The Plot and Characterization of Macbeth - Literature review Example

Your How the real life Macbeth differs and compares to the Shakespearean Macbeth William Shakespeares"Macbeth", tells the story of a "brave" (Act I. Scene I.18) Scottish thane who, consumed by his own ambition, falls prey to the prophecies of three sinister witches; gradually transforming to a murderer and a tyrannical king who enters into bloodbath and dies an inglorious death of a "coward" (Act V. Scene VIII. 24) at the hands of a thane who was from his "mothers womb/Uutimely rippd" (Act V. Scene VIII. 16). With his powerful iambic meters, although Shakespeare beautifully etches such an image of a tyrannical king, in reality, it is a far cry from the real king MacBeth MacFindlaech of Scotland who ruled the kingdom peacefully for almost two decades from1040 to 1057 (Hunter 9). As agreed by most of the scholars, the primary source followed by Shakespeare was Raphael Holinsheds "Chronicles" and perhaps Pages translation of Buchanan’s "Rerum Scoticarum Historia" (Bloom 12). However, the dramatist took enough liberty in manipulating the characters and the events to the extent that it is not placed under his "history plays" but under "tragedies". This essay therefore, will point out what all changes did Shakespeare introduce into the plot and characterization of Macbeth, what effect it had on the play and lastly why were all the manipulations introduced. While discussing the liberties Shakespeare took in sketching Macbeth, it becomes essential to look at the source material Shakespeare referred to. In Holinsheds "Chronicles", MacBeth is presented as a "valiant gentleman, and one that if he had not béen somewhat cruel of nature, might haue been thought most worthie the gouernment of the realme." (Holinshed 264). Although the playwright presents Macbeth as a brave and cruel soldier in Act I Scene II, he places Macbeth in sharp contrast to king Duncan who is shown as an all-good character worthy of his position. The Chronicle, on the other hand, paints a different picture of the king who is said to have been "negligent...in punishing offendors, manie misruled person tooke occasion thereof to trouble the peace and quiet state of the common-wealth" (264). The same is reported by G.K. Hunter in his book, "MacBeth MacFindlaech" where the writer mentions that, Duncans "thirst for power coupled with incompetence in the battlefield resulted in troubled times for Scotland" (8). Macbeth as the Mormaer of Moray, allied with Thorfinn (9) to defeat the king and Duncan, unlike in the play, died in the battle field (10). Shakespeare intentionally digresses from the reality to paint a cruel picture of Macbeth who does the heinous crime of killing a guest: "Hes here in double trust; First, as I am his kinsman and his subject, Strong both against the deed; then, as his host, Who should against his murderer shut the door, Not bear the knife myself" (Act I Sc. VII line 15-18). Contemporary chroniclers wrote favorably of Macbeth and believed him to be a better ruler than Duncan. Another major part that Shakespeare changed in his play is the role of Banquo as Macbeths accomplice. According to Holinsheds Chronicle, Banquo was Macbeths accomplice initially, "communicating his purposed intent with his trustie friends, amongst whome Banquho was the chiefest, vpon confidence of their promised aid, he slue the king at Enuerns, or (as some say) at Botgosuane, in the sixt yeare of his reigne" (Holinshed 268). It is only after ruling the realm peacefully for more than 10 years that he devised to kill Banquo and his son fearing that the weird sisters prophesies might come true. Shakespeare however, puts the two murders close to each other and omits Banquos aiding of Macbeth altogether. Hunter also points out how MacBeth enforced good laws in his realm one of which swore officers to "defend women and orphans anywhere in the kingdom" (13). However, in Shakespeares tragedy, Macbeth is seen as a murderer of innocent children and women. The playwright also does not mention anything about Macbeths children but in reality, MacBeth did have an adopted son from his wife Gruoch named Lulach who inherited the throne after his fathers death and ruled the kingdom for another seven years (Hunter 23). Interestingly, as pointed out by Hunter both MacBeth and Lulach were buried in the holy isle of Iona