Macbeth
Extended Character Analysis
Macbeth begins the play as a heroic and triumphant figure, the noble Thane of Glamis, a general in the Scottish army who has just defeated the insurgent King of Norway. As a reward for his valor and loyalty, King Duncan transfers the title of Thane of Cawdor to Macbeth. However, prior to receiving this news, Macbeth encounters the Three Weird Sisters, who greet him as the Thane of Glamis, Thane of Cawdor, and future King of Scotland. Macbeth is initially wary of the witches’ prophecy, but after he discovers that he has been named Thane of Cawdor, his belief in their prophecy is cemented and his thoughts turn to how he might become king. From that point on, Macbeth sinks deeper into murder and treachery as he becomes a regicidal tyrant in the eyes of the people of Scotland.
Macbeth is characterized primarily by ambition. Even before his thoughts turn to regicide, he is enraptured by the witches’ prophecies. His appointment as Thane of Cawdor only serves to stoke the fires of his ambition. He at first assumes that he will become king in the same fashion that he became Thane of Cawdor, but when Duncan names Malcolm as his successor, Macbeth’s ambition is left unsatisfied. However, rather than being content with his promotion to Thane of Cawdor, Macbeth becomes fixated on the loftier title of king.
Though his ambition is his chief drive, Macbeth also experiences moments of intense self-doubt and guilt. In act I, scene VII, Macbeth’s self-doubt leads him to call off the murder, only agreeing to go through with it after Lady Macbeth intervenes. His guilt grows with each villainous action he commits, compounding to the point where he feels trapped, unable to do anything other than accept his role as a villain. Macbeth begins the story as a soldier, a valiant warrior who fights his enemies with purpose and integrity. His descent into treachery and murder, with no just cause, rankle his more noble sensibilities. Though guilt is not enough to stave off Macbeth’s moral decay, it does serve to humanize him, adding emotional depth and conflict to a character who would otherwise be an irredeemable villain.
Macbeth’s moral decay can be interpreted in different ways. By one reading, unchecked ambition becomes a corrupting influence that transforms an otherwise good man into a brutal tyrant. Macbeth’s conscience is at war with his ambition, with ambition ultimately winning out when Macbeth commits regicide. By this reading, Macbeth is a tragic hero who is ultimately destroyed by his own ambition and faith in the witches’ prophecy. The witches and Lady Macbeth become the villains in Macbeth’s story, driving him to commit terrible acts in spite of his conscience. By the time Macbeth realizes that he has doomed himself, it is already too late, so he resigns himself to his chosen path. However, many critics argue that this interpretation minimizes Macbeth’s wickedness and portrays him as more virtuous than he really is.
By a different reading, Macbeth is an immoral villain from the start. Though he tries to talk himself out of the murder and maintain some semblance of honor, Macbeth is less concerned with Duncan’s welfare and more concerned with the prospect of personal failure. His excuses to Lady Macbeth focus more on what they stand to lose than on any elements of virtue, and he is easily swayed back to her cause. Some have even read Macbeth’s declaration that they will not go through with the murder as a means of testing Lady Macbeth’s resolve. By this reading, Macbeth is less a tragic hero and more an anti-hero, a character who pursues his own ends at the expense of others. Despite being named Thane of Cawdor purely on merit, Macbeth is not content to trust the witches’ prophecies to come true on their own. Instead, after Duncan declares Malcolm as his successor, Macbeth immediately considers regicide. His increasingly brutal actions, including ordering the murder of Macduff’s wife and children, suggest a nearly limitless capacity for cruelty. Perhaps the most damning evidence of all is that, unlike most tragic heroes, Macbeth commits his sins with full acknowledgement of his own immorality, unable to justify their necessity beyond the fact that they satisfy his ambition.
An additional interpretation is that Macbeth is neither a tragic hero nor an anti-hero, but rather a man struggling against fate and the natural order. In act I, scene II, the sergeant who reports the outcome of the battle to Duncan describes Macbeth as “disdaining fortune” by overcoming the Norwegian forces. Fate, especially when viewed from a religious standpoint, is often equated with the natural order. By contrast, the witches are equated with unnatural, “foul” forces. Macbeth willingly accepts the witches’ prophecies as fate because, unlike the natural order and hierarchy within Scotland, they appeal to his ambition. By this reading, Macbeth becomes an agent of the unnatural, disdaining fate in favor of dark prophecies. However, by doing so, he becomes an unnatural figure himself, a disruption that must be purged for the natural order to continue.
