Macbeth as a Tragedy

 Macbeth as a TRAGEDY OF Vaulting

Many critics of William Shakespear are of the view that Macbeth, as a tragedy, is visibly marked by self-conceited ambition that leads the protagonist to a series of bloody actions and resultantly to his destructive but deserved end. They emphatically say that this drama contains the story of one who marches on the path of bloodshed and faithlessly goes to all lengths for the purpose of giving practical shape to his heinous crimes lying in the deep recesses of his mind.

Macbeth, the hero of the drama, appears to have the first visible stroke of ambition when along with Banque, he is victoriously returning from the battlefield. He subdued the revolt against Duncan, the king of Scotland. In other words, he is in a puffed-up state of mind. This state gets further exalted when he is addressed by three weird sisters on the way back to the palace. They address him with titles other than his own.

But he literally experiences a state of surprised rupture when these supernatural creatures address him as the Future lord of Scotland. The factual position is that the utterances of the supernatural creatures incite the deep-seated ambition which is already underlying in his mind. 

After hearing the honeyed predictions of the witches, he gets inclined to give a practical shape to whatever is there in his mind. But Lo! his trust in the credibility of the words of witches gets naturally strengthened when walking homewards, he received the king's order regarding the upgrading of his title. The matter, in short, is that every happening which befalls him strengthens his belief in the acquisition of the Golden round.

keeping the pleasing notion that Fate is with him, he hatches a conspiracy to get hold of what he has in the innermost depth of his mind. He invites king Duncan to a banquet and has him assassinated when he is staying with him as his most revered guest.

Later, he indulges in a series of bloodshed of those who can pose any challenge to his position and royal authority. First of all, he gets Banque killed through hired assassins. Its simple reason is that he feels insecure about his survival. Then he switches to Macduff and has his wife and babe killed in his absence. Not only this, he un-compunctiously commits the murder of several other persons. And his only intention is to save himself from the practical implementation of the witches that he will be followed by the progeny of Banque. 

 The amazing thing is that his sense of insecurity goes on increasing instead of getting decreased despite murdering his foes. Many nobles who were loyal to him previously leave him and join hands with the exiled sons of Duncan and Macduff. In such a baffling situation, Macbeth seeks the witches again and insists on having safeguards as the Scottish ruler. He puffs up when he hears point-blank that he shall not be killed unless Burnam Wood is brought in Duncinane. Not only this, he further gets reassured by hearing that he shall not be killed by any person who is normally born by his mother. he feels somewhat relieved.

But this mental relief proofs to be quite transient. Because the predictions of the witches materialized when Bernam wood is actually brought to Duncinane and when Macduff tells him that he is a caesarian child of his mother. Now all his hopes shatter down and there is no possibility of escape from the claws of death. But the remarkable thing is that he remains adamant and fights back till the last breath of his life. Although he is butchered at the altar of his overwhelming ambition yet he leaves behind him the tangible example of matchless heroism in the face of the trying ordeals of life.