Describe the character development of Macbeth.

Macbeth essentially changes from a good man, loyal to his king and friends, into an evil man, all because of his pride and ambition. Therefore, in your list of bullet points that chart character development, you'll want to include any important events that seem to contribute to this progression. I will show you, below, how this might work, up until Macbeth kills King Duncan.

• Initially, Macbeth is described as "brave" and "valiant" by a captain who saw him fight for king and country, as well as by the king himself (1.2.18, 1.2.26).
• After the Weird Sisters tell him that he will become Thane of Cawdor and also the king, he begins to develop "horrible imaginings" (1.3.151).
• He soon begins to conspire against the king's life with Lady Macbeth, his wife, who'd originally thought him too compassionate and kind to consider murder (1.5).
• Macbeth changes his mind and decides not to murder the king, but his wife talks him back into it by insulting his pride (1.7).
• He kills the king while Duncan sleeps, instantly regretting it (2.2).

Now, you can carry on, listing out the statements and events that show Macbeth's descent into evil. Good luck!

How does Macbeth's personality change throughout Macbeth?

When writing a research paper about how a character changes, your main reference will be the play itself.  You will need to trace the development of Macbeth’s character throughout the play.

First, you should get a copy of the play that you can write on.  Use a pencil, post-it notes, and highlighters.  Color code different behaviors as you see them.  When is he submissive, reflective, violent, arrogant, frustrated, afraid, repentant, and so on.  How do others describe him?  As you read the play again, pay special attention to Macbeth’s behavior and what it says about him.

You will notice that Macbeth follows an arc throughout the play.  In the beginning he is described as a war hero.

For brave Macbeth—well he deserves that name—

Disdaining fortune, with his brandish'd steel,

Which smoked with bloody execution,(20)

Like valor's minion carved out his passage

Till he faced the slave… (Act 1, Scene 2)

Consider what the sergeant and others say about Macbeth before we meet him. They paint a picture of an honorable solider.  Was Macbeth gallant and trustworthy?  He is described as such.

When Macbeth meets the witches, he seems skeptical at first.  Even when the first prophecy seems to come true, he is doubtful.

The Thane of Cawdor lives. Why do you dress me

In borrow'd robes?(115) (Act 1, Scene  3)

The next thing we know, Macbeth is angry that he was not named Duncan's successor, even though he had no reason to expect it.

If you read carefully, you can continue to trace this development from loyal soldier to bloody tyrant.

How does Macbeth's character change throughout the play?

I find an acronym is helpful in remembering what you need to do. I teach my students to use the PEE structure

Point: what's the point you're making in this paragraph?

Evidence: provide a quote or example to prove your point.

Explanation: explain how the quote or example proves your point and helps to answer the question.

So, for example:

One change that Macbeth experiences is that he stops caring about his wife. Early in the play, Macbeth listens carefully to his wife and follows his instructions. This is indicated when Lady Macbeth says, "screw your courage to a sticking place" and Macbeth, although he was terrified before, begings to add to the plot. Later in the play it is shown that Macbeth cares very little for his wife. When he is informed that she has passed away, Macbeth responds, "she would have died hereafter." This quote suggests that he no longer cares for his wife. Therefore, Macbeth he has changed from a man who cares for and respects his wife to a man who barely even cares that she has passed away.

The first sentence is your point. An easy way of writing this sentence is to rewrite your question e.g.

Q: What changes does Macbeth experience?

Point: One change that Macbeth experiences is...

The middle section is your evidence - your quotes from the text that demonstrate the point you're trying to prove. The format,

This is shown in the quote, "______" is fairly easy to use.

The last sentence is your explanation of how the evidence helps answer the question.

How does Macbeth's character change throughout each act?

In a nutshell, Macbeth undergoes major undesirable changes in his moral and ethical character; each act brings him further away from the scrupulous  soldier and supportive husband he is at the beginning of the play. After having had a strong relationship with his wife, he harbors secrets from her and eventually bottoms out by showing little to no interest in her death.  He evolves from being a a honorable kinsman and loyal friend to plotting the murder of the king and his best friend to win the crown.  At the end of the play, Macbeth returns slightly to decency when he doesn't want to fight Macduff because he has murdered his wife and son and wishes to cause him no further harm at Dunsinane. However, his evil is our most lasting impression.

