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Essay On What Role Does Macbeth Play In Shakespeare's Play

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In William Shakespeare 's play, The Tragedy of Macbeth, Macbeth is neither a loathsome nor a heroic character. He is a mixture of both making him the tragic hero of the play. The audience gets to see how sickening and evil Macbeth is when he finds out Lady Macbeth kills herself in Act V, Scene V. The sound of the screams does not scare him because he has "forgot[ten] the taste of fears". Macbeth is oblivious to fear because he has performed so many despicable crimes. When his servant tells him that his wife has died, Macbeth states, "She would have died hereafter"(5:2:17). The audience can interpret Macbeth 's response to the messenger about the death of Lady Macbeth in many ways. First, Macbeth could have said this being selfish. Lady Macbeth should have chosen another time to kill herself. …show more content…

Second, he says Lady Macbeth was bound to die someday. Lady Macbeth made it quick and easy by killing herself. Third, he is in the middle of a big battle with the rebels trying to overthrow him, and he does not have time to mourn her death. On the other hand, Shakespeare portrays Macbeth as noble, heroic figure in the beginning of the play, but he is also seen as a heroic in Act V of the play before his death as well. He states he will not commit suicide or "play the Roman fool, and fall on my[his] sword"(5:8:1-2). These words illustrate Macbeth 's lion-hearted personality. Macbeth will not run or show weakness, but he will stay and fight until death like a hero would. In other words, he 's ready to fight anyone in this war. He fears no one except for the man who is not "born of woman". Macbeth is not technically born from a woman; he was "ripped" from his mother 's womb. When Macbeth finds out, he loses his courage to fight. Macbeth still does not give up and surrender to Macduff. He wants to die with his pride and his place as king:"I will not yield, to kiss the ground before young Malcolm 's

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