Sympathy for Macbeth

Judging from actions alone, Macbeth is an evil man. Over the course of the play

named after him he turns from a loyal soldier to a traitorous usurper, inspired only by the

words of three mysterious witches. Despite his treacherous plotting and murderous

conduct, Shakespeare managed to salvage some respect for Macbeth's character. Through

his feelings early on and his actions at the end, Macbeth garners sympathy where it might

not otherwise exist.

At the start of the play, Macbeth fights nobly and staunchly to defend Scotland

and her king from the invading Norwegians. His valiant battlefield exploits are the main

reason why the Scots defeat the Norwegians, leading routs and slaughtering all foes

within arm's reach. King Duncan ironically names Macbeth, his future murderer, the

Thane of Cawdor to replace the previous Thane of Cawdor who was a turncoat who

helped the invaders. Macbeth learns this from three witches, who also prophesy that he

will become king. When he does finally meet Duncan again, the king lavishes praise

upon Macbeth and fellow war hero Banquo. Macbeth replies, "The service and the

loyalty I owe, in doing it [fighting] pays itself. Your Highness' part is to receive out

duties…" (I, iv, 25-27), indicating that it was his pleasure to fight for the king when he is

already contemplating how he might make the witches' prophecies come true. Even while

he receives the acclaim and expressions of love from the king, Macbeth is contemplating

usurping the throne.

Through at first the heavy prodding from his wife and later by his own design,

Macbeth commits atrocity after atrocity that all solidify him as an evil man. At the urging

of Lady Macbeth, he does kill Duncan and the guards that he framed with the crime and
allows the rest of the high-ranking Scots to think that the murder was some sort of plot

formulated by the king's sons Malcolm and Donalbain. Macbeth hires murderers to kill

his friend Banquo and Banquo's son Fleance, though Fleance escapes death where his

father does not. Macbeth directs that murder without consulting his wife, showing that an

inner transformation has occurred and he no longer need outside stimulation to commit

murder. While Macbeth's enemy Macduff has left to meet with the rightful king Malcolm

about overthrowing Macbeth, he orders the murder of Macduff's family and all other

people within his house at the time. While Macduff is consulting Malcolm on what to do

he finds that Macbeth has been sending people to meet Malcolm to lure him back to

Scotland so Macbeth can kill him. He has no qualms about killing anyone and everyone if

he sees any threat, real or imagined. Macbeth's metamorphosis from guardian angel of

Scotland to devil is complete.

Despite the blackness at the core of Macbeth, Shakespeare portrays him in such a

way so that the audience overlooks his evil deeds somewhat and does feel sympathy for

him. Prior to his murdering of Duncan, Macbeth has serious reservations about following

through with the assassination. After all, his ambitions for the throne only surfaced after

hearing a prophecy by witches. He reasons, "If chance will have me King, why, chance

may crown me, without my stir" (I, iii, 158-160). However, Lady Macbeth drives him to

the point of seriously considering murder, and originally was going to commit the murder

herself, only failing to do it upon noticing the sleeping Duncan's resemblance to her

father. Thus, Macbeth must perpetrate the crime, one that after he regrets mightily. Upon

hearing a knock at his castle's door after killing Duncan, he moans, "Wake Duncan with

thy knocking! I would thou couldst!" (II, iii, 92). After the murder of Banquo and his
 Wunderlich 3

subsequent haunting by Banquo's ghost, Macbeth mourns that he has passed the point of

no return and has no choice but to continue with murder. Having the audience know this

generates some degree of sympathy: it does not excuse him but it reveals that if given the

choice he would rather not go on killing people. At the end of the play when the

combined forces of Macduff, Malcolm, and Siward are ready to attack Dunsinane castle

to depose and dispose of Macbeth, Macbeth has the choice of waiting out the siege in his

castle which is stocked with enough supplies to last a good long while. Instead of taking

that easy way through the situation, Macbeth elects to take on the challengers in battle,

declaring, "I'll fight, till from my bones my flesh be hacked" (V, iii, 36). His officer

Seyton tries to convince him otherwise, but Macbeth will hear nothing of it. His display

of bravery against his foes finally secures sympathy for Macbeth since he ends up going

down bravely in battle rather than cowardly in the depths of his castle.

Despite committing numerous evil acts throughout the play, Macbeth gains

unwarranted sympathy through the way Shakespeare portrays him. Macbeth transforms

from a loyal soldier to a traitorous and murderous usurper but gains some compassion

from the audience. His showing regret for killing, remorse for acquiring the necessity to

kill, and bravery at the end all prevent Macbeth from seeming like the complete monster

he had become. Shakespeare masterfully makes Macbeth a tragic hero, saving him from

being a full-fledged villain.