Macbeth’s story comes full circle in the final act. Just as Macbeth had been hailed as a hero for defeating the insurgent King of Norway, Macduff is hailed as a hero for defeating the tyrannical King Macbeth. Macbeth seems to recognize the futility of his actions in act V, scene V when he laments that life is a tale “told by an idiot, full of sound a fury, signifying nothing.” Whether he plays the role of tragic hero, anti-hero, or defier of fate, Macbeth’s descent into damnation means, in his own words, “nothing.” However, the ending of the play is open to interpretation. By one reading, Macbeth is struck down as a villain, ending his reign of terror as the monster he has made himself into. The ending can also be read in a redemptive light, whereby Macbeth returns to the battlefield as the soldier he was meant to be and dies honorably, finally free of his conscience.
Expert Q&A
Analyze this quote from Macbeth: "If chance will have me king, why, chance may not crown me, / Without my stir."
2 Educator Answers
Quick answer:
In the quote "If chance will have me king, why, chance may crown me, without my stir," Macbeth is contemplating the prophecy of the Three Witches, which predicted his ascension to the throne. He personifies "chance," hoping that destiny might allow him to become king without taking any action, just as he became Thane of Cawdor. However, his ambition leads him to consider usurping the throne, indicating a struggle between fate and free will. This inner conflict reveals Macbeth as a tragic figure, torn between letting fate unfold and intervening to fulfill the prophecy.
In act 1, scene 3, Macbeth and Banquo receive seemingly favorable prophecies from the Three Witches, who predict that Macbeth will become the Thane of Cawdor and future King of Scotland. Initially, Macbeth and Banquo are perplexed by the prophecies until Ross and Angus enter the scene with an important message from King Duncan. The messengers tell Macbeth that he has been given the title Thane of Cawdor, which fulfills one of the prophecies and immediately incites Macbeth's ambition, influencing him to contemplate assassinating King Duncan. In an aside, Macbeth says,
If good, why do I yield to that suggestion Whose horrid image doth unfix my hair And make my seated heart knock at my ribs,
Against the use of nature? Present fears Are less than horrible imaginings. (1.3.136–140)
Macbeth proceeds to act distracted and continues to reveal his inner thoughts by saying,
If chance will have me king, why, chance may crown me
Without my stir.
(1.3.145–146)
Macbeth personifies "chance" and reasons that fate may allow him to obtain the throne without him taking action. At this point in the play, Macbeth has just received the title Thane of Cawdor without taking action and hopes that becoming King of Scotland will also be that easy. However, Macbeth's ambition influences him to contemplate committing regicide, which implies that he will have to take fate into his own hands and control his destiny. Fate, destiny, and chance play a significant role in the play, and one of Shakespeare's primary themes concerns free will versus fate. Macbeth hopes that destiny and prophecy will intervene by creating a situation where he will be able to become king. Once Macbeth informs his wife about the seemingly favorable prophecies, Lady Macbeth wonders if he has the resolute competitive spirit to take the throne. Macbeth's aside regarding "chance" proves that her concerns are not unfounded, and she will have to convince him to take action in order to fulfill the prophecy.
Why does Macbeth say, "If chance will have me king, chance may crown me"?
It's Act I, Scene III and Macbeth is marveling at the fact that two of the witches' prophecies have already come true: he has become both Thane of Glamis and Thane of Cawdor. Macbeth is seriously starting to believe that the most important of their prophecies will also come true, namely that he will one day be king. At this stage, however, Macbeth isn't seriously contemplating the murder of Duncan. He's thinking about it, alright, but outwardly, at least, he remains loyal. Indeed, it's important for us to bear in mind just how hard Lady Macbeth has to push her husband to get him to commit regicide.
And this leads us on to the meaning of the above quotation. Macbeth believes that fate has already given him two titles without his needing to do anything. So, he figures, why not the third? Why not the most important title of all, that of king? Macbeth is trying to talk himself out of the necessity of killing Duncan. If Macbeth is fated to be king, then why not just let it happen instead of actively trying to do something about it?
The meaning and implications of Macbeth's comparison of life to a "walking shadow" and a "poor player" in his soliloquy
7 Educator Answers
Summary:
In Macbeth's soliloquy, he compares life to a "walking shadow" and a "poor player" to convey its fleeting and insignificant nature. The imagery suggests that life is an illusion, devoid of substance and meaning, like an actor who briefly performs and is then forgotten. This reflects Macbeth's deep despair and nihilistic outlook as his ambitions unravel.
What is the meaning of this quote from Macbeth?
"Life's but a walking shadow, a poor player, / That struts and frets his hour upon the stage, / And then is heard no more. It is a tale / Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, / Signifying nothing."
MACBETH. Life's but a walking shadow, a poor player
That struts and frets his hour upon the stage
And then is heard no more.
(act 5, scene 5, lines 26–28)
Macbeth, written about 1605, is the last of Shakespeare's plays in which this theme of players on a world stage appears. Shakespeare's first reference to the world as a stage occurs in The Merchant of Venice, written about 1596–1597.
