Portfolio #2 (Macbeth Character analysis)

Introduction: My first benchmark of the year, and I did awesome on it. Macbeth was one of my favorite books to read and I think one of the books I didn’t fall asleep reading. On this benchmark I had to make a thesis about Macbeth and show why my thesis is true with examples and quotes from the book.

 

 

Thesis: Macbeth changes a lot throughout the play. At first he was a bold, awesome warrior. Then at the end he became a mean bloodthirsty killer.

 

 

Macbeth

           

                        In act 1 scene 3 of Macbeth, the witches said that Macbeth would become king. So Macbeth stands and talks to him self to see how it will be done. Macbeth wonders if he has a change to be king, but how will it be. Macbeth says to himself “If chance will have me king why, chance may crown me with out my stir” (Act 1.3) What Macbeth is trying to say is that if he has a chance to be king, can the chance make him king without him doing anything. Right now Macbeth is confusing about the king situation. When the witches came he was like (Huh?). He was thinking to himself when he said this quote but he said it out loud. Which means that he is wondering what will happen next? Now at this moment, Macbeth is trying to become a warrior to a king,

 

                       In act 1 scene 4 of Macbeth, King Duncan and Macbeth is having a conversation about Macbeth being promoted to Thane of Cawdor. King Duncan is making Macbeth promoted because he is being a grate loyal soldier at this point. Macbeth says to Duncan “Stars hid your fires, let no light see my black and deep desires., The eye wink at hand yet let that be which the eye fears, when it is done to see” ( Act 1 scene 4 lines 50-53). When Macbeth is saying this line he means to say that he will become a good thane but he doesn’t want anyone to know what he is thinking inside. The thought of killing Duncan needs to hide at this point. But for now Macbeth is getting promoted to thane and now he has proven to Duncan that he can be trusted and become a more awesome warrior.

                             

                     In act 1 scene 7 of Macbeth, Lady Macbeth and Macbeth is having a conversation about killing King Duncan for Macbeth, so Macbeth can become king. But Macbeth doesn’t want to because Duncan trusted Macbeth so much that he is sleeping over Macbeth’s house. Now id he attempts to kill Duncan and fails it can lead to serious consequences that can lead to Macbeth dying instead.  In line 1-2 of act 1 scene 7 Macbeth says “If it were done when tis done then twere will it were done quickly’. What Macbeth means by this like in that if Macbeth was to kill Duncan why not get is done right now and as soon as possible. Macbeth is still thinking if he wants to kill Duncan, but can he just make up his mind. At this point Macbeth is changing to a mean person and deciding to go and kill Duncan.

                                                         

                       In act 1 scene 7, Macbeth is talking to himself about if he should kill Duncan or not. He does not know what to do and also is thinking what will happen if he succeeds or fails. In line 6-7 of act 1 scene 7, Macbeth says “But here upon thus bank and shoal of time we jump the life to come”. This quote means even though what happens when Macbeth kills Duncan he will move on no matter what happens. Now Macbeth does not know if he should still kill Duncan but this show that he wants to kill him even more even though it will hurt Macbeth. He is showing more of his evil side.

 

                       In act 2 scene 2, after the death of king Duncan, Macbeth and lady Macbeth is having a conversation, Macbeth is saying that he will not sleep ant more. From the quote in act 2 scene 2 lines 40-43 it states “ Sleep that knits up the revealed sleave of care, the death of each days life, sore labors bath, balm of hurt minds, great nature’s second course, chief nourishes is life’s feast”. This is a quote saying what he did when he was sleeping but from the context he will not sleep anymore and no more of this will happen. But Lady Macbeth is making him go to sleep. At this point Macbeth is going a little bit insane after he had killed King Duncan.