How does Macbeth's character change throughout each act?

I'm guessing that this is an assignment that is a bit beyond the range of what an eNotes editor should do.  I'd like to help by suggesting that you look at the summaries and information provided by eNotes (see links below) in the Macbeth study guide, and consider for yourself how Macbeth changes throughout the story. In many ways he changes drastically, but in others, you can see from the start that he is a cold-blooded killer.  The problem is that he goes from being able to do that on the battlefield to being able to murder an old, defenseless, sleeping king - not to mention sending hired murderers to do in his former friends.

Good luck!

How does Shakespeare depict Macbeth's character evolution throughout the play?

Shakespeare reveals the change in Macbeth's character in two primary ways: 1) Macbeth's actions, and 2) his soliloquies.

Macbeth's actions definitely showcase how the man has morally deteriorated throughout the entire play.  When first broached with the idea of power and kingship by the witches, Macbeth has serious reservations about murdering Duncan.  As the play progresses, Macbeth's actions grow more violent as he begins to justify his behavior in the name of power.  He goes on to hire murderers to kill Banquo and Fleance, and then later sends out henchman who murder MacDuff's entire estate, including his children. 

Perhaps the greatest insight into the rapidly changing character of Macbeth is to reflect upon the man's own words.  Macbeth's soliloquies help the audience understand the character's internal struggles.  For example in Act two, Scene I, Macbeth sees the bloody dagger in the hall:

"Is this a dagger which I see before me,
The handle toward my hand? Come, let me clutch thee.
I have thee not, and yet I see thee still" (II.i.41-43).

This speech by Macbeth reveals his paranoia and ever-present guilt for what the crime he is about to commit.  However, Macbeth seems almost a different man later in the play after he visits the witches again.  Macbeth fears the threat of MacDuff and plans "to give to the edge o’ the sword, His wife, his babes, and all unfortunate souls
That trace him in his line" (IV.i.167-169).  Macbeth has truly become a cold-blooded murderer, vowing:

"From this moment
The very firstings of my heart shall be
The firstlings of my hand" (IV.i.163-165).

Macbeth's words and actions both indicate that he has transformed from a man of conscience and ambition to a power-hungry murderer, who will stop at nothing to secure his position as king.

How does Macbeth's character evolve throughout the play?

At the beginning of the play, Macbeth is portrayed as noble (though obviously capable of extreme violence.) When we first hear him described, it is as a brave warrior, fighting against Duncan's enemies. At the end of the play, he is a murderous, wicked man, consumed by his own ambition and led astray by the false belief that he cannot be destroyed by a man "not of woman born." 

In between, we see a steady evolution. A major turning point is in the final scene of Act I, where is is vacillating over killing Duncan. He is goaded into the murder by his wife, who challenges his masculinity and his honor:

When you durst do it, then you were a man;
And, to be more than what you were, you would 
Be so much more the man.

With Duncan's death, though, Macbeth begins to be consumed by ambition and paranoia. He has Banquo murdered, and eventually the family of Macduff. He is torn by guilt over Banquo's death, but by the end of the play, he is not only no longer really guilt-ridden, but pursues his bloody course of action without consulting with his wife. She, in many ways, is the mirror image of her husband. By the final act, it is Lady Macbeth who is wracked by guilt, and seeing visions shortly before her self-inflicted death. 

How does Macbeth's character evolve throughout the play?

Macbeth evolves from a hero to a murderer throughout the course of the play.

In the beginning of the play, Macbeth is a hero.  He is a soldier who acts bravely on the battlefield.  His praises are sung before King Duncan, who honors him with a promotion to Thane of Cawdor.

For brave Macbeth—well he deserves that name—

Disdaining fortune, with his brandish'd steel,

Which smoked with bloody execution,(20)

Like valor's minion carved out his passage

Till he faced the slave… (Act 1, Scene 2)

When Macbeth informs Lady Macbeth that the witches have prophesized his kingship, she is thrilled.  She worries that he will be too soft to do what is needed, so she carefully plans out a murder plot and tells him what to do step by step.

