Macbeth's First Soliloquy

Thoughts are often reflections of oneself, and are usually left unspoken. In William Shakespeare’s Macbeth, Macbeth has a number of soliloquies which reveal these thoughts to the audience. His soliloquies are a significant part of the play as they cause the audience to distance themselves from Macbeth through the reveal of his inner thoughts and morals, his character development and changes, which in turn, reflect his downfall.
To begin with, Macbeth’s soliloquies initially allow for the audience to have pathos for him. In his soliloquy in Act 1, Macbeth is revealed to be doubting himself and does not want to kill Duncan. He claims Duncan “hath borne faculties so meek, hath been so clear in his great office” (Shakespeare, I.vii.17-18). He …show more content…
Before the announcement of his wife’s death, Macbeth’s soliloquy reveals how indifferent he has become. He claims he has “almost forgot the taste of fears” (V.v.9) and that “direness, familiar to [his] slaughterous thoughts cannot once start [him]”. Macbeth no longer fears anything and has become accustomed to the thought of murder. His character has developed into a detached one, and the audience can no longer sympathize with such a character. Similarly, how Macbeth acts after Duncan’s murder contrasts how he acts when he hears the news of Lady Macbeth’s death; he is completely unfazed, and even states “she should have died hereafter” (V.v.18). His “dearest partner of greatness”(I.v.10), has just died yet he feels nothing. Macbeth felt more agony killing Duncan than when he heard the news of his wife’s death, thereby showing the progress of Macbeth’s humane and kind character becoming more corrupt and cruel. To conclude, the change of Macbeth’s character creates a rift between the audience; they no longer pity him, but now see him as a cruel hearted man who deserves the downfall he …show more content…
In his soliloquy before his last battle, Macbeth states has “lived long enough: [his] way of life is fall’n into the sere”(V.iii.22-23). This soliloquy reflects back to how he was once full of the ambition to be king back in Act 1, but now he has lost his purpose to live. He evens ponders about how meaningless life is, saying “life is but a walking shadow” (V.v.24) and how an actor “that struts and frets his hour upon the stage and then is heard no more”(V.v.24-26). He sees life as a meaningless illusion and no longer has the will to live, and a man who has no will to live cannot rule a country, yet he refuses to give up the crown. His downfall is reflected through his last will to hold onto the crown, and the audience cannot give him any sympathy for this as they see him as a mad and desperate man, and leave him as a lost

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