Macbeth Assessment Essay

Macbeth written in 1606 has proven to be one of Shakespeare’s most successful and popular plays. It wasn’t just the plays that were popular William Shakespeare born 1564 is the most famous play writer in the world. He was born in Stratford upon Avon. He wrote 34 plays, Macbeth being just one of them. There are many reasons why Macbeth has proven to be so popular. It is the third shortest play written by Shakespeare, it is fast moving including death, murder, deception, and betrayal. The play follows the story of a man who was desperate for power and turns to murder to get his own way. It has conserved its title as an exceptional play as it appeals to audiences both today and in Shakespeare’s time, by including factors that appeal to everyone. In Shakespeare’s time people would be intrigued by the supernatural, as they were xenophobic, they took a dislike towards the witches. They didn’t understand them even today when we know a little more about the supernatural it is still a topic people would like to know more about. The play makes you want more. You want to find out if he was a good king or if he would really murder his best friend. It is an unpredictable play you don’t know what is going to happen. Theatre going was very popular in the 1600’s because not only was it for the rich the poor could enjoy the entertainment as well. Many people enjoyed the magic of the theatre, that’s what made it such a success. The globe built in 1599 was one of the first theatres in London, it could seat over 3,000 people but sadly tragedy struck in 1613 when the great fire of London burnt down the theatre along with many other famous landmarks. It was a great loss in everyone’s eye, so a year later the globe was replaced. It cost à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½1,400 to rebuild. It didn’t take long before the theatre had paid for it’s self as it was so popular. The poor people would sit in the ‘pit’ they would only have to pay 1p but if it rained they would get wet, as there was no shelter. The rich people could sit around the sides where they would be able to see everything as the seats were tiered along the sides they were sheltered from the cold. They would have had to pay around 10p for their seat. As a variety of people attended the play would have to cater for a range of people. Not a play for the rich or poor. If the king didn’t approve of they play he could stop the performances. Shakespeare’s plays were clever they contained blood guts and gore. The monarchy and the political situation at the time had much to do with why the play had proven to be so popular. King James the first was new to the throne, as Elizabeth had died. Elizabeth was a popular queen where as James the first had shown to be very disliked. They worried what king James would be like on the throne they were right to be worried King James was evil he burnt and tortured Catholics. The declining catholic population soon grew to hate him and in 1605 a plot was taken against him in hope he would die. Guy Folkes attempted to blow the house of parliament up in ‘The gun powder plot’ fortunately for the king he was unsuccessful. He was later executed. A year later when Shakespeare was writing Macbeth he had to be very careful on what he included. If James the first did not like the play and took offence to it then he could have Shakespeare killed. Shakespeare’s presented the play in good light. He displayed Duncan the king as a good king whom people loved, James would have liked this as he thought it portrayed himself but really Shakespeare was showing James t o be Macbeth. The play showed a warning if a man killed the king he would suffer a fate as bad. The main theme of the play shows a man who is led to despair by his controlling wife. He starts as a loyal soldier serving his king to the very best. Due to his service he was made Thane of Cowdor, but that was not enough for him and his power mad wife. They thought of an evil plot to kill the beloved Duncan. They arranged to kill him in his bed and make it look as if his own guards have killed him. They succeeded in their plot for greatness. Macbeth is crowned king. Duncan’s sons who would have been next to the thrown, but they fled as they thought they were suspects for the murder. Macbeth now had the taste for murder. He killed his best friend Banquo. Later he tried to kill Macduff a fellow soldier but was unsuccessful as Mac duff got away. Macbeth was mad by this and instead of trying to kill Macduff he killed his wife and children. How could a man be so cruel as he may have suffered the pain of a child being taken from his life. Macduff was on his way to England to fetch an army thousands big. Lady Macbeth went mad with guilt and killed herself. Once Macbeth heard news of the triumph against him he started to worry. He got ready for a fight he placed on his amour ready. When Macduff arrived they fought their way into Macbeth’s castle in Dunsinane. Macbeth fought till the very end until it became too much he suffered a soldier’s death. The supernatural had a large role in the play Macbeth. Macbeth included the supernatural, as the audience then were scared and shocked by it. They were scared of witches as they thought of them as bad. So when the play Macbeth was written Shakespeare included witches in the very start. This would have shocked the audience making them interested in the play from the very start. They would want to know what happened to them. Audiences now would be curious to see the supernatural and how the witches act. The witches cropped up several times in the play to keep the audience watching. The witches open the play ‘when shall we three meet again, in thunder, lightning or in the rain? When the hurly burly’s done, when the battles lost and won, that will be the set of the sun where the place upon the heath’ Macbeth is a very fast moving play, which included a lot of action. The play is short, it is so fast moving to keep the audiences attention. I think the action and length were quite important to an audience. If the play were long and lacked action the play would be unpopular and found boring. Plays had to appeal to everyone it would be important to keep them interested and as there would be peasants viewing they would have to cater for them. The plots would have to be quite straightforward so the peasants could understand. The main events in the play link with each other. The witches have an important role in the play on the heath in act 1 scene one and again in act 1 scene 3. They tell Macbeth and Banquo their future. The next important scene is Act 1 scene 5 when Duncan comes to stay with Macbeth to celebrate Macbeth becoming the Thane of Cowdor but sadly Duncan is brutally murdered in his own bed. Macbeth is forced to do the deed by his crazed wife. Then Macbeth is crowned king. The next important scene is when Macbeth gets Banquo killed and Banquo’s ghost comes to haunt him. Lady