Macbeth's Murderous Machinations

           Growing up I had always heard the name Shakespeare and how his plays were unbelievably spectacular. I was never truly able to experience any of Shakespeare's work, however, until reading Macbeth in my freshman year. Despite extreme difficulties understanding the language and picking up on many symbols, I enjoyed it very much due to both its uniqueness compared to anything else I had ever read and a very intriguing, conflicted character in Macbeth. Although Macbeth is willing to kill many people including Duncan and Banquo due to an "air drawn dagger" to obtain power, he quickly starts to feel extreme guilt that manifests itself in the form of a ghost that Macbeth sees. In Othello, a play I read last year, Othello exhibits a very similar guilt after killing his wife Desdemona, which leads him to commit suicide.

The picture depicts a conversation between Macbeth and his wife, Lady Macbeth. Power hungry just like her husband, Lady Macbeth differs from Macbeth in that she feels no guilt in committing these murders until much after her husband. She plays a significant role, convincing Macbeth to continue on with his murderous plot when he shows signs of hesitation. It is only towards the end of the play when Lady Macbeth feels remorseful. This tragedy ends with blood, a symbol that is seen throughout the play whenever Macbeth murders someone, when Macbeth is killed in battle by Macduff. Guilt eventually gets the best of Lady Macbeth, and after her husband's death she too dies, but by her own hand instead.

While Macbeth is my first and favorite of all Shakespeare's works, that very well may change after reading many more plays, and even seeing one throughout the trimester.