The Nature of Evil in Shakespeares Macbeth Essay -- GCSE English Lite

Macbeth The Nature Of Evil In Macbeth, the character of Macbeth has a. firm and correct grasp of self-knowledge, and a well developed supposition of the universe and his place in it. He willfully disregards his own moral thoughts and institutions. According to Bernard McElroy, more than either other Shakespearean hero, he Macbeth has a utterly clear concept of who he is and where he stands --- and it is exactly this perception that torments and spiritually destroys him(330). Macbeth is strongly impelled to evil but he also abhors evil. It is this that causes Macbeth to abhor himself. The swindle explores the tensions between Macbeths proneness to evil and his abhorrence to evil. Macbeth is a tragic hero because he becomes caught in tensions between his criminal actions and the reaction of his conscience. Had Macbeth committed the deeds without any remorse, he would have been simply an evil monster, without any hope. But it is his conscience about evil that makes him tragic. Thro ugh Macbeths actions, Shakespeare is able to depict the nature of evil as being lusftul, deceptive, tyrannical, and disruptive to family. To begin, Macbeth himself stands as a symbol for Satans sin of ambition. Like Satan, Macbeths insatiable lust for power and ambition drives him to commit evil. Although Macbeths ambitiousness is not in itself evil His very strong social sense, worldly but valuable, together with that gift of imaginative expression whereby he far outshines all the others, makes him naturally and justly desirous of winning Golden Opinions from all sorts of people I.vii.33 (Elliot, 288). However, Shakespeare asserts that Macbeth knows his place in nature, and is overly ambitious according to Calvinist doctrine ... ...d devoured by it. Works Cited Bethell, S.L. Shakespeares Imagery The wicked Images in Othello in Shakespeare Survey Volume 5. change by Allardyce Nicoll (Cambridge Cambridge University Press, 1952) Elliot, G.R. Introduction On Macbeth as Apex of Sh akspearean Tragedy in Shakespearean Criticism, Volume 3. Edited by Laurie Harris (Gale 1984) McElroy, Bernard, Macbeth The torture of the Mind in Shakespearean Criticism, Volume 3. Edited by Laurie Harris (Gale1984) Ribner, Irving. Macbeth The Pattern of Idea and Action, in Shakespearean Criticism, Volume 3. Edited by Laurie Harris (Gale1984) Shakespeare, William. Othello. Edited by Norman Sanders. (Cambridge Cambridge University Press, 1984) ----, Macbeth, World Literary Heritage, Volume 1.0 (California Softbit, Inc. MS- DOS / MS - Windows 3.1, CD ROM)