From Hero to Tyrant : The Downfall of Macbeth

 This blog task is assigned by the Pro. and Dr. Dilip Barad sir,( Department of English, MKBU )        

               “  Macbeth ”

1)  character of Macbeth 

 

With exception to that of Hamlet, the character of Macbeth is the most complex one that Shakespeare has ever portrayed. It is complex in the sense that Macbeth’s motives can not be clearly analysed and labelled . Macbeth is one of the most perfect and most complex hero of  Shakespeare.

 

    -   A Heroic Character 

          -    His Ambition 

           -  Weak Will 

          -    Superstitious 

           -   His Tyranny 

           -  A Man of Conscience 

1)  A Heroic Character :-

Macbeth is a man of indefatigable courage and formidable valour. He is brave beyond brave man’s standard and courageous beyond the ordinary bounds of courage. 

He is the yielding hero of fierce bloody wars and adventures. His sword spits fire on the battle field.

2) His Ambition :-

A very important feature of Macbeth's character is his inordinate ambition. He is by temper too ambitious and his ambition gradually develops into a passion.

 Macbeth himself confesses :-

“I have no spur

To prick the sides of my intent, but only

Vaulting ambition, which o’erleaps itself,

And falls on the other.”

weakness of will which is more responsible for his crime.

3) Weak Will :- 

Yet in spite of this vaulting ambition, Macbeth is weak of will . He lacks determination at least in the early part of the drama. He aspires for the crown of Scotland but wavers in determination.

4) Superstitious : 

Yet another weakness in Macbeth is that he is superstitious. He accepts the prophecies of the witches as truth. He is a bit skeptical about them but when two of their prophecies are fulfilled he begins to pin his faith in them.

5) His Tyranny : 

Macbeth fulfils his ambition by murdering his king, and then to secure his throne he commits further murders – first Banquo then Macduff’s wife and children. Naturally he begins to rule as a tyrant, and alienates his courtiers and subjects.

6) A Man of Conscience :

 The most redeeming features of Macbeth’s character is his glowing imagination and lively conscience.

 Character of Lady Macbeth :-

( Lady Macbeth )

1. Lady Macbeth as a “Witch”

Not literally part of the three Weird Sisters, but figuratively “witch-like” in some traits -

Ambitious manipulation – 

She deliberately pushes Macbeth toward murder, questioning his masculinity: 

“When you durst do it, then you were a man.”

Unnatural rejection of femininity – 

She calls on spirits to “unsex” her and fill her with cruelty, echoing the supernatural imagery surrounding witches.

Temptress role –

 Like the witches, she plants the idea that Macbeth can seize the crown, becoming an instigator of evil.

Moral corruption –

 She uses her intellect and charm to lure Macbeth into regicide, similar to how witches in the play plant dark thoughts.

2. Lady Macbeth as a “Victim”

Social constraints 

 In a patriarchal society, her only route to power is through her husband. Her ambition is shaped by her limited agency.

Influence of the supernatural 

 The witches’ prophecy sets events in motion; she becomes part of a chain that was already cursed.

Psychological pressure

 Her initial ruthlessness masks deep emotional fragility. The sleepwalking scene shows she’s haunted and broken by guilt.

Downfall and isolation 

She dies offstage, possibly by suicide—a sign of tragic victimhood rather than villainous triumph.

       

3)  Macduff - the ultimate Avenger :-

Macduff’s journey in Macbeth is a fascinating one, ultimately positioning him as the play’s key avenger. While Macbeth spirals deeper into his violent and ruthless quest for power, Macduff stands in stark contrast, embodying justice and retribution.

Banquo :-

Banquo in Macbeth is a fascinating mix of loyalty, suspicion, and tragic irony.   

Foil to Macbeth 

 Banquo serves as a moral contrast, showing how one can hear the witches’ prophecy without succumbing to evil ambition.

4) King Duncan :-

King Duncan represents the embodiment of rightful kingship and moral order in Macbeth. He is portrayed as a benevolent and just ruler who rewards loyalty and service generously, as seen when he honors Macbeth with the title of Thane of Cawdor for his bravery in battle. However, Duncan’s trusting nature also reveals a certain naivety; he fails to recognize the growing ambition and darkness within Macbeth, which ultimately leads to his tragic downfall. His murder is not only a personal betrayal but a profound violation of the natural and political order. 

Shakespeare uses Duncan’s character to symbolize the divine right of kings, and his death plunges Scotland into chaos, both politically and supernaturally, with disturbances in nature mirroring the disruption of moral balance. Duncan’s purity and innocence, often associated with light and goodness.

