Trever Barnes
11/9/2015
HELP RECEIVED:
Analyzing Macbeth’s State of Mind
When reading and analyzing the development of Macbeth’s character in Shakespeare’s
Macbeth, it is simple to see and interpret his change of character by looking at the final act. By
analyzing certain quotations and actions that Macbeth displays, we are able to see his change in
character, as he transforms from a simple ambitious thane to a tyrannical king. Although he
murders friends and men of power in order to attain his kingship, his thoughts and actions
following, prove that he is not insane but a man of conscious mind plagued with guilt. By the
end of the play, even Macbeth sees himself as an inhuman and an animal, as his state of mind is
ambitious, overconfident, and fearless. While these traits do describe his personality, he is
redeemed with his qualities of guilt and grief over the death of those around him, by using his
analysis of his conscience and time.
Through my first initial analysis of Macbeth’s character, like many I had no compassion
whatsoever for the outcome of the events and his death. This was due to the many actions
which he took in order to become king, as well as those which followed and his attitude
towards it all. Before killing King Duncan for the crown, Macbeth was hesitant. With this
hesitancy, we saw a conscience in Macbeth, as he knew there would be consequences for his
actions, as he stated “But in these cases we still have judgement here, that we but teach Bloody
instructions, which, being taught, return to plague th’inventor” (i.vii.8-10). It is with this quote
that we get our initial assessment of Macbeth’s character and frame of mind. As he dwells on
to kill not to kill King Duncan, his hesitancy and foreseeing of consequences show his morality,
as he does not believe he is invincible, fears the outcome, and hesitates to kill a friend. It is
with his initial assessment that he finally decided spare the king, but is later talked into it by his
wife, who challenged his manhood.
As the play continues and we analyze Macbeth in the final act, it is obvious that his
character has developed into a tyrannical king, seemingly gone mad with power. His ambition
claimed the best of him, murdering four close friends as he was overconfident and believed
that he could not be brought down and the prophecy against him would not come true.
Although his ambition is what led Macbeth to his downfall, it was his overconfidence in the
prophecies which ultimately finished him off. His initial character at the start of the play lacked
the confidence and proceeded through each step with doubts, fear, and uncertainty in the truth
of the prophecies. By the plays end however, he failed to accept his fate that he would be
killed by a man ripped from a woman, and that Birnham Wood would ever converge on
Dunsinane.
Although Macbeth seems to be twisted and mad with power, there are signs throughout
the final act that reveal he is still human, as he does not lack a conscience. In the beginning of
act V, Macbeth discovers the death of his wife and queen. Following the news of her death, he
goes on to talk about time in a soliloquy. It is in this soliloquy that we see his compassion for
his now dead wife, and dissatisfaction with his actions that led to the outcome before him. He
described life on earth as being “dusty” and calls it as meaningless as a shadow, so unreal that it
could be compared to an actor onstage. It is because of these comparisons that we finally see
Macbeth’s guilt from his actions sink in, as they all now seem so meaningless in his life. His
description of time dragging on at a “petty pace” could be used as a good gauge for his emotion
towards his wife’s death as well, as with depression, one typically feels as if their world has
slowed down or stopped.
By the end of the play, Macbeth acts irrationally due to his character flaws of over
ambition, overconfidence, and his fearless belief due to the prophecy given to him by the
witches. Despite these many flaws which cause him to act recklessly and without care, there
are cracks in his dialogue which revealed signs of compassion and guilt. Throughout the play,
Macbeth acts against his conscience by doing immoral things. This, however, does not mean
that he is without conscience. His sense of right and wrong is very active in the way he thought
before he killed the king.