It is after he murders Duncan that Macbeth begins to really change.  He did not want to be a killer, and was nervous before and directly after.  However, it seems to do something to him.  He goes from not wanting to kill to a veritable killing spree.

To be thus is nothing,

But to be safely thus. Our fears in Banquo

Stick deep, and in his royalty of nature

Reigns that which would be fear'd. ’ (Act 3, Scene 1)

Macbeth decides that to be safe he has to kill Banquo, even though his friend has supported him at every turn.  Even that is not enough, and despite Lady Macbeth’s objections that he is not telling her things, he kills Macduff’s entire family.  This last action proves to be his downfall, as the fiery Macduff  vows his revenge, and ultimately gets it.

Macbeth's character development follows a definite arc based on the theme that ambition is destructive.  When the story starts, he is almost timid.  As he gets momentum, he seems to not be able to stop.  But his destructive behavior only accomplishes his goals temporalily, as it also brings about his doom.

How does Macbeth's character evolve throughout the play?

Macbeth's character deteriorates over the course of the play. At the very start we have  a view of him as being a noble and valiant warrior, an image instantly undone by his murdering Duncan. On the surface he appears increasingly morally corrupt as he resorts time and again to murder, but as we get an insight into his thoughts throughout the play, we realise that this is the result of his mental disintegration, after killing Duncan. He is unable to cope with the guilt over this first murder (as is Lady Macbeth) and it drives him to act ever more recklessly. After killing Duncan, all his other acts essentially arise from desperation at the course he has set. This leads him ultimately to an utterly bleak view of life, that it has no value, no meaning at all. However, at the very end of the play, when facing Macduff in mortal combat, he does regain a modicum of his former bravery as a fighter, refusing to give in even although everything is lost.

Describe how Macbeth's character changes throughout the play Macbeth.

In Shakespeare's Macbeth, before Macbeth kills Duncan, his thoughts are only on achieving the throne for himself.  He gives no thought to the prediction by the witches that Banquo's heirs shall be king.  Once he is crowned, though, his own kingship is no longer enough.  His ambition has deepened and at that point he wants to create a dynasty.  Thus, he orders the murder of Fleance, Banquo's son, for no other reason than to eliminate Banquo's heirs.

Macbeth also begins to rely on the witches more heavily after he kills Duncan and is crowned.  He even initiates contact and seeks them out in Act. 4.1.  Following his visit to the witches, he becomes even more intent on maintaining power, throwing almost what could be described as a tantrum when he can't get Macduff, because Macduff has gone to England.  Macduff slights Macbeth by not attending his coronation or his feast, and Macbeth pays him back by ordering the slaughter of Macduff's family.  This overreaction demonstrates Macbeth's loss of perspective and control as the play continues.

At the same time, the Macbeth of Act 5 is at once rash and contemplative and philosophical.  One minute he childishly and maliciously berates a messenger, and the next minute contemplates human existence and becomes nihilistic.  He psychologically moves back and forth between believing the witches and knowing their predictions are too good to be true, and between being willing to fight for his crown and die nobly, and knowing whatever he does is meaningless anyway.

Describe how Macbeth's character changes throughout the play Macbeth.

In addition to the very useful observations already posted about Macbeth, there is the possibility of regarding him as a classic Tragic Hero, meaning he has a tragic flaw.  In many Tragedies, the Hero suffers from hubris or excessive pride -- Odeipus and King Lear being two examples.  This inflated sense of self leads to their downfall.  The interesting thing about Macbeth, is that though he begins the play hesitant and fearful (afraid of the dagger that he sees before him and of the ghost of Banquo), he develops into a rather conventional Tragic Hero who considers himself invincible to defeat.

In Act V, Scene v, as he prepares to meet Malcolm and Macduff he says:

...our castle's strength

Will laugh a siege to scorn.  Here let them lie

Till famine and the ague eat them up....

I have almost forgot the taste of fears.

The time has been my senses would have cool'd

To hear a night-shriek....I have supp'd full with horrors.

Direness, familiar to my slaughterous thoughts

Cannot once start me.

So he has indeed become hardened, and with this hardening he has also adopted the tragic flaw that will his downfall, overconfident hubris.

Describe how Macbeth's character changes throughout the play Macbeth.

