The Tragedy of Macbeth

[ Jesse Tonkin | Learning Study 15 | Word Count : 978 ]

In what ways are the themes, messages and ideas of the Tragedy of Macbeth relevant to contemporary
society?
Shakespeare was an English playwright, poet and actor in the 1500 and 1600s and is renowned for his genius

in literary techniques. Many of his plays, such as The Tragedy of Macbeth, are studied thoroughly by

students and teachers alike and there are many ways in which the themes, messages and ideas from these

plays are relevant to contemporary society. For example, things such as excessive ambition will cause

destruction, guilty behaviour leads to downfall and loyalty is an important and powerful virtue are all themes

that are demonstrated strongly through characters actions or speech in The Tragedy of Macbeth but are

still relevant to todays society.

Excessive ambition is something that causes an immense amount of destruction in both the play and in

todays world. It is Macbeths key character flaw and is shown numerous times throughout the play. At the

beginning of the play, Macbeth is seen as a loyal and honest nobleman. However, as the play unfolds and the

witches plant seeds of ambition in Macbeth, he begins to succumb to his desires. In Act 1 Scene 7 (Line 22-25),

Macbeth has a realisation that ambition is the cause of disaster (I have no spur to prick the sides of my

intent, but only vaulting ambition, which o'erleaps itself and falls on th' other). Despite this, he is so blinded

by his ambition that he neglects making wise choices. This, not surprisingly, results in Macbeths unpopularity

and eventually, his demise. Many people, even today, are not content with what they have and constantly

think about attaining more possessions. This lust commonly results in people becoming unfriendly, rude and

disliked. Through viewing the play, people have the opportunity to gain an understanding of these dangers;

providing relevance between Shakespeares writings and todays society.

Additionally, The Tragedy of Macbeth has a strong indication of the theme that guilty behaviour leads to

personal downfall, which can be learnt from and reflected on in todays society. Guilty behaviour was a

significant idea, entangled throughout the entire tragedy of Macbeth. It was regularly shown through the

imagery of blood and was involved with both Macbeth and Lady Macbeth. There were an immense number of

events where guilt was evident, such as characters experiencing visions about the murder of the king and Lady

Macbeth being haunted by her actions causing her to have difficulty sleeping. A stand-out scene depicting

this is when Lady Macbeth is attempting to wash her hands of her evil deeds (Out, damned spot! Out, I

say!One, two. Why, then, tis time to do t. Hell is murky! Act 5 Scene 1-Line 30-32). Scenes such as this

highlighted the guilt of Macbeth and Lady Macbeths actions and how it caused them to become paranoid and

crazy. This eventually contributed to their loss of social position, respect and finally, their death. Guilt is an

emotion that also plagues people in todays society. As a result of studying the works of Shakespeare people

will be able to understand the adverse effects of guilt and hopefully, respond in more mature ways than

characters in The Tragedy of Macbeth.

Lastly, loyalty is an important and powerful virtue is a theme that is true in both The Tragedy of Macbeth

and in todays society. Loyalty was essential in Shakespeares time and many of his plays reflect this. In The

Tragedy of Macbeth there are numerous instances where references to loyalty are made. For example,

Macbeths allegiance to King Duncan is shown in the first Act. Macbeth fights valiantly, honouring his King and

country (Till he faced the slave; which ne'er shook hands, nor bade farewell to him, till he unseamed him

from the nave to th' chops, and fixed his head upon our battlements Act 1 Scene 2 Line 25). This loyalty

was a strong contribution to the doubt that Macbeth had when deciding whether to murder King Duncan.

Furthermore, the importance of loyalty is shown later in the play when Macbeth has become king. Many of

his noblemen become unfaithful to him because of his corrupt actions (Bring me no more reports. Let them

fly all. (Act 5 Scene 3 Line 1). This quote is an indication of Macbeths anger due to the disloyalty of his

subjects, showing the importance of loyalty. While the forms of loyalty may be different to those found in

The Tragedy of Macbeth, this virtue is still very important today. A large majority of the population will

admit that someone who is loyal and honest is more likable. It is a trait that is admired and respected in
todays society; from friendships, to marriages and even entire nations rely on loyalty in order to function.

When loyalty is removed from any society, whether in Shakespeares play or today, the result is chaos and

pain.

In conclusion, Shakespeare was one of the most accomplished literary playwrights throughout history, and he

was able to incorporate an immense amount of relevance between his plays and todays society, hundreds of

years after he lived. Many of the themes that are explored in The Tragedy of Macbeth have meaning and

significance to a range of people, even now. These include things such as excessive ambition will cause

destruction, guilty behaviour leads to downfall and loyalty is an important and powerful virtue.

Bibliography
Heather, C 2014, Analyzing Dramatic Works: Theme, Character Development &
Staging, Study.com, accessed 20 August 2015, http://study.com/academy/lesson/analyzing-
dramatic-works-theme-character-development-staging.html
Faupusa, C 2012, Loyalty and Honour, Blogger, accessed 31 August 2015,
http://msfaupusa.blogspot.com.au/2011/09/loyalty-and-honor-then-and-now.html
No Fear Shakespeare 2015, Sparknotes, accessed 25 August 2015,
http://nfs.sparknotes.com/macbeth/
Taylor, K 2011, Loyalty, Philosophy Talk, accessed 30 August 2015,
http://www.philosophytalk.org/community/blog/ken-taylor/2015/04/loyalty
Themes and Relevance in Society n.d., Macbeth Mashed Up, accessed 29 August 2015,
http://macbethmashedup.weebly.com/themes-and-relevance-of-macbeth.html