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Review - Macbeth

Macbeth
In the play Macbeth by William Shakespeare, we discover that Macbeth is a tragic hero. There are many factors, which contribute to the degeneration of Macbeth. Macbeth is very ambitious and courageous, and is later portrayed as a moral coward. All of these qualities lead to his tragic death at the end of the play. There are three major points, which contribute greatly to Macbeth's degeneration. The first was the prophecies, which were told to him by the witches. The second factor was when Lady Macbeth influenced and manipulated Macbeth's judgment. The final factor was Macbeth's long time ambition, which drove his desire to be king. Macbeth's character degenerates from a nobleman to a violent individual.
At the beginning of the play, Shakespeare describes Macbeth as a definite hero. Macbeth's defense of Scotland is significant in the opening scene, because it portrays him as a great hero. The witches predictions to Macbeth after the opening scene influence Macbeth greatly. Despite Macbeth's rank he is still very superstitious and listens to the predictions of the witches very carefully. If it had not been for the witches telling him that he was to be Thane of Cawdor, Thane of Glamis, and King of Scotland, Macbeth would still be his ordinary self. Because of the prophecies, Macbeth's curiosity was aroused as to how he could be King of Scotland. As the play progresses, Macbeth slowly relies on the witches prophecies to decide his course of action. Shakespeare uses the witches as a remedy for Macbeth's curiosity, which corrupts his character. At the beginning of the play, he was very loyal to the king. The King rewarded his service to Scotland with gifts, titles, and gracious praises. For a time, it appeared that Macbeth was going to remain loyal. Macbeth's quote in act one "Why, if fate will have me king, why, chance may crown me King," made it seem as if Macbeth would remain loyal.
However, this would soon change due to the influence of Macbeth's...