where all lawful kings of Scotland were traditionally buried (22). Nevertheless, the Macbeth which the present generation is acquainted with is one presented by Shakespeare. The manipulations of facts turned the real MacBeth MacFindlaech to a "fiend and a butcher. Standing before him, we cannot but be paralyzed with fear" (Low, 826). Although the motif behind doing so is not particularly clear most of the critics agree that it was done to please his patron, king James I. Discussing the historical background of the play and its appeal to king James I, Dr. Janie Caves McCauley mentions that the "plays subject is Scottish history, and James I was the king of Scotland". She further mentions that the play "promotes the myth of the glorious ancestry of the Stuart kings by presenting Banquo and Fleance as historical forebears of their line " (5). Banquo according to her has been presented as a man of "great integrity" who unlike Macbeth is able to control his temptations. There are also critics who believe that Shakespeares aim was not to present history but an effective tragedy. Discussing this issue Alina Popa in her paper titled " Shakespeare’s Real And Fictional History" mentions that Shakespeare "focus[ed] instead on the tragic fall of a heroic person who only happened to be a historical ruler." Undoubtedly, the numerous soliloquies that Macbeth enters into throughout the play allows the audience to live the tragic fall of a hero. Shakespeare, according to many critics, manipulated history to present a drama that is more interesting than the actual history. The playwright, according to McCauley, tried to make the play appealing to the king by condemning the issues that the king himself strongly opposed. The play appearing within a year of the failed Gunpowder plot talked about regicide. Macbeths tragic fall could have been well understood by the audience of that time who had witnessed a similar failed attempt a year ago by Guy Fawkes (MaCauley 5). Another issue that Shakespeare addresses through his play is of witchcraft. In Holinsheds chronicles, the three sisters Macbeth and Banquo meet on their way back are told to belong to some "elder world". However, since king James I was himself against witchcraft and had written a treatise on the occult titled "Dermonology", Shakespeare portrayed the ladies as "witches" who are towards the end of the condemned by Macbeth himself in the last scene of the play: And be these juggling fiends no more believed, That palter with us in a double sense; That keep the word of promise to our ear, And break it to our hope. (Act V. Sc. VIII. 20) There is no denying of the fact that although William Shakespeare, by altering the facts, has assassinated the character of the real MacBeth, but has in turn given us a character to whom the audience can relate to. Harold Goddard in his "The Meaning of Shakespeare", rightly points that "Macbeth is a milestone in man’s exploration of . . . this "depth of things" which our age calls the unconscious" (Bloom 117). Shakespeare as a brilliant dramatists leads his audience to purgation by watching the tragedy of a man who is as human as a being can be. Works Cited Bloom, Harold. Blooms Modern Critical Interpretations: Macbeth. New York: Infobase Publishing, 2010. Print. Hunter,G.K. MacBeth MacFindlaech. Penguin Books, 1967. Web. 29 Mar. 2014. http://ehistory.osu.edu/world/PeopleView.Cfm?PID=392 Holinshed, Raphael. Holinsheds Chronicles of England, Scotland, and Ireland, 5. London: J. Johnson, et al, 1808.Web. 29 Mar. 2014 http://www.smhs.org/ourpages/auto/2006/9/1/1157147179411/Holinshed%20and%20Macbeth.pdf Low, Lisa. Ridding Ourselves of Macbeth. The Massachusetts Review.Inc, Vol. 24, No.4, 1983. Web. http://www.jstor.org/discover/10.2307/25089505?uid=3737760&uid=2134&uid=379377033&uid=2&uid=70&uid=3&uid=379377023&uid=60&sid=21103880382753 McCauley, J.C. Shakespeare’s Macbeth May 2013. Bob Jones University, 2013. Web. 29 Mar. 2014 http://www.bju.edu/events/fine-arts/concert-opera-drama/archive/macbeth/macbeth-smart.pdf?utm_medium=Link&utm_content=%2Fevents%2Ffine-arts%2Fcod%2Farchive%2Fmacbeth%2Fmacbeth-smart.pdf&utm_campaign=Redirect Popa, Alina. SHAKESPEARE’S REAL AND FICTIONAL HISTORY. Academica Brâncuși Publisher,2013.Web.29 Mar.2014 http://www.utgjiu.ro/revista/jur/pdf/_____/Popa%20Alina%20-%20SHAKESPEARE%92S%20REAL%20AND%20FICTIONAL%20HISTORY.pdf Read More