This essay will examine the value of William Shakespeare’s ‘Macbeth,’ written in 1606, today. Three hundred years after its publication, “Macbeth” still holds great value. This is because every person feels ambitious or guilty at some time in their life. Shakespeare’s play, “Macbeth”, has been captivating this audience for generations to come. Plays like “Macbeth” are so popular because audiences feel the same way as the characters. They also feel comfortable relating to fictional characters.
Macbeth, like everyone else, is driven by ambition. Macbeth plays the main role of ambition in Act 1, Scene 3. He states that ‘two truths can be told as happy preludes to the swelling acts’. After hearing the witches’ prophecies Macbeth begins to wonder whether he will succeed in becoming king. Macbeth uses Act 1, Scene 7 to say that he doesn’t have a spur to make my intention stronger, but that he only has vaulting ambition. This is to compare himself with a horse rider, who can’t use their spurs to drive his horse faster. Act 3, Scene 1, Macbeth, after becoming king, feels restless. Macbeth also features guilt as a central role. This is why the play is still highly valued. Everyone feels guilty at one time or another. Shakespeare is also trying his audience to understand that if you do something wrong, it can have serious consequences. In Act 2, Scene 2, Macbeth tells Lady Macbeth that he killed King Duncan and asks her if all the great Neptune’s oceans will wash away my blood. This means that Macbeth is guilty of killing people before and that he still feels guilty. Macbeth also feels guilty about the murders of Banquo. In Act 3, Scene 4, he sees Banquo’s spirit at the banquet. In Act 5, Scene 5, Lady Macbeth’s famous confession of guilt states that she cannot undo what she has done. This is a reference to the act of violence and the death of her husband. This is an affirmation of the fact that guilt can’t be undone.
