Characteristics of Macbeth.doc

萍乡学院 姓名：汪贞佩 学号：12431017 班级：12英本1班 指导老师：陈京明 日期：2015.06.24Characteristics of Macbeth摘要：麦克白是莎士比亚四大悲剧中最短的一部，也是最让人恐惧的一部悲剧。作为一个经典式的人物形象，麦克白的性格特征成了众多学者研究的对象。本文通过分析麦克白的性格特征，得出麦克白的悲剧其实是性格悲剧的结论。Abstract: Macbeth is the shortest of the four great tragedies of Shakespeare but the most frightening one. As a classic character, Macbeths characteristics are often discussed by lots of scholars. This article will analyze the characteristics of Macbeth, and we will comprehend the tragedy of Macbeth is the tragedy of his characteristics.Key word: Macbeth; characteristic; heroic. Macbeth, a general of Scotland in 11 century, was driven by ambition and witches, he murdered King Duncan under his wife Lady Macbeth s instigation. And he was extremely terrified and nervous after he became the King. But he couldnt control his own ambition and desire, which made him crueler and crueler, and became a real tyrant. At the end of this play, he was blamed by justice and lost his life eventually.The characteristics of Macbeth divided in three parts: heroic complex, kindness and rich imagination. Heroic complexAt the beginning of this play, Macbeth is a brave general that King Duncan respected and people loved. Shakespeare describes the situation of Macbeth killed the enemy in the battlefield through a bleeding Sergeant. He is brave and good at fighting. After their victory, we can see Macbeth is a nationwide hero through Duncan s trust and people s behavior. But alls too weak: For brave Macbeth-well he deserves that name- Disdaining fortune. As sparrows eagles, or the hare the lion. If I say sooth, I must report they were as cannons overcharged with double cracks, so they doubly redoubled strokes upon the foe.(Scene 2, Act 1)As the saying goes, the spectator sees most clearly. The valiant of Macbeth is obvious to all. KindnessMacbeth s characteristics have the side of kindness, we can see it from Lady Macbeth s words:Yet do I fear thy nature; It is too full o the milk of human kindness to catch the nearest way. Thou wouldst be great; Art not without ambition, but without the illness should attend it. What thou wouldst highly that wouldst thou holily; wouldst not play false, and yet wouldst wrongly win. Thou ldst have, and that which rather thou dost fear to do than wishest should be undone.(Scene 5, Act 1)Macbeth actually is moral. He admires Duncan s virtue, and he knows deeply the responsibility of general. He values reputation, he is afraid of losing his honorable reputation. These are the part of Macbeth s kindness. He is a loyal general. He never forget Duncan s good to him. And he dare not betray the trust of Duncan. Rich imaginationIt full of gloom, terror, blood and evil in Macbeth s imagination, and he is numb to everything in beautiful life. He never feel human honorable sense and exquisite appearance like Hamlet. Neither do him experience the romance of war and deep love like Othello. On the contrary, Macbeth s imagination often comes with mysterious fear. For example, when King Duncan come to Macbeth s castle, as soon as Macbeth want to kill him, a horrible image rise before his eyes:That his virtues will plead like angels, trumpet-tongued, against the deep damnation of his taking-off; And pity, like a naked new-born babe, striding the blast, or heavens cherubim, hosed upon the sightless couriers of the air, shall blow the horrid deed in every eye, that tears shall drown the wind.(Scene 7, Act 1)After he sent the murderer and killed Banquo, he screamed to Banquos ghost in public:What man dare, I dare. Approach thou like the rugged Russian bear, the armed rhinoceros, or the Hyrcan tiger; take any shape but that, and my firm nerves shall never tremble; or be alive again, and dare me to the desert with my sword; If trembling I inhabit then, protest me the baby of a girl. (Scene 4, Act 3)Macbeth show us his destruction step by step via his imagination. From praising him to sympathizing him, to feeling grief to his transition. And Macbeth has become a heinous evildoer. He had put himself to the guillotine. In summary, the tragedy of Macbeth is the tragedy of his characteristics. Macbeth is a humanized tyrant, he has fight for his ideal, and became a heinous murderer due to ideal converting to ambition. So the tragedy of Macbeth mostly is the result of the tragedy of his characteristics except social factors. Lady Macbeth constantly ins