The medieval and renaissance view of the world saw a relationship between order on earth, the so-called microcosm, and order on the larger scale of the universe, or macrocosm. Violent disruptions in nature - tempests, earthquakes, darkness at noon, and so on - parallel the unnatural and disruptive death of the monarch Duncan. Thus, when Lennox and the Old Man talk of the terrifying alteration in the natural order of the universe - tempests, earthquakes, darkness at noon, and so on - these are all reflections of the breakage of the natural order that Macbeth has brought about in his own microcosmic world. Lady Macbeth's domination over her husband, Macbeth's treacherous act of regicide, and his destruction of comradely and family bonds, all go against the natural order of things. In this play, all these basic societal relationships are perverted or broken. Other relationships also depend on loyalty: comradeship in warfare, hospitality of host towards guest, and the loyalty between husband and wife. At the top of this hierarchy is the king, God's representative on Earth. Macbeth is set in a society in which the notion of honor to one's word and loyalty to one's superiors is absolute.
Motifs in macbeth free#
We cannot blame him for becoming king (it is his Destiny), but we can blame him for the way in which he chooses to get there (by his own free will).
Motifs in macbeth how to#
The play makes an important distinction: Fate may dictate what will be, but how that destiny comes about is a matter of chance (and, in a Christian world such as Macbeth's) of man's own choice or free will.Īlthough Macbeth is told he will become king, he is not told how to achieve the position of king: that much is up to him.
In Macbeth, the Witches represent this influence. In a fatalistic universe, the length and outcome of one's life (destiny) is predetermined by external forces.
With an unpredictable swing up or down, one could equally easily crash to the base of the wheel.įate, on the other hand, is fixed. One could rise to the top of the wheel and enjoy the benefits of superiority, but only for a while. The ancient view of human affairs frequently referred to the "Wheel of Fortune," according to which human life was something of a lottery. In Christian terms, although Macbeth has acted tyrannically, criminally, and sinfully, he is not entirely beyond redemption in heaven.įortune is another word for chance. In the Genesis story, it is the weakness of Adam, persuaded by his wife (who has in turn been seduced by the devil) which leads him to the proud assumption that he can "play God." But both stories offer room for hope: Christ will come to save mankind precisely because mankind has made the wrong choice through his own free will. Macbeth exhibits elements that reflect the greatest Christian tragedy of all: the Fall of Man. Christian drama, on the other hand, always offers a ray of hope hence, Macbeth ends with the coronation of Malcolm, a new leader who exhibits all the correct virtues for a king. The tragic hero was to be pitied in his fallen plight but not necessarily forgiven: Greek tragedy frequently has a bleak outcome. To the Greeks, such arrogance in human behavior was punishable by terrible vengeance. The ancient Greek notion of tragedy concerned the fall of a great man, such as a king, from a position of superiority to a position of humility on account of his ambitious pride, or hubris.
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