Sympathy for Macbeth Essay

In the play 'Macbeth' William Shakespeare is able to make the audience sympathise with the main character even though he committed terrible deeds.

In the play a brave warrior is tempted by his wife and the witches to kill the reigning King. After committing murder he takes place as King, which makes him feel guilty. As the play goes on he realises his mistakes but ignores them. He ends up killing many innocent people and comes across as an 'evil butcher', but is eventually slain by Macduff.

Throughout the play there are a number of ways in which Shakespeare makes us feel sympathetic for Macbeth. At the beginning of the play Macbeth is seen as a loyal, noble soldier. Many important men recognise him and praise him to the highest extent. A captain describes him as "Valour's Minion" and calls him "Brave Macbeth". Ross one of the Lords describes him as "Bellona's Bridegroom" implying he was similar to Mars the god of war. Even King Duncan calls him "Valiant Cousin" and "Worthy Gentleman" showing he is admired by royalty. In addition he has a good, noble nature. Lady Macbeth says,

"Yet do I fear thy nature, it is too full o'th'milk of human kindness"

With these words Lady Macbeth gives the impression Macbeth is so good natured he could not ever do anything wrong, suggesting he has a heart of gold. She realises her husband is too nice to kill an old man, so after this point she begins pressurising him. Macbeth tries not to let his wife's persuasion tempt him but she calls him a cowardly man just so she can get her own way. The audience also sympathises with Macbeth because of the way he is tempted by not only his wife but the witches too. One says to him,

"All hail Macbeth that shall be king hereafter"

Macbeth is a strong man and tries not to let this bother him. However, at this point the idea of murder comes to him but he knows it is wrong and he does not make anything of it. As the thought of murder, makes his hair stand on end. The audience know this because he says,

"If good, why do I yield to that suggestion, Whose horrid image doth unfix my hair"

This shows Macbeth has a sensible, moral character and feels uncomfortable at the thought of murder. Moreover Shakespeare shows Macbeth's suffering and regret after he kills Duncan. During one of his many soliloquys he says,

"I almost need of blessing and 'Amen' ? Stuck in my throat"

At this point Macbeth has a very guilty conscience. He is feeling so troubled he could not pray that night. We also feel sympathetic towards Macbeth because his imagination begins to make him hallucinate. Macbeth says in one scene,

"Will all great Neptune's ocean wash this blood clean from my hand"

Here the audience can see Macbeth's imagination has led him to believe taht Duncan's blood will not wash off his hands.

After the first part of the play we are left feeling sorry for Macbeth as both the witches and hiswife tempt him into doing something he knows is wrong and does not want to do.

Our sympathy further develops towards the end of the play. Macbeth realised he has lost everything he had and all his potential. In another soliloquy he says,

"And that which should accompany old age, as honour, love, obedience, troops of friends, I must not look to have"

The audience feel great sympathy for Macbeth in this scene. He feels extremly depressed as he is left alone without any supporters and he realises no-one wants to help him anymore. People are beginning to tuen against him and he feel she has nothing left to live for. He

"My way of life is fall'n into the sere, the yellow leaf"

It is at this point Macbeth feels he there is nothing worth living for, he feels he wants to die as nothing is going the way he planned for it to. He believes his life is is beginning to wither and die like a yellowing leaf in Autumn. The audience also feel pity for Macbeth because he learns his wife has commited suicide. I think he feels lonely and that his life is just dragging by. The audience know this when Macbeth reveals this in another soliliquy he says,

"Tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow creeps in this petty pace from day to day"