Macbeth and Lady Macbeth are round, dynamic characters. What makes them such is because they both change from the beginning of the play to the end, and ironically, they seem to adopt the original characteristics of the other. Lady Macbeth is strong and masculine at the beginning of the play, expressing how she would murder her own baby to keep her promises, encouraging Macbeth to kill King Duncan by challenging his masculinity. Macbeth, on the other hand, has a conscious, and deliberates over the morality of killing the king.  When Macbeth finally takes the dagger in his hand and does the bloody deed, he begins to change into a long spiral downward until he views life as "creep[ing] from day to day." Lady Macbeth, on the other hand, begins to develop a conscious, and she suffers from nightmares and boughts of sleepwalking that eventually lead her to commit suicide from guilt.

Describe how Macbeth's character changes throughout the play Macbeth.

Over the course of the play, Macbeth's character goes from being more hesitant to overly ambitious and greedy.  At the beginning of the play, Macbeth does not entirely believe the witches' prophecy and only does so once he becomes the Thane of Cawdor.  Once he believes in the verity of the prophecy, he starts to think about how he will become king.  Lady Macbeth persuades him to murder King Duncan to ensure his place on the throne; however, Macbeth wavers in this plan and is not sure whether or not it is the right thing to do.  Lady Macbeth chides his manhood, and thus convinces him to proceed with the murder.  After Macbeth becomes king, he allows his ambition and greed to consume him.  He is fearful that his title will be taken from him, so he resorts to murdering all those whom he feels might get in his way.  By the end of the play, Macbeth realizes that he has made the wrong decisions, yet he stands by them and fights until the very end.

How does Macbeth's character evolve throughout the play?

Macbeth goes from being a loyal soldier to a bloody tyrant.

At the beginning of the play, Macbeth’s praises are sung before Duncan.  The bloody sergeant talks about how he heroically defeated the traitor Macdonwald.  Duncan is so impressed that he confers upon Macbeth Macdonwald’s title: Thane of Cawdor.

Macbeth should be pleased with his promotion.  However, on his way to report to Duncan he is waylaid by three witches.  They greet him by name and also call him two other names: Thane of Cawdor and King of Scotland.  He scoffs it off, until Ross greets him as Thane of Cawdor.  Asking why he is being dressed in “borrow’d robes,” Macbeth demands to know what is going on.  He is told of the promotion, and expects to be named king as well.  When he is not, he gets angry.

The Prince of Cumberland! That is a step(55)

On which I must fall down, or else o'erleap,

For in my way it lies. Stars, hide your fires;

Let not light see my black and deep desires… (Act 1, Scene 5)

Macbeth has told his wife about the prophecies, and she expects him to take action.  Killing King Duncan is the only way, she assures him.  She plans everything, but he is still nervous.  He does not really want to kill the king, to whom he has been loyal.

He's here in double trust:

First, as I am his kinsman and his subject,

Strong both against the deed; then, as his host,

Who should against his murderer shut the door… (Act 1, Scene 7)

Macbeth imagines a bloody dagger hanging in front of him, and decides that means he is supposed to kill Duncan.

The murder changes Macbeth.  At first he is still unconfident.  He imagines he hears witnesses accusing him.  He accidentally takes the bloody knives with him instead of leaving them as incriminating evidence.  Yet he grows bolder, killing the guards as well.

Macbeth has become more and more confident in killing, but also more paranoid.  He hires murderers to

Kill Banquo because he observed the prophecies and is also a threat because his heirs were to be king.  Then he sends them to kill Macduff’s family.  Macduff’s wife and son are killed.

Lady Macduff has begun to worry about her husband.  She has created a monster.  He now has no qualms about killing, even women and children.  In battle, Macbeth is confident.  New prophecies have made him feel invincible.  When the supposedly impossible prophecies like moving forests come true, he loses his nerve.  He is a coward.

Macbeth's easy transformation shows that he was always ambitious.  He just needed a little push.  Once he has begun, he cannot stop himself.  Once he has power, all he can think about is not losing it.

How does Macbeth's character evolve throughout the play?

