Macbeth Assessment Draft

Human nature Is complex because of the flaws the make us human.
In Shakespeare’s era, disruption

of the natural order and defying the chain of being would negatively affect individuals and the
broader society. The 1606 play Macbeth, Shakespeare outlines the psychology behind the human
flaw mortals poses, and how our transgressions may disrupt the natural order and the chain of being.
Shakespeare explores how human nature is complex because one flawed decision may lead to your
demise.
Human nature is complex because of the flaws that make us human, in Macbeth, Shakespeare
explores how every human presents with a fatal flaw, and how that flaw can bring them to their
demise. Shakespeare explores this because of the Renaissance interest in the psychology of humans
and how that influences they’re decision making and reasoning. When Macbeth starts experiencing
hallucinations and extreme paranoia after killing Banquo Shakespeare uses the stage direction “Enter
ghost of Banquo” to imply that Macbeth has gone psychotic and that his fatal flaw (hamartia), is his
obsession with becoming king and the lengths in which he will go to, to achieve his desire teaching us
about the complexity of human nature and the underlying human flaws we all poses. Later in the
play we see Macbeths psychotic and power-hungry behaviour take full effect when he says “give to
th’ edge of the sword of his wife, his babes”. Here Shakespeare uses imagery to insinuate that
Macbeth is going to kill Macduff’s whole family just because he has the power to, now that he is king
of Scotland, further outlining Macbeths human flaw of obsession and the lengths he is willing to go
to, to succeed. Towards the end of the play Macbeth says the lines “ I am blood stepped in so far…
returning were as tedious as going o’er”, here Shakespeare uses the motif of blood and imagery to
illustrate an image in the audiences mind that Macbeth walks onto a lake of blood and death, and
because of all the transgressions Macbeth has done, it is easier for him to walk all the way across to
the other side and continue on the path of destruction, than to turn back onto the righteous path
and regret his prior decisions. This conveys to the audience that Macbeth has no regard for his moral
compass or the damage his transgressions have caused, highlighting the complexity of human nature
and the lengths that Macbeth will go to obtain his desires.
Human nature is complex because of the flaws that make us human, and how these flaws may lead
to transgressions which disrupt the nature order and chain of being. In the Jacobean era, there were
many attempts on the king’s life, one notable instance of this was the “gunpowder plot” where
barrels of gunpowder were places under a church the king was expected to visit. When Macbeth
notifies Lady Macbeth of his intent to kill King Duncan, Lady Macbeth advises Macbeth to “Look like
the innocent flower but be the serpent under’t”. Here Shakespeare uses a biblical allusion and the
motif of flowers to insinuate to the audience that Lady Macbeth is so ambitious and determined that
she is willing to disrupt the natural order and tarnish the chain of being all for the cause of Macbeth’s
kingship teaching us how human flaws are complex and the ways in which they impact us . Later in
the play we see Macbeth taking Lady Macbeth’s advice to heart when he says, “False face must hide
what the false heart doth know”. Here Shakespeare uses a rhyming couplet to convey to the
audience that Macbeth is taking on Lady Macbeth’s advice and is willing to disrupt his own nature for
the cause of becoming king, showing that Macbeth is slowly turning to the dark side, highlighting the
theme of Appearance vs reality and Macbeths decent to the dark side, disrupting the natural order.
Human nature is complex because of the flaws that makes us human, Shakespeare does this by
examining the psychology behind peoples rational and transgressions as well as the many ways
appearance disguises reality and how deception and betrayal could happen to anyone, regardless of
social status or character. Macbeth is timeless as it teaches us to be weary of anyone regardless of
the trust you have in that person, and to always be conscious of everyone’s true desires including
your own and the consequences that may ensue if your deepest darkest desires are exposed.

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Human nature Is complex because of the flaws the make us human.

In Shakespeare’s era, disruption

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