Macbeth tries to make excuses to cover his moments of madness. She tells the people not to leave, as this will offend him. ‘Dray you keep seat. The fit is momentary upon a thought. He will again be well. If much you note him you shall offend him and extend his passion feeds and regard him not. The witches then appear again in act 4 scene 1. This time the witches didn’t find Macbeth, Macbeth went to find the witches. He wanted to know more. So the witches tell Macbeth in words, which have a double meaning. This makes Macbeth thinks he is going to rule as kin g for a long time. Macbeth next tries to kill Macduff but is too late Macduff is already on his way to England to fetch an army to kill Macbeth. Then Malcolm can return as the rightful king. In rage Macbeth kills Macduff’s wife and children. Meanwhile his own wife is going mad with guilt. She thinks she has a spot of Duncan’s blood on he hand, which she can’t wash off. This time lady Macbeth has turned out to be the one with feelings instead of being callas. She had always called Macbeth a coward for showing signs of feeling ‘Are you a man?’ he often tries to prove himself. ‘What man dare, I dare’ Lady Macbeth becomes so deranged she kills herself. Then we meet the biggest scene, act 5 scene 3 at Dunsinane castle. Malcolm’s army fight there way into Macbeth’s castle to return the rightful king to the thrown. Many play writers would have included guts and gore to surprise the audience. If all plays were written about love and everything was perfect plays would become boring. Showing guts and gore with lots of action would keep the audiences interested. The technology back then wasn’t that good not compared with today, but audiences back then would be impressed by Shakespeare’s use of trap doors and fake blood. The trap doors would be used for the witches and Banquo’s ghost to appear and disappear. This would reflect the power of the witches . They may have lowered Banquo’s ghost down on a rope to make it look as if it was floating. Many of these effects are still used today while doing performances of the play. The goriest bits in the play would be the murder scenes. Especially the scene with Duncan they would have used a lot of fake blood. Macbeth’s character changes quite significantly during the play he starts off as a loyal soldier dedicated to his king. He changes after his first meeting with the witches, once he knew his destiny he would do anything to get it as soon as he could. The witches told him he would be thane of Cowdor, and then he would be crowned king. His power mad wife often challenged his position. ‘Why do you make such faces’ Macbeth showed feeling he didn’t want to kill Duncan but callas Lady Macbeth drove him to it ‘That I may pour my spirits in thine ear and chastise with the valour of my tongue’ this shows the power she had over him. Macbeth is good not evil ‘yet I do fear thy nature, it is too full o’th’milk of human kindness’ Where as Macbeth is a gentle person. Lady Macbeth calls upon the spirits to make her evil enough to commit murder. ‘Come you spirits that tend on mortal thoughts, unsex me here and fill me from the crown to toe top full of direst cruelty make thick my blood. The planning of Duncan’s murder was quite disturbing Lady Macbeth proves her callas feelings. The death is like a challenge. ‘Art thou afeared to be the same in thine own act and valour as thou art in desire?’ She accuses him of breaking promises, that he isn’t strong enough to accept the challenges ‘wouldst thou have that which thou esteem’st the ornament of life, And you’re a coward in thine own esteem’ Macbeth braves himself as a man and accepts the challenge ‘I dare do all that may become a man, who dares do more is none’ Lady Macbeth shows some feeling like the feeling she may once have had for her child ‘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 plucked my nipple from his boneless gums and dashed the brains out, had I so sworn to you have done to this’ Her feelings soon turn evil as she says to Macbeth she would rather kill her child than break her promise. There was also many reasons why Macbeth shouldn’t kill Duncan ‘He’s here in double trust first I am his kings man and his subject, strong both against the deed then, as his host. Who should against his murder shut the door, not bear the knife myself†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢this Duncan been so clear in his great office’ Macbeth was related to king, he was Duncan’s host. Duncan was a good king if Macbeth went ahead with the murder he could loose everything. It was worse to kill a king than anyone else. It was a huge sin against god. God chose who was to be king. Lady Macbeth made most of the plans for the murder, she controlled Macbeth. She told him when and how to commit Duncan’s murder. Macbeth said the dagger showed the way to Duncan’s room. The night for Duncan’s death was perfect. Crows searched the courtyard a sign of death. An owl shrieked anther sign that evil was in the air. When Duncan had retired to his room and the guards had fell asleep Macbeth brutality stabbed Duncan in the chest with a dagger. Macbeth returned out of Duncan’s room with the evidence in his hand. He refused to re-enter the room so lady Macbeth took them back in the room and put the blood of Duncan on the guards face to make it look like they had killed Duncan. Macbeth didn’t prove to be a very good or popular king. Many people didn’t respect him. He lost many of his friends especially his supposed best friend Banquo whom he had killed as he suspected Macbeth had killed Duncan. Later at one of Macbeth banquets, he started to talk to a ghost that wasn’t even there. Lady Macbeth tried to cover it up. The second meeting with the witches as deliberate they told Macbeth words with double meanings. They told Macbeth he would be king until the wood moved. Macbeth thought he was safe, as wood couldn’t move. The witches tricked Macbeth so the audience would see the witches as evil. Macbeth wasn’t much better himself the most loyal thing he did while wearing the crown was suffer a soldiers death. He died a lonely man his wife had gone crazy and killed herself she jumped of the castles balcony. The audience views Macbeth would change at different points in the play. They would see him as a loyal soldier but then he turned evil but he still had some feelings he didn’t want to kill Duncan he was bullied by his wife. After the dirty deal was done he never returned from the evils scheming. In conclusion I think Macbeth is a very good play. It is a fast moving play. Which includes love, deception, and murder. Aspects that would appeal to all audiences. The audience would be relieved that justice was done. By including these features I feel that Macbeth has proved the test of time as one of the best plays of all time. Many theatres today still make reproductions of the play. I think Shakespeare truly has lived up to his title as a great play writer.