When the play opens we learn that Macbeth is a great warrior and has served King Duncan well.  He has led Duncan's troops in the defeat of a traitor, the Thane of Cawdor, and has proved himself loyal to the crown.  However, with the witches' prophecies, Macbeth, once satisfied with being the greatest of Duncan's lords, becomes greedy for power.       Having proved himself a great warrior and leader, it is difficult to accept Macbeth as power hungry or easily manipulated.  However, when the first of the prophesies comes true, that he will be Thane of Cawdor, Macbeth begins to believe that he will, indeed, become king.  

     When he returns home, his wife immediately begins pressuring Macbeth to make his kingship happen.  Macbeth, the once great leader and warrior, allows himself to be manipulated by his wife, who accuses him of being spineless and weak if he will not kill Duncan to become king.  At this point, Macbeth has changed from a strong, loyal warrior and leader to a manipulated weakling.  When he questions whether he can kill Duncan, Lady Macbeth berates him tells him he will be no better than a coward if he does not murder Duncan.  

     Once Macbeth is king, we see another change in his character.  He begins killing anyone he feels may be a danger to his reign.  He kills his best friend Banquo, he tries to kill Banquo's son, he kills Macduff's family - innocents - and he becomes a tyrant.  He seems to have lost all of the levelheaded, strong leadership qualities he showed when was one of Duncan's thanes, and he is now a coldblooded murderer who is king with a reign of terror.  He returns to the witches, showing he has embraced the dark arts, and his future decisions are based on their prophecies, making him believe that he is invincible.  He becomes cocky and vicious, and controls his subjects through only fear and tyranny.  

How does Macbeth's character evolve throughout the play?

Macbeth's most important character trait is his ambition. Ambition, in and of itself, stands as value neutral. It can either lead to positive results by motivating a person to work harder to attain higher achievements or can lead to negative outcomes by motivating one to put personal gain ahead of ethical or moral considerations. As the play opens, we realize Macbeth is ambitious because of his excitement about the witches' prophecy that he will be king. He is also pleased to be named Thane of Cawdor by King Duncan. In fact, one of his reasons for not wanting to kill Duncan is to bask in the glow of that achievement. Despite his high level of ambition, Macbeth draws back from murdering the king, feeling on second thought that it would be a great wrong to do so, especially since Duncan is his guest. This shows that Macbeth still takes moral considerations into account. He has to be goaded into the act of murder by his wife.

However, once Macbeth crosses the line and kills the king, an act considered to be of even greater evil than it would be now, for Macbeth murdered God's anointed ruler and a just and "meek" (merciful) one at that, he loses his moral compass. It's as if once he murders, he no longer knows how to practice restraint. He becomes ever more blood-soaked as he eliminates rivals, and he transforms into a tyrant whose countrymen begin fleeing. His land is threatened with anarchy and chaos, causing the English king to raise an army to intervene. Evil leads to more evil.

On one level, Macbeth could be read as a treatise on good kingship. In Shakespeare's telling, the good king is chiefly pure, virtuous and self-controlled enough to put others' interests ahead of his own--attributes that Duncan had and the English king possesses in great measure. Macbeth, however, by putting his own ambitions ahead of the good of the realm, has sacrificed any hope of becoming a viable monarch. 

How does Macbeth's character evolve throughout the play?

Macbeth is about a man who changes from hero to villain. In the first act, both the ominous witches and a group of soldiers mention Macbeth. The king refers to him as noble, and the men describe his brave--and bloody--feats on the battlefield. We first meet Macbeth when he and Banquo come across the witches. They tell him he will be thane of Cawdor and king. Banquo marvels at the news, but Macbeth wants to know more. His curiosity is evident and possibly foreshadows his later behavior. Once granted the title thane of Cawdor, he immediately starts pondering the horrible possibilities of how he could become king: “The Prince of Cumberland! that is a step / On which I must fall down, or else o'erleap, / For in my way it lies.”

Lady Macbeth describes Macbeth as being ambitious but “too full o' the milk of human kindness.” He expresses reluctance to assassinate his king, but Lady Macbeth convinces him to proceed. This demonstrates that Macbeth does have a conscience--he struggles with it throughout the play--but his desire for the crown overcomes his compassion and sense of honor. He kills King Duncan and suffers terribly for it, stating, “To know my deed, 'twere best not know myself.”

