The Tragedy of Macbeth Essay - 542 Words

The Tragedy of Macbeth, written by William Shakespeare in 1604, portrays women in a variety of strengths. In Elizabethan society, women were considered the ‘weaker sex’ but in many of his plays Shakespeare appears to question this patriarchal society. Shakespeare wrote ‘ Macbeth’ intending to flatter King James I, the ruler in this era. James I had very strong opinions regarding women and, particularly, witches. He saw Women as inferior and expected them to be housewives and mothers. Shakespeare portrays the witches as evil, worthless and completely mad. This fits into the view of witches in Shakespeare’s time that they were poor, elderly women who didn’t fit into society. Macbeth was also written to persuade King James I to reopen the†¦show more content†¦Witch- hunts were popular and many executions took place. This was because King James I considered himself an expert on witchcraft and therefore Shakespeare portrays the witched as s ub – standard human and mysterious in order to win favour with the king. When practising witchcraft, the witches appear to be strong and aggressive. However, it’s suggested that they have to meet together to be powerful and strong: â€Å"When shall we three meet again in thunder, lightning or in rain?† This also shows pathetic fallacy as it insinuates that the witches are evil. Bad weather such as thunder, lightning and rain is associated with unhappiness or, in the case of the witches, evil. The fact that they have to meet indicates that the witches are weak individuals and rely on one another for strength. This agrees with beliefs of the time that witches were poor and elderly. In Polanksi’s film ‘The Tragedy of Macbeth’, the witched first appear on a deserted beach at dawn. They bury items such as a severed hand, which creates a mysterious atmosphere around them. This is emphasised by the screeching of the gulls, the unpleasant music and the fog. Furthermore, the rhythm and verse couplets cause the witches to sound completely insane this makes them seem weak. It also makes their speech sound like a charm or spell. The witches’ ability to foretell the future illustrates them as supernatural. Their prophecies set the ball rolling and cause Macbeth and La dyShow MoreRelatedThe Tragedy Of Macbeth And Macbeth1510 Words   |  7 Pagesone of the most famous authors in the history of old and modern english texts. While living through the 1500s-1600s, and having very little knowledge of psychological issues, Shakespeare portrayed mental illnesses in Macbeth fairly accurately. The characters in the tragedy of Macbeth show many characteristics and warning signs of mental disorders such as Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), schizophrenia and depression. Since there is scarce evidence of medical testing and research with the mindRead MoreIs Macbeth a Tragedy?2186 Words   |  9 PagesA tragedy is often thought of as a sad, pitiful event. The factors used to label an event as tragic are the consequences and the lasting effects. For example, the consequences of one or more deaths can be seen as a tragedy. And tragedies are often remembered long after the event, clearly impacting the future for those involved. Many people interpret events such as a natural disaster, a death of a loved one, or a permanent disability as tragic. However, others say that this definition of a tragedyRead More Macbeth - Tragedy Essay1224 Words   |  5 Pageshistories to tragedies. Perhaps one of his most famous in the tragedy genre is Macbeth. 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Macbeth, being a man andRead MoreAnalysis Of The Tragedy Of Macbeth1207 Words   |  5 Pages The ‘Tragedy of Macbeth’ (also known as ‘Macbeth’) is a play written by William Shakespeare and it was first performed in 1606. This play presents plenty of themes through the action and dialogue throughout the play. Although the play is universally and most commonly referred to as the dark tragedy presented by Shakespeare. The most common themes that were introduced to the audience tend to be femininity versus masculinity, pride and honor, the role of supernatural, temptation and evil and a lotRead More Macbeth - Tragedy Essay1313 Words   |  6 Pagesthe classical view, tragedy should arouse feelings of pity and fear in the audience. Does Macbeth do this? Tragedy has most definitely influenced the viewer’s thoughts on Macbeth within this play. In Shakespeare’s Macbeth, the audience sees a gradual breakdown in the character of Macbeth himself, due to the tragic events that unfold during the play. This has a direct effect on the audience’s views and thoughts of Macbeth, thus creating pity and fear within the audience. Macbeth, being a man and aRead MoreManhood in The Tragedy of Macbeth1133 Words   |  5 PagesIn Shakespeare’s Macbeth, he uses the theme of manhood to create motives for characters to act like a man. This is seen in many occurrences in Macbeth where characters try to act like men for certain reasons. Characters that apply this action are Macbeth, the first murderer, Macduff, and Young Siward. These actions are seen throughout the play, and play a key role in the development of the performance. Macbeth tells himself to act like a man in the following lines: â€Å"Prithee, peace! / I dare doRead MoreThe Tragedy Of Macbeth By William Shakespeare1205 Words   |  5 PagesThe first tragic story created in ancient Greece. Tragedies were written as a form of catharsis or purgation of emotions. In these types of plays, the audience finds characters in which they can relate to which is a tragic hero. The tragic hero creates his own failures based upon their own actions and produces a detrimental fate for himself. The process of the protagonist’s fall is based upon the tragic structure. The structure of a tragedy consists of the exposition, exciting force, hamartia, theRead MoreThe Tragedy Of Macbeth By William Shakespeare1052 Words   |  5 PagesEnglish II 2 October, 2015 â€Å"Tragedy† of Macbeth Macbeth, a play written by one of the most influential English writers of all time William Shakespeare. It was created to be a Shakespearean tragedy. A tragedy as Aristotle defines it as: â€Å"Tragedy, then, is an imitation of an action that is serious, complete, and of a certain magnitude †¦. through pity and fear effecting the proper purgation of these emotions† (Aristotle: Poetics). What this is saying for a tragedy is that it should have the audienceRead MoreAristotelian Tragedy Macbeth Essays611 Words   |  3 PagesAristotelian Tragedy: Macbeth Aristotle is known widely for developing his ideas on tragedy. He recorded these ideas in his Poetics in which he comments on the plot, purpose, and effect that a true tragedy must have. The structure of these tragedies has been an example for many writers including Shakespeare himself. Many of Shakespeare’s plays follow Aristotelian ideas of tragedy, for instance Macbeth does a decent job in shadowing Aristotle’s model. Aristotle describes one of the most important