ANTONIO. I hold the world but as the world, Gratiano;
A stage, where every man must play a part,
And mine a sad one.GRATIANO. Let me play the fool!
(act 1, scene 1, lines 80–83)
The most famous reference to this theme is Jaques's "all the world's a stage" speech, also known as the "seven ages of man" speech, in As You Like It.
JAQUES. All the world's a stage,
And all the men and women merely players;
They have their exits and their entrances;
And one man in his time plays many parts.
(act 2, scene 7, lines 146–149)
Jaques describes each of the the player's "exits and entrances," until the player's final scene, after which the player is heard no more.
JAQUES. Last scene of all,
That ends this strange eventful history,
Is second childishness and mere oblivion.
(act 2, scene 7, lines 170–172)
This is a recurring theme to which passing reference is made in King Henry IV, Part 2, written in 1597:
Let order die!
And let this world no longer be a stage
To feed contention in a ling'ring act.
(act 1, scene 1, lines 170–172)
This reference is also made in King Lear, written in 1605–1606: "When we are born, we cry that we are come / To this great stage of fools" (act 4, scene 6, lines 197–198).
Macbeth's speech in which he says that "Life's but a walking shadow" isn't the first time that the theme of players on the world stage is mentioned in Macbeth.
ROSS. Ah, good father,
Thou seest the heavens, as troubled with man's act,
Threaten his bloody stage.
(act 2, scene 4, lines 5–7)
Macbeth also talks about playing "the humble host" at his coronation banquet, at which the ghost of Banquo appears uninvited, and playing "the Roman fool, and die / On mine own sword?" a reference to the deaths of Brutus and Cassius in Julius Caesar that Macbeth makes shortly before his own death.
MACBETH. It is a tale
Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury,
Signifying nothing.
(act 5, scene 5, lines 28–30)
With the death of Lady Macbeth, Macbeth is utterly alone in the world, and he's alone on the stage on which, until recently, he played the major role of king of Scotland.
At this point in the play, Macbeth is confused, disheartened, and disillusioned. He's also in disbelief that all of this is truly happening to him. Macbeth comes to the realization that everything he's done, all of the strutting and fretting and the part he played in the "sound and fury" that made and kept him king, is essentially meaningless.
What is the meaning of this quote from Macbeth?
"Life's but a walking shadow, a poor player, / That struts and frets his hour upon the stage, / And then is heard no more. It is a tale / Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, / Signifying nothing."
In these famous lines, spoken after the discovery of Lady Macbeth's suicide, Macbeth expresses his nihilistic outlook on life. According to Macbeth, life is inherently meaningless. Far from its being a source of purpose and meaning, it is nothing more than “a tale / Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury / Signifying nothing”.
Given everything that's happened to Macbeth since he murdered his way to the Scottish throne, it's not surprising that he should've come to adopt such an unremittingly grim outlook on life. With his wife now dead and with his enemies ready to remove him from the Scottish throne by force, it's no wonder that Macbeth now sees life as bleak and meaningless.
There's also more than an element of self-justification about Macbeth's remarks. If life, and everything in it, is meaningless, then that would also include Macbeth's wicked actions such as murdering Duncan and having Macduff's family wiped out.
That being the case, Macbeth can simply shrug his shoulders and describe the bloody consequences of his tyranny as an idiot's tale entirely devoid of significance. In any case, human life, as Macbeth would have it, is just like an actor strutting about on stage; there's nothing real about it.
In this speech, Macbeth is effectively seeing himself, the world, and everything in it, from a God's-eye perspective. In becoming a tyrant, he's become like a tyrannical deity, looking down on the world that he's created and seeing nothing but tiny little specks which, from the standpoint of eternity, ultimately mean nothing.
What is the meaning of this quote from Macbeth?
"Life's but a walking shadow, a poor player, / That struts and frets his hour upon the stage, / And then is heard no more. It is a tale / Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, / Signifying nothing."
Macbeth utters these words shortly after he is told that his wife, Lady Macbeth, has died. He is speaking of her life (the life of all humans, really) being fleeting and short. Our life is but a walking shadow (nothing we really see in substance until perhaps it is too late) a poor player (we are all bad actors...myself and my wife especially) that struts and frets his hour upon the stage and then is heard no more (we act upon the stage of life strutting and fretting and then we are gone--none of us are all that important and we are quickly and easily forgotten). It is a tale told by an idiot (the story is told by a fool...myself included...since I was led around by my wife and encouraged by the witches) full of sound and fury (while it's being told it sounds good--full of passion, full of excitement--but once the words are uttered there isn't much to it) signifying nothing (there are many words but in the end, nothing important has been said. It is all for nothing and changes nothing).
What is the meaning of this quote from Macbeth?
"Life's but a walking shadow, a poor player, / That struts and frets his hour upon the stage, / And then is heard no more. It is a tale / Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, / Signifying nothing."
