Upon finishing Act I,
Macbeth, I was quite certain about what is going to happen in the tragic story.
I feel that the prophecy of the three witches reveals too much of the story
plot. Moreover, all of the major
characters appear in this act, and they are well described and characterized.
For example, it is easily detected that Banquo is a noble person who is loyal
and logical. He is not easily influenced by the witches’ prediction. On the
other hand, Macbeth is certainly affected by the witches. He is tempted by the
thought of becoming a king as he thought “Two truths are told, as happy prologues
to the swelling act of the imperial theme.” The most interesting character is Lady Macbeth.
At this point of the story, she remains forceful and evil. She convinces her
husband to take over the throne by murdering King Duncan. Her murder plan to
kill the king tells us that she is manipulative, power-thirst and controlling
as she says to her husband “Glamis
thou art, and Cawdor; and shalt be What thou art promised. Yet do I fear thy
nature; it is too full o' th' milk of human kindness To catch the nearest way:
thou wouldst be great, Art not without ambition, but without The illness should
attend it.” It is interesting how
Shakespeare uncovers the theme that uncontrolled ambition could result in
destruction in the beginning of the play. Through the characterization of
Macbeth, Shakespeare shows that we, as humans, all struggle between our
conscience and desires. He believes he has no reason to kill the king but his
own ambition. With his wife’s manipulation and pressure, Macbeth chooses to
carry out the murder plan and pursues the crown even he knows it is not moral.
There are a lot of details revealed in act 1 which give me many insights to the
story. I have enjoyed this play so far.
No comments:
Post a Comment