Macbeth Act 1~~ Character Profile

MACBETH

I have chosen to write about Macbeth because I feel that he is the most developed and complicated character in the play so far. His personality changes throughout Act 1 and I find his thoughts to be very intriguing. From the play, it is understood that Macbeth is a respected Scottish general of the King's army. In the beginning of the play, Macbeth has just won a bloody battle against a traitorous Macdonwald and a rebel army from Norway led by the Thane of Cawdor. This displays his courageous and valiant character and his loyalty to King Duncan. When he initially learns of the witches' prophecies, he is baffled and doubtful. For him, the thought of being the Thane of Cawdor and to be crowned King "Stands not within the prospect of belief" (I.iii.74). This shows that he has never had any thoughts of being King  or any thoughts alike, which proves he is originally a naive and righteous character. However, the witches plant an evil seed in his mind, which changes his perspective of his potential. When he is informed that he has indeed been made Thane of Cawdor, he is convinced that what the witches claim is true. Thus, what had seemed impossible before suddenly becomes a possibility. Nonetheless, Macbeth hesitates when he realizes he might have to murder Duncan to gain the crown and so he thinks "If chance will have me king, why, chance may crown me, Without my stir." (I.iii.143-144). This reveals that he would rather be elected peacefully as king than have to shed blood to earn the title. His desire for the crown is doused when he decides to temporarily forget about the matter as he heads over to Duncan's castle to accept his title. There, his determination is rekindled when he learns that Duncan's son, Malcolm is to be the future King. This goes against what the witches have told him and he thinks "The Prince of Cumberland! that is a step On which I must fall down, or else o'er leap, For in my way it lies." (I.iv.47-50). This shows that he becomes defensive of his right and immediately views Malcolm as a threat. 

After reading through the first act and carefully analyzing his character, I believe Macbeth to be a very decent and honourable man. He is loyal to his King, humble and indifferent to the use of violence. However, his weakness is that others easily influence him. In the play, the three witches influence him and cause him to see things in a new light and to think in a new way. So far, I have witnessed a few changes in Macbeth's character and I begin to see a new attribute creeping into his personality: greed. As I progress further into the play, it will be interesting to see how this trait will develop and affect his  future actions. 

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Macbeth Act 1~~Destiny, Fate, Influence

HAIL! HAIL! HAIL!

In Act 1, the witches earn Macbeth's trust when he is indeed given the title of Thane of Cawdor, true to the witches' predictions. Their words consequently influence Macbeth to ponder about taking action to fulfill the other prophecy of crowning himself king. He believes that this is destined to happen to him since the witches have already predicted it. While it seems that the witches are good at predicting the future, I sense that their words are shrouded with deception and loopholes. For every gain, there's a price to pay and I am positive the witches will make sure that something terrible happens in order for Macbeth to get what he wants. Although the witches have set Macbeth's destiny, I hope he will decide to disregard the witches' predictions and seal his own fate by playing it safe and staying just as he is. Should he choose to heed to the witches' words, I believe he will face many hardships and miseries in the future.
In my opinion, I believe that a supernatural force controls destiny, but our fate can be decided by ourselves. Every action or decision we make directly affects what our fate will be. In this case, the witches provide the supernatural force that sets Macbeth's destiny. However, whether he chooses to act upon these predictions will determine the "fate" of his fate. This balance between supernatural and natural forces is a main part of the theme and so the witches' role in the story is vital. They stimulate the conflict in the story where Macbeth is in conflict with a supernatural force and with himself. Without the presence of the witches, Macbeth would not even begin to think of crowning himself king. Therefore, not only do the witches provide structure in the story by stimulating the conflict, they are also the main driving force in Macbeth's actions and development of the plot.

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Macbeth Act 1~~My First Thoughts

Having started reading Macbeth, I feel the urge to avoid creepy, old ladies at all costs! Needless to say, the three witches have made a strong opening impression, although not in a very positive way. The line that they recite, "fair is foul, and foul is fair" (I.i.11) reveals their wicked and twisted personality; they find evil and bad things good, while righteous and pleasant things are considered vile. While this has made me wary of their presence, I am also a bit intrigued as to how their predictions will play out. I am positive that they will play a major role in Macbeth's downfall and will be the main reason why this play is coined a tragedy. I also look forward to see how Macbeth's character will change throughout the play when he gets raised to the King's position. I am equally interested in Banquo's character because the witches predict that "[he] shalt get kings" (I.iii.67), which means that his heirs will challenge Macbeth's position as King. Another character that I find compelling is Lady Macbeth. Although she is not introduced thoroughly in the first act, I feel that she will prove to be a key player in Macbeth's journey to kingship. 

Through all these years in high school, I have become fairly acquainted with Shakespearean plays. I can only say acquainted, but not capable of deciphering his literature, whether it is his language or "sense of humour". In fact, I find it impossible to fully understand his plays without referencing to a source (i.e. a visual representation) as back up. This is expected since his works were all written to be acted out. However, while I have read Shakespearean comedies like "A Midsummer's Night Dream" and "Twelfth Night", I have had little experience with his tragedies. With the exception of "Romeo and Juliet", I have barely touched on any other Shakespearean tragedy. I have a faint idea that Macbeth will end in murders and tears, but I am curious of how the details will all come together. All in all, I am looking forward to learning more about Macbeth and the darker side of Shakespeare's writing. 

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