Macbeth is utterly dejected by the end of the play and doesn't see much difference between winning the coming battle with the invading army or losing it. He doesn't care whether he lives or dies. What does he mean when he says that life is "a poor player that struts and frets his hour upon the stage and then is heard no more"? By "life," Macbeth--or rather Shakespeare speaking through his character--means all of us. We are all actors strutting and fretting our way through life, pretending to be something more than we know ourselves to be underneath the costumes and makeup. Some of us are better actors than others, and some not as good. But we are all acting. We are poor in the sense that we are always looking for a part, a gig. Without that role to play we are nothing. If we lose our jobs, we quickly realize our nakedness. Macbeth sees himself as an actor trying to play the role of a king, and he knows that he is just playing a part, strutting and fretting a little more than the others because he has to keep up appearances.
What image does Macbeth first compare life to, and what does he seem to believe about the meaning of life?
"Life’s but a walking shadow, a poor player
That struts and frets his hour upon the stage,
And then is heard no more. It is a tale
Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury,
Signifying nothing." Act 5, Scene 5
If motion pictures had existed in Shakespeare's time he might have said that life is like a black-and-white movie, because the actors we see on the screen really are "walking shadows." Shakespeare seems to be saying that we are all like actors on the stage but each of us is carrying a candle which casts a shadow on the floor. When our candle burns out, we cease to exist. We are as insubstantial as shadows.
Notice how the italicized words are emphasized in the following lines to create the impression of a gigantic shadow pacing across a stage:
...a poor player
That struts and frets his hour upon the stage,
And then is heard ... no more.
But the last two words are not emphasized! . . . . It is as if the sounds of the shadow's pacing fade out, quite appropriately, with "no more." This is because of the strong "O" sounds in "no" and "more" and also because the word "no" which comes next in sequence to the pacing words is not naturally emphasized, but the emphasis, if anywhere, would be on the word "more"--almost like an echo of the shadow's footsteps. A huge shadow has paced across the stage. These wonderful words can be much better appreciated if one reads them aloud. (But, for that matter, all of Shakespeare's words can be better appreciated if one reads them aloud, because they were intended to be spoken aloud.)
Shakespeare may have directed the actor playing Macbeth to be walking back and forth on the stage while speaking all the lines beginning with "Out, out, brief candle." In that case the actor's heavy steps on the boards would correspond with the emphasized words in the soliloquy, and the actor himself might be regarded by the audience as a walking shadow. If Macbeth is actually pacing back and forth like a walking shadow as he says these lines, he is brought to a halt by a messenger who has come to tell him that he just saw Birnam Woods starting to move!
What image does Macbeth first compare life to, and what does he seem to believe about the meaning of life?
"Life’s but a walking shadow, a poor player
That struts and frets his hour upon the stage,
And then is heard no more. It is a tale
Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury,
Signifying nothing." Act 5, Scene 5
Macbeth likens “life” to a “walking shadow.”
At this point in the play, Macbeth is quite dejected. He has just learned that his wife has killed herself. His response to her death is rumination on just what life is.
Everything seems to be against Macbeth at this point. His men are deserting him. Malcolm’s army is coming for him. There is a general sense of unrest and disappointment about him. He realizes that he does not have many options left. In a way, this speech is his acknowledgement that he is not going to live much longer either.
She should have died hereafter;
There would have been a time for such a word.(20)
Tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow
Creeps in this petty pace from day to day
To the last syllable of recorded time … (Act 5, Scene 5)
A shadow has no substance. It is a poor substitute for the real thing. At this point, Macbeth feels this way about life. He could have had so much and done so much. Instead, he was left at the end with a wispy nothing.
It is clear that Macbeth is worried about his legacy. He frets over the concept of “tomorrow” and describes life as a “poor player” who has only his hour upon the stage. Everything he hoped to accomplish, and his hopes for his line, have come to nothing.
He needs to accept this, but he also uses it as a justification of his own impending suicide of sorts. He will fight to the death, regardless of how foolish his actions are. He refuses to admit to himself that it’s over, and he wants to go out in a blaze of glory.
What does "Life's but a walking shadow" mean in Macbeth?
This is one of Macbeth's famous quotes after being told of Lady Macbeth's death; he is filled with anguish, and a expresses a view found in many of Shakespeare's characters, that of life and its seeming futility.
Out, out, brief candle!
Life's but a walking shadow, a poor player
That struts and frets his hour upon the stage
And then is heard no more: it is a tale
Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury,
Signifying nothing. (Act 5, scene 5)
Get Ahead with eNotes
Start your 48-hour free trial to access everything you need to rise to the top of the class. Enjoy expert answers and study guides ad-free and take your learning to the next level.
Already a member? Log in here.