As the villain-hero of Shakespeare's play, Macbeth has displayed from the onset a bravery that has wavered only with his first act of murder, the regicide of King Duncan and the appearance of Banquo's ghost. Otherwise, Macbeth is bold and merciless against his enemies. Before his encounter with the three witches which changes his course in life, Macbeth displays much valor in battle. In Act I, the Captain extols the merits of the warrior Macbeth:
For brave Macbeth--well he deserves that name--
Disdaining fortune, with his brandished steel,
Which smoked with bloody execution,
Like valor's minion carved out his passage (1.2.16-21)
Then, in Act V, Macbeth, true to his warrior nature, remains confident of surviving the battle with Malcolm's army despite his own troops' desertion. For, he feels his castle will withstand any attack:
....Our castle's strength
Will laugh a siege to scorn. Here let them lie
Till famine and the ague eat them up. (5.5.2-4)
Later, when the messenger informs Macbeth that Birnam Wood is moving toward the castle, he realizes that the predictions of the witches has come true. So, he tells Macduff that he will not fight with him. But when Macduff calls him a coward and tells him to yield, Macbeth, proud and brave to the end, resolves to fight even if he will be killed,
I will not yield.
To kiss the ground before your Malcolm's feet.
Though Birnam Wood be come to Dunsinane....
Yet I will try the last. (5.8.28-31)
Issuing a challenge to Macduff, Macbeth throws his "warlike shield" before him and begins to battle his foe, who is "not born of woman."
Although he has committed despicable acts, what evidence shows Macbeth retains some admirable qualities at the end of the play?
Macbeth is shown as a courageous warrior at the beginning of the play, and he remains courageous until the very end. This is his most admirable quality. He might have even defeated Macduff in their final combat if he hadn't been demoralized by hearing Macduff say that he was "from his mother's womb untimely ripped." Macbeth had thought that no man born of woman could ever defeat him. He demonstrates his admirable courage by even challenging Fate itself, first in Act 3.
For Banquo's issue have I filed my mind,For them the gracious Duncan have I murdered,Put rancors in the vessel of my peaceOnly for them, and mine eternal jewelGiven to the common enemy of man,To make them kings, the seed of Banquo kings!Rather than so, come, Fate, into the list,And champion me to the utterance! (3.1)
Macbeth believes that Fate had decreed that Banquo will be the sire of a line of Scottish kings. Nevertheless, Macbeth will not have it so. He and his wife both feel that it is fruitless to become rulers unless they can pass the crowns on to their own offspring. Macbeth defies Fate itself by plotting to murder both Banquo and his son Fleance, thus eliminating the entire line of kings chosen by Fate. He is only partially successful. Banquo dies but Fleance escapes.
Then when virtually alone on the field of battle and confronted by his...
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nemesis Macduff, Macbeth shows his superhuman courage by challenging Fate again.
Though Birnam Wood be come to Dunsinane,And thou opposed, being of no woman born,Yet I will try the last. Before my bodyI throw my warlike shield! Lay on, Macduff,And damn'd be him that first cries, “Hold, enough!” (5.7)
These are the last words spoken by Macbeth. He refuses to yield. We have to admire him for this quality even though we have come to despise him for all the wicked things he has done.
Why does Shakespeare have Macbeth display certain admirable traits at the end of The Tragedy of Macbeth?
In Macbeth, Macbeth develops and changes drastically throughout the course of the play. He begins as a noble warrior for Scotland and ends as a tyrant and murderer. At the end of the play, Macbeth knows that he will most likely die. He has seen Birnam Wood move to Dunsinane, and he knows that he is fighting Macduff, who is not born of a woman. The witches prophesied that he would be overtaken when these two things occurred. Therefore, at this point in the play, Macbeth knows he is going to die. However, in his death he does show bravery, courage, and honor. He knows that Macduff will most likely overtake him and kill him. Yet he does not back down. He says, "Though Birnam Wood be come to Dunsinane, And thou opposed, being of no woman born, Yet I will try the last. Before my body I throw my warlike shield. Lay on, Macduff" (Act 5 Scene 8). He does not give up and surrender even though he knows he is going to die. Courage, honor, and bravery are positive characteristics that Macbeth showcases here at the end of his life. In his plays, Shakespeare showcases human nature. Many times we as humans want to end our lives on a positive note. For some people this might mean reconciling with another individual, or it could be donating money to a cause. Macbeth wants to end his life positively to try to "redeem" some of the bad choices he has made. Even though Macbeth deteriorated as a character throughout the play, he ends his life in an admirable way.