5) Malcom and Donalbain :-

            King Duncan 

            1.  Malcom 

            2. Donalbain

Malcolm ( elder son )and  Donalbain (younger son ) , King Duncan’s sons, represent the continuation of legitimate royal bloodline and the fragile hope for Scotland’s future after Duncan’s murder. Malcolm, the elder son, quickly emerges as the more politically astute and cautious heir. His decision to flee to England after his father’s death is a strategic move to gather support against Macbeth’s usurpation, reflecting his awareness of the dangerous and unstable political climate. Donalbain’s flight to Ireland shows a similar instinct for survival, though he plays a less prominent role in the play. 

6) Lady Macduff :-

Lady Macduff, though a minor character, plays a crucial symbolic role in Macbeth as the embodiment of innocence and the collateral damage of Macbeth’s tyrannical ambition. She represents the domestic sphere—the stability and warmth of family life—that Macbeth’s violent quest for power destroys.

Cinematic Adaptation of Macbeth :-

Shakespeare’s plays have been adapted for as long as there have been plays by Shakespeare. Throughout several centuries, the literary works produced by this writer have consistently held a prominent position within the realm of academic studies. 

1).  Justin Kurzel 's   'Macbeth' :

Mac

( Justin Kurzel 's 'Macbeth' )

beth is a 2015 epic historical This This drama film directed by Justin Kurzel and written for the screen by Todd Louiso, Jacob Koskoff, and Michael Lesslie, based on the Shakespeare play. 

The film stars Michael Fassbender in the title role and Marion Cotillard as Lady Macbeth, with Paddy Considine, Sean Harris, Jack Reynor, Elizabeth Debicki and David Thewlis in supporting roles. 

The story follows the Scottish lord's rise to power after receiving a prophecy from a trio of witches that one day he will become King of Scotland. Like the play it was adapted from, the film dramatises the damaging physical and psychological effects of political ambition on those who seek power for its own sake.

What changes are made by film maker in the adaptation ?

1. War as a Central Themes :-

Kurzel opens the film not with the witches but with a battle sequence where Macbeth is shown as a war hero.

This makes his later mental instability and paranoia seem partly linked to post-traumatic stress disorder, rather than purely supernatural temptation or ambition.

2. The Dead Child Motif:-

The film begins with Macbeth and Lady Macbeth burying a child — a completely new addition not in Shakespeare’s play.

This grief shapes Lady Macbeth’s ambition, emotional collapse, and eventual madness.

3. The Witches as Ordinary but Eerie:-

Instead of grotesque, cackling figures, the witches here are quiet, barefoot women (and a child), blending into the Scottish landscape.

Their tone is subdued, making them seem less magical and more like an unsettling part of the natural world — almost prophetic villagers rather than mystical beings.

4. Brutal Realism over Theatrical Poetry:-

Much of the film’s language is cut or trimmed, focusing on action and visuals rather than long speeches.

Famous soliloquies are often delivered quietly, even in whispers, which makes them more intimate but less rhetorical.

5. A Different Ending for Macbeth:-

In the play, Macbeth dies fighting and is killed off-stage; in Kurzel’s version, Macbeth’s death is shown directly — he stands almost calmly before Macduff, accepting his fate, giving the scene a strange sense of inevitability.

6. Lady Macbeth’s Death is Shown:-

Shakespeare only reports Lady Macbeth’s suicide off-stage. In the film, we actually see her walking into the wilderness and dying alone, which adds to the tragic isolation theme.

7. Heavy Use of Landscape and Weather :-

The Scottish Highlands, fog, and ash-filled skies are almost characters themselves.

The film uses slow motion and surreal lighting to blur the line between reality and vision, emphasizing Macbeth’s fractured mind.

8. Emphasis on Macbeth as a Soldier 

His rule is portrayed more like a warlord’s reign — muddy camps, weary soldiers, constant battles — giving the story a more medieval war-drama feel than a purely courtly tragedy.

The setting and events & themes -these are major factors of the adaptation which are given below :-

Setting 

Bleak Scottish Highlands, fog, ash, and blood-red skies; gritty medieval war atmosphere reflecting Macbeth’s mental decay.

Witches 

Ordinary barefoot women with a child, calm and eerie, blending into the landscape; less magical, more psychological.

Events 

Adds dead child burial, longer battle scenes, shows Lady Macbeth’s suicide and Macbeth’s death directly; cuts much dialogue for visuals.

Theme 

 Ambition mixed with grief and trauma, fate vs. free will, war’s brutality, madness, and inevitable moral decay in a violent world.

 References 

https://blog.dilipbarad.com/2020/12/macbeth.html?m=1

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Macbeth_(2015_film)