macbeth lies and cheats his fellow men in the following scenes and is killed in a heated battle with Macduff. He receives both his reward and punishment in the five-act play.

Lady Macbeth first enters the book right after Macbeth receives his first predictions from the three Witches. She does not think twice about her actions and starts planning Duncan’s murder without consulting her husband first. Lady Macbeth, however, does not feel that her husband has the heart to kill the King for the crown:

Glamis thou art, and Cawdor, and shalt be

What thou art promise’d: yet do I fear thy nature,

It is too full o’ the milk of human kindness

To catch the nearest way. Thou wouldst be great,

Art not without ambition (I.V.15-19)

This shows how little Lady Macbeth cares about her husband’s wishes. This is very ironic since normally it is the man who does not ask for approval. Even when Macbeth disagrees to her plan, Lady Macbeth starts taunting her husband and calls him a coward: ” Art thou afeared/To be the same in thine own act and valour/As thou art in desire? “(I.VII.39-41) This decision is Lady Macbeth’s downfall as she goes crazy with guilt for the murder of Duncan and Banquo. “You see her eyes are open./Ay, but their sense is shut./ Out damned spot! out I say!”(V.I.25-26, 35) Lady Macbeth gives the punishment to herself. She is so guilt stricken; she kills herself in Dunsinane. The evil is punished.

Malcolm is almost a complete opposite to Lady Macbeth. After his father’s murder, he flees to England and starts to unravel Macbeth’s lie about his father. He feels uneasy about his company: “Let’s not consort with them:/To show an unfelt sorrow is an office/Which the false man does easy.” (II.IV.136-138) by running away, Malcolm shows his pride for the country by wanting to save his families title. Had Malcolm stayed in Scotland, he would have run a great risk for the welfare of the country. Malcolm does not appear again until Act 4 and speaks about nothing but Macbeth’s treachery. “This tyrant, whose sole name blisters our tongues/Was once thought honest ” (IV.III.12-13) Malcolm is rewarded with the crown of Scotland in the last scene and his final monologue predicts that he will be a honourable ruler. ” As calling home our exil’d friends abroad,/That fled the snares of watchful tyranny, /we invite to see us crown’d at Scone.” (V.VIII.66-67,75)

Macbeth received both his reward and punishment for the actions he made. In the second scene, Macbeth is looked on as a hero because of his courage in the war. “For brave Macbeth (well he deserves that name)” (I.II.16) Macbeth is given the title; thane of Cawdor for his bravery. “No more that thane of Cawdor shall deceive/Our bosom interest: go pronounce his present death,/And with his former title greet Macbeth.” (I.II.64-66) This, however, is the first downfall for Macbeth. After the three predictions from the witches, he finds the second one to be true when Ross pronounces his new title. Macbeth becomes greedy and does not wish to wait for the final prediction to come true. Had Macbeth waited, he would have avoided all the trouble that fell upon him after Duncan’s murder. Lady Macbeth had something to do with this decision, though. She called him a coward and forced him into his own doom. The peak of Macbeth’s horrific crimes came with the murder of Macduff’s family. Macbeth thinks Macduff a coward for going to England to help Malcolm in the rebellion. He challenges Macduff by murdering his wife and children because he thinks he is invulnerable. ” give to the edge o’ the sword/His wife, his babes, and all unfortunate souls/That trace him in his line.” (IV.I.151-153) His thinking is due to his recent predictions from the witches. Macduff vows revenge unto Macbeth and prays to God that he meet Macbeth so he can avenge his wife and children. “Bring thou this fiend of Scotland and myself,/Within my sword’s length set him; if he ’scape,/Heaven forgive him too!” (IV.III.233-235) When Macbeth killed Macduff’s family, he pronounced his own death. He threw away every possibility of regaining his men’s trust. From this point in the play it is no surprise that Macbeth meets his death at the hand of Macduff. He was definitely deserving of his punishment and shows how a person can change with power and greed. This, of course, was all caused by Macbeth not waiting for his prediction’s truth, but forcing the matter. Macbeth, himself, proved the entire thesis with his illusions of grandeur and his greedy nature.

Macbeth, a play written by William Shakespeare, shows the rewards of acting honourable and the punishment received for greediness. Lady Macbeth is truly evil and pressures Macbeth into murdering King Duncan; the very man who pronounced him thane of Cawdor. She, in the end, kills herself due to the guilt felt for conning her husband into such treachery. Malcolm is a very honourable person and slowly plans his revenge against the treasonous murderer of his father, King Duncan. He makes many allies in the years he tries to find the truth about his father’s death, and is rewarded for his patience with the crown of Scotland. Macbeth plays both evil and trusting roles throughout the play. He becomes thane of Cawdor for his valour in a recent war and is also killed for his horrific actions against his enemy Macduff. Throughout the course of the play, many people are misguided and others are told the truth, but almost all of the characters receive what they deserve at the end. Work hard and you shall receive your just rewards.