Theme Of Violence In Macbeth

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Scenes of intense violence have been utilized in literature and film for centuries and still amaze readers and spectators today. William Shakespeare included strong violence in two of his most remarkable and popular plays, Hamlet and Macbeth. Shakespeare cleverly places violent scenes as both works include these scenes either at the start of the play or near the start of the play. This is effective as it attracts immediate attention from the audience. Whether verbal or physical violence, both contribute to the overall theme of the play and the plot, as well as the entertainment value. Shakespeare incorporates violence often in intriguing forms in both Hamlet and Macbeth, which leads to unexpected plot twists and excitement for audiences. Within …show more content…
Violence first introduced into the play when Macbeth plans to murder of King Duncan after hearing the prophecy of the three witches crowning him king. Ambitious for the crown, alongside Lady Macbeth, Macbeth murders King Duncan in his sleep. After murdering Duncan however, Macbeth begins to image a floating dagger in the air stating, “I see thee still;/ And on thy blade and dudgeon gouts of blood,/ Which was not so before. There’s no such thing” (Macbeth 2.1.53-55). Macbeth becomes king with a guilty conscience, but his ambition for more power stimulates his increasing violent behavior. The murder of King Duncan surprises a majority of audiences as Macbeth changes on his thought: “If chance will have me king, why chance may crown me / Without my stir.” (Macbeth 1.3.147-148), as he has taken out the chance, which he replaces with violence. In addition to the murder of King Duncan, the murder of Macduff’s family can be seen caused by ambition for power. Macbeth “from this moment/ will have the very firstlings of his heart be/ the firstlings of his hand…… and will surprise the castle of Macduff/ seize upon Fife, give to th edge o’ th’ sword/ His wife, his babies, and all unfortunate souls (Macbeth 4.1.152-159). Macbeth can bee seen following the orders of the three apparitions who warn Macbeth of Macduff’s arising power, and yearning for more power and control, Macbeth orders the murder of …show more content…
Within Hamlet, Hamlet’s vengeance forces him to uses wise strategies to go with his violent plans by forcing Claudius into guilt over a play. Additionally, he waits to strike at the right moment, which can be seen when he hesitates to “do it … now he is praying / And now I’ll do ‘t. / And so he goes to heaven, / And so am I revenged. That would be scann'd: / A villain kills my father, and for that, / I , his sole son, do this same villain seen” (Hamlet 3.3.77-82). Hamlet thinks about murdering Claudius while he is in the chapel, however unlike Macbeth, waits. Hamlet wishes not to murder a praying man, who will be sent to heaven, but instead, waits for the right moment to make sure he suffers in hell.Unlike Hamlet who uses strategy and is patient, Macbeth takes the first opportunity he gets, and quickly eliminates relentlessly all who stand in his climb to power. Macbeth has ambitious, violent thoughts, which is primarily generated by his will to gain power and kingdom, alongside Lady Macbeth’s strong determination to “motivate” Macbeth. Macbeth can be seen filled with ambition when planning to murder King Duncan, and grows even more so throughout the play after speaking with Lady Macbeth, who encourages these
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