After Duncan’s murder, Macbeth sinks further into bloodshed and paranoia. He slays the king’s guards, whom he and his wife framed, and proceeds to kill Banquo and attack Fleance, who escapes. The Macbeths are afflicted by “terrible dreams / That shake us nightly.” Macbeth cannot rest in his power for fear of it being taken away. He further consults with the witches. His trust in these forces of fate and darkness reveals how far he has come, from curious skepticism to absolute faith. The witches refer to him not as a hero but as “Something wicked.” After speaking with them, he decides to massacre Macduff’s entire household, including his wife, children, and servants.

By the time Lady Macbeth dies, her husband seems completely numb. He merely remarks, “She should have died hereafter,” before giving a monologue about the pointlessness of life. Still, he believes himself to be invincible. At the end of the play, the once great Macbeth has become an egomaniacal, manipulative, and bloodthirsty man who has lost his love of life.

How does Macbeth's character evolve throughout the play?

The first question to ask is, "IS there a change in Macbeth's character"?  Macbeth is presented at the beginning of the play as being successful, but there isn't much evidence of any internal rectitude.  If you have to argue for a change, you shoulld identify a "turning point."  Once you have done that, you can talk about Macbeth's character before that turning point and Macbeth's character after.  One potential turning point could be his first meeting with the witches.  Another could be when he finds out that he is the Thane of Cawdor.  Another could be the point at which he reachers a "point of no return," or does something that he can't reverse/come back from.

Good luck!

How does Macbeth's character evolve throughout the play?

We can chart Macbeth's descent into absolute moral corruption by the way the murders for which he is responsible are shown (or not shown, as the case may be) to the audience. For example, Macbeth kills during battle, but these killings all take place far offstage and in the context of a battle (which seems to excuse them to a certain extent). We hear of them only, never seeing them or any evidence of them. The next killing, of King Duncan, Macbeth's friend, guest, and kinsman, takes place just offstage, and, this time, the audience actually sees the blood on Macbeth's hands and hears about it from his own lips. It is a brutal murder, death by stabbing, and the audience feels much nearer to it, increasing its horror. The next murder and attempted murder of Banquo and Fleance, respectively, take place onstage, for the first time, and the audience actually watches as Banquo is cruelly killed and as the murderers try to kill his young son as well. That we actually see this murder and that it includes an attempt on a child's life, makes this one even more reprehensible than the last. Finally, when Macbeth arranges for the murders of Lady Macduff and her several children, these too take place onstage, in full view of the audience. Not only does this murder happen right before us, but it also serves no purpose whatsoever. In killing during battle, Macbeth fought to defend king and country; in killing the king, he usurps that title and status; in killing Banquo, he attempts to prevent Banquo's descendants from taking the crown; however, in murdering a woman and her children, Macbeth gains nothing. The extent of the violence and its proximity to the audience grow each time Macbeth kills, providing evidence of his character's development for the much, much worse.

How does Macbeth's character evolve throughout the play?

From the outset of the play Macbeth is ambitious; his zeal in defending king and country is praised by the injured captain, who describes the courageous and bloody killing of the traitor, Macdonwald. He is happy to receive an additional title from Duncan. The first encounter with the Weird Sisters turns his ambition in a new direction as he quickly comes to the conclusion he must remove any obstacle that would prevent him from attaining the throne of Scotland.

Even so, his wife's plan to kill Duncan unsettles him, and he briefly considers backing out of their planned regicide. This scene, however, marks the end of Macbeth's loyalty to Scotland and his king and the end of his morality.  Once Duncan and his chamberlains are dead, Macbeth's ambition continues to grow unchecked. Acting independently of Lady Macbeth, Macbeth seems to have no reservations about arranging the deaths of Banquo, Lady Macduff, and Macduff's family. He attempts to have Fleance killed as well because he fears that Fleance could one day interrupt his reign. It could be said that once he has killed Duncan, Macbeth's ambition is forever wed to ruthlessness and an intensified drive to remain king.  

The death of Lady Macbeth does little to alter Macbeth's trajectory. He kills Young Siward and plans to kill Macduff, as well, in his attempt to remain in power.  Macbeth's ambitiousness follows him to his final moments; he tells Macduff he will neither yield nor fall on his sword. Among his finals words, he proclaims, "I will try the last."