 

                         In act 2 scene 2, Lady Macbeth and Macbeth is still talking to each other after the murder of King Duncan. Macbeth is dating that he will never go to sleep again because he had just killed king Duncan. After seeing himself kill Duncan he is feeling very guilty and Lady Macbeth is forcing him not to. In act 2 scene 2 lines 55-56 Macbeth says, “ I am afraid to think what I have done, look on’t again I dare not”. This means that after Macbeth killed king Duncan he is not scared to think about what happened but he does not want to look back. At this point Macbeth is becoming scared but is trying to stay strong about what is happening. Macbeth is becoming meaner and meaner by the second because he feels scared, also happy that his task is done and he will become king.

 

 

 

                             In act 2 scene 2, Macbeth and lady Macbeth are still talking to each other after the death of king Duncan. While Macbeth has blood all over him, lady Macbeth is telling him to wash off all the blood but Macbeth is still panicking and scared. In act 2 scene 2 line 58 Macbeth states “Ha! They pluck out mine eyes”. This means that Macbeth is going a bit crazy because he see’s blood on his hands and think that they are plucking his eyes out which means that he is surprised. At this time Macbeth is turning more insane then he was before because all he thinks about now is king Duncan.

 

                              In act 3 scene 1, Macbeth is feeling better after the death of Duncan but he has sent people out to kill Banquo now. Macbeth, Lady Macbeth and the Thanes will now meet to have dinner with each other. Macbeth states in act 3 scene 1 lines 63-64 “thence to be wrenched with an unlineal hand. No son of mine succeeding” By this quote Macbeth means that Banquo will die and no son of his will be king. Macbeth is trying to keep the crown and is willing to kill ant one that steps I front of his way.  He does not care who it is because Macbeth will kill who ever it is. Now, Macbeth is turning to be a blood thirst killer.

 

                                In the end of act 3 scene 1, Macbeth is talking to his servants that kills for Macbeth, Macbeth at this point is forcing murderers to find and kill Banquo as soon as possible before he gets in Macbeth way of becoming king.  According to act 3 scene 1 lines 140-143 Macbeth states “ I’ll call upon you straight. Abide within. It is concluded. Banquo, they soul’s fight, If it finds heaven, must find it out tonight”. That was what he told the murderers. This quote means that Macbeth does not know if banquo will be going to heaven or hell, but either way, Banquo is going to be killed without a care in the world. He also said that if he were to find out where banquo will be when he is dead, it would be by tonight. At this point of the story, Macbeth has hit his bloodthirsty and mean self. Now all he wants to do is kill, just to keep everyone and everything away from his secret of the death of King Duncan.

 

                             In act 5 scene 3, Macbeth’s servant keeps coming to Macbeth to tell him that soldiers are on their way to come and kill Macbeth instead. I guess someone found out about the death of Duncan was by Macbeth. Macbeth understands that, but him and his negative attitude do not care. But anyway Macbeth gets ready just in case something goes down. In act 5 scene 3 lines 15-20 Macbeth say’s “Go prick they face and over – red they fear, Thou lily livered boy. What soldiers, whey face?” This means that he is telling the servants not the be afraid because no soldiers are going to come to me and try to kill me because they are all scared of Macbeth. At this point it is near the end of the book and Macbeth does not know the amount of trouble he is in. When the soldiers come Macbeth will be forced to fight for his life knowing that he might lose, he will battle until his death. Now Macbeth has turned to a crazy person and is going to war by himself against a whole group of soldiers.

                                  Macbeth started of as a hero, a person that people wanted to be. He was a strong and brave warrior that always followed the kings commands. But as he moves on with his life he starts to change. He didn’nt know what was right or wrong because lady Macbeth making his choices. If it wasn’t for Lady Macbeth King Duncan would of still been alive. But after King Duncan died, all Macbeth wanted to do was kill everyone that gets in his way. At the end of the story Macbeth finally finds out that he can’t do nothing no more. So he fought for his death. He wanted to die showing that he is a brave warrior so he fought until he died. This proves my thesis because in my thesis I said Macbeth changes from a good guy to a bad guy. The message Shakespeare is trying to tell is, is to think about what you are about to do and make sure to never let anyone force you to do something you don’t want to do. No one can control you, only you can.