MACBETH is a study in tyranny; its origin, its psychology, its legacy. There are no heroes in MACBETH. It is not a tragedy of character but rather a tragedy of consequence. The ultimate tragedy in MACBETH is not the horrors and sufferings that Macbeth endures but what happens to the innocent victims of tyranny. The ultimate guilt in MACBETH belongs to the people who allow him to become king and to those who carry out his heinous deeds after he assumes power. Stalin, Hitler, Pol Pot, ad infinitum ad nauseum. Individually they are the epitome of mediocrity, degradation, ruthlessness and brutality. Surround them however with cowards, perverts, and the herd mentality, and all hell will break loose.