Macbeth Themes Essay Research Paper Throughout Shakespeares

Macbeth Themes Essay, Research Paper

Throughout Shakespeare?s literature similar themes reoccur frequently. One

theme which is evident throughout Macbeth is the use of parental and child

references. Shakespeare associates children and babies and parenthood within the

play. Child references describe many things. One use may be seen when Duncan

thanks Macbeth for his bravery in battle, Macbeth replies.?Your highness’ part

is to receive our duties and our duties are to your throne and state children

and servants" (Act 1,Scene 4,23-25). Macbeth refers to the king as being a

father to his children and his children being his people. Another reference to

children can be found before Macbeth decides to kill Duncan. He ponders what

will happen after he kills Duncan. "Pity, like a naked new-born babe,

/Striding the blast, or heaven’s cherubins, horsed /Upon the sightless couriers

of the air, /Shall blow the horrid deed in every eye, /That tears shall drown

the wind" (Act 1, Scene 7, 21-25). He describes Duncan as a baby. He does

that because he associates babies with innocence and peace. He also begins to

show a consience since he describes Duncan?s death would be like a hard wind

that brings a tear to the eyes. When Lady Macbeth hears this, she tells Macbeth

that he is a coward. ?I have given suck, and know /How tender ’tis to love the

babe that milks me: /I would, while it was smiling in my face, /Have Hartman

page 2 pluck’d my nipple from his boneless gums, ?And dash’d the brains out, had

I so sworn as you /Have done to this.(Act 1, Scene7, 54-59) This passage again

refers to a baby as portraying innocence. It also shows how cold Lady Macbeth is

because she tells the reader that she would slaughter a child which she nursed

from her own breast. We can assume she tells us that she would kill even if it

was her own child. This is an example of the maternal motif. Another part of the

theme of children and babies could be seen in the reference to Macduff?s

birth. He was delivered through an unnatural birth, which gave him the power to

kill Macbeth because it matched the witch?s prophecy. This is another parental

theme which has many references in the play. We also see that Shakespeare has

decided to create many characters which are introduced as sons of Duncan. These

characters include Malcom, Donalbain, and Lennox. Within this play the motif of

babies, children, and parental acts are strong. Shakespeare uses them to show

the warmth and also the cold heartedness of his characters? personalities.