Macbeth The theme that is brought up early in this play is fate and predestination Essay Example For Students

Macbeth: The theme that is brought up early in this play is fate and predestination Essay The theme that is brought up early in this play is fate and predestination. This was very much part of the Protestant belief at the time of Macbeth. Ones future was mapped out to a certain extent ultimately leading to salvation or damnation. In Macbeths case it was damnation and failure. This theme was displayed early in the play. Macbeth and Banquo have recently been in a tough battle with rebels and have won the victory for Scotland. Duncan rewards Macbeth for his courage by giving him the title Thane of Cawdor. This title previously belonged to one who was a most disloyal traitor so it seems Macbeth was destined to become one himself. But Duncan himself does not tell Macbeth. He is told by three witches he meets on the lonely moor. Macbeth is surprised to be told by the witches but even more so when they proclaim he will be King: Act 1 Scene 3 First Witch All hail Macbeth, hail to thee, Thane of Glamis Second Witch All hail Macbeth, hail to thee, Thane of Cawdor Third Witch All hail Macbeth, that shall be King here after. However, certain issues must be raised. The question has to be asked à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" Are the witches predicting his future or are they trying to manipulate him into doing something he would regret? The witches may have been told by someone about Macbeth receiving the honour of being Thane of Cawdor before the information got to him. Macbeth was destined to fail as soon as he thought about being King. Thinking about being would have made him exercise thoughts about killing Duncan in order to be King more quickly. In those days it was believed that the Monarch was appointed by God and therefore any attempt to usurp the Monarch was sacrilegious. This is made clear to us when Duncans sons discover their father dead. McDuff says: Act 2 Scene 3 Confusion now hath made his masterpiece Most sacrilegious murder hath broke ope The Lords appointed temple and stole thence The life othbuilding. McDuff says that the life of the Lords anointed temple has been stolen. He means that Duncan was the life of God and this life was stolen because he is dead. This shows a strong belief that Kings were appointed by God. This belief is called The Divine Rights of Monarchs and once again shows that Macbeth was destined to fail when he killed Duncan. Macbeths moral dilemma when considering murdering Duncan, and the religious terminology he uses illustrates how he knows that the act he is considering is immoral and that he will be punished accordingly. However he is still seduced by offers of greatness. He says: Act 1 Scene 7 But in these cases We still have judgement here that we but teach Bloody instructions, which being taught, return To plague thinventor Even  though he will receive greatness for murdering Duncan, it will come back to haunt him or he might even be killed himself. This once again shows that Macbeth was destined to fail. It is obvious to us that Macbeth is attracted to the idea of murdering Duncan but he knows it is an evil act: Act 2 Scene 1 Nature seems deadà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ wicked dreamsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Witchcraft celebrates Pale Hecates offringà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Withered murderà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ wolfà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ howlsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Tarquins Ravishing stridesà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ ghost All of these things represent evil and it shows what was going through Macbeths mind. Even still he contemplated murdering Duncan. This shows that he was once again destined to fail. .ucc9e68f2e9ea3771a98117ae26ac3038 , .ucc9e68f2e9ea3771a98117ae26ac3038 .postImageUrl , .ucc9e68f2e9ea3771a98117ae26ac3038 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .ucc9e68f2e9ea3771a98117ae26ac3038 , .ucc9e68f2e9ea3771a98117ae26ac3038:hover , .ucc9e68f2e9ea3771a98117ae26ac3038:visited , .ucc9e68f2e9ea3771a98117ae26ac3038:active { border:0!important; } .ucc9e68f2e9ea3771a98117ae26ac3038 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .ucc9e68f2e9ea3771a98117ae26ac3038 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .ucc9e68f2e9ea3771a98117ae26ac3038:active , .ucc9e68f2e9ea3771a98117ae26ac3038:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .ucc9e68f2e9ea3771a98117ae26ac3038 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .ucc9e68f2e9ea3771a98117ae26ac3038 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .ucc9e68f2e9ea3771a98117ae26ac3038 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .ucc9e68f2e9ea3771a98117ae26ac3038 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .ucc9e68f2e9ea3771a98117ae26ac3038:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .ucc9e68f2e9ea3771a98117ae26ac3038 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .ucc9e68f2e9ea3771a98117ae26ac3038 .ucc9e68f2e9ea3771a98117ae26ac3038-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .ucc9e68f2e9ea3771a98117ae26ac3038:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: There are two different parts to this play one is EssayThe murder of Duncan and the upsetting of the pre-ordained order is illustrated symbolically by the in incident with the owl and the falcon: Act 2 Scene 4 old man Tis unnatural, Even like the deed thats done on Tuesday last At a falcon tow ring in her pride of place Was by a mousing owl hawked at and killed This is showing that the less powerful and important is killing the more powerful and important. It is a parallel to Macbeth killing Duncan. Macbeth usurped Duncans position and this is unnatural or wrong occurrence. Macbeth is defying the natural order and therefore defying God therefore he will be punished and this punishment will be failure. This manifestation of Gods will was central to the belief system of Low Church Christians in the early 17th Century, of which James I was one. This play serves as a warning to those wanting to kill the monarch at the time of the play. The Gunpowder Plot is referred to at the beginning of Act 2 Scene 3: Knock, knock. Whos there in thother devils name? Faith, heres an equivocator that could swear in both the Scales against either scale, who committed treason Enough for Gods sake, yet could not equivocate to Heaven. O, come in, equivocator. The Porter seems to be referring to the Jesuit father Garnet, who tried to save his life with his specious arguments but who was executed in 1606 for complicity in the Gunpowder Plot. He especially refers to the Jesuit priests equivocal oaths when he says for Gods sake. The plotters were condemned and this is parallel to Macbeth being condemned à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" his madness and suffering along with that of his wife are symbolic of the punishment awaiting the traitors. His punishment comes in several ways. Firstly he cannot sleep at night, secondly he keeps visualising the ghost of Banquo and thirdly and ultimately he himself is killed. James I defeating the plotters and Malcom and McDuff defeating Macbeth are examples of the theme good versus evil. If good were not to prevail then the whole socio-cultural fabric that underpinned 17th Century life would be destroyed making society unstable. This is proved in the years following  the death of James I. His successor Charles I was impeached and he was eventually executed after the Civil War. Also the governments of the Interregnum and the Protectorate had failed.