Macbeth's Soliloquy

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Stephanie Cortinovis Ms.Oliverio ENG2D1 12 January 2015 [Title] A soliloquy is a part in a play in which a character reveals some of their inner most thoughts to allow the audience to develop a better understanding of the character’s intentions and nature. In the play Macbeth, the audience most often hears the revelations of the title character, Macbeth. Here one can find Macbeth in different states of mind as the play moves forward. Shakespeare uses Macbeth’s soliloquies to illustrate how, through Macbeth’s negative character progression and changing ambitions, his cowardice and decline in bravery, coupled with his weakness of character, led to his demise. His development shown through his revelations goes from his initial contemplation…show more content…
The first development in his character shown through a soliloquy was this initial contemplation and inner battle of morality. Macbeth’s ambition spurred him to action where, though he did have doubts, he did resolve to commit the crimes he had planned to fulfill his ambition and gain power before his cowardice and mixed emotions overtook him. Macbeth’s soliloquy found in Act One Scene Seven (1.7.1-28) reveals his true feelings and confliction in killing Duncan. This apprehension existed due to his, questionable but existent, morality and his fear of being discovered. These factors kept him from acting on his desires and led him to the crippling guilt that brought on further hesitation on his part and led to his demise. There is wariness in Macbeth at the moment as he contemplates killing such a just and fair king, one who had always given Macbeth what he was due but allowed himself to trust too easily, for his own benefit. This can be credited to the fragility of the resolve in the character of Macbeth who has proven himself to be easily manipulated when his paranoia and cowardice begin to overtake him. This can be seen in the passage “He’s 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…show more content…
The revelation of his defeatism is what solidifies his defeat and what caused it for him. In this final soliloquy in Act Five Scene Five, Macbeth now exhibits defeatism in the wake of Lady Macbeth’s suicide and as the enemy armies approach. Macbeth, now a pitiful man who disvalues life and has nothing left to live for, is essentially giving in to his guilty conscience and has realized the error in his ways preceding this had led him to the depressing and troubling situation he now finds himself in. However, although he has decided that going on living has no merit, Macbeth is unable to commit suicide as Lady Macbeth did and claims to be going into battle to die like a man where in actuality he was unable to find the courage to end his own life out of fear rather than bravery. With the knowledge any struggle at this point is futile and that the only person who had encouraged his pursuit of power in the name of his ambition was no longer able to do just that, Macbeth is in a depressed state and possesses a reluctance to face the realities around him by addressing them all with little to no value. In doing so he let his once powerful ambition fall completely and allowed for a weakness of character which brought Macbeth to, inadvertently, end his own life. This is particularly exemplified in this passage “Life’s but a walking shadow, a poor player/

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