The position of king is an honorable title desired by many. Before a king, subjects must humble themselves and know their place, so as not to cross the boundaries between them and the king. Dedicated to King James I, William Shakespeare constructs a work that reminds people of their role as subjects. In the play Macbeth, Shakespeare warns the audience against excessive ambition and reveals how aiming too high is beyond the power of man. Through the character of Macbeth and the symbolism of blood, Shakespeare demonstrates how a virtuous man could become corrupt due to his overly ambitious thoughts to control destiny which ultimately lead to his own death instead. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay In the beginning, Macbeth has patience because he is loyal, but when he becomes impatient and tries to control fate, fate remains unchanged. When the witches first give him the prophecy, Macbeth is horrified because he knows his place as the king's subject. Although Macbeth assumes that he must kill Duncan to fulfill the last prophecy, he "gives in to that suggestion / Whose hideous image loosens my hair / And makes my heart beat to sit at the ribs" and decides to let fate play itself out (I.III .147-149). As Duncan's most worthy follower, betrayal for the crown is too treacherous; therefore, loyalty prevents Macbeth from immediately killing Duncan. Macbeth still has morals, he is cautious and understands that killing the king means betrayal. Although Macbeth wishes to remain loyal, the thought of obtaining the highest position tempts him. The throne is his destiny, but Macbeth still wonders whether he should act or not. Weighing the pros and cons of killing Duncan, Macbeth wonders whether his ambition is worth the price. Macbeth is aware that "here we still have judgment, that we do but teach / cursed instructions, which, once taught, return / to afflict the inventor" (I.VII.8-10). The bloody instructions represent the murder of the king; therefore, Macbeth knows that karma will punish him. However, Macbeth frees Duncan and forces his destiny to be fulfilled immediately. Over time, Macbeth loses his temper and his ego grows. With false confidence, Macbeth assumes that his position as king is secure, and Hecate predicts how "he will despise fate, scorn death, and carry his hopes above wisdom, grace, and fear" (III.V.29 -31). Duncan's murder quickly gave Macbeth the throne, which leads Macbeth to think he can control destiny and get what he wants. While Macbeth forgets the crimes and punishments, he thinks only of the benefits. He compromises his morals due to greed which makes him despicable. Ultimately, Macbeth discovers that taking matters into his own hands to shape his own destiny is meaningless. With his efforts futile, Macbeth describes how the control of destiny “is a tale/Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury,/It means nothing” (VV29-31). Macbeth's fall comes true again. All efforts to prevent the end of his reign only solidify his destiny. Through Macbeth's futile attempts, Shakespeare demonstrates how impatience drives the cautious mind to act ruthlessly when man seeks to shape his own destiny. However, fate will not change, no matter how ambitious a person may be. Destiny is not under his control. Although Macbeth plans his actions to alter his destiny, he has no power over fate and receives hatred and death as punishment. Furthermore, uncontrolled ambition creates false hopes that deceive Macbeth into pursuing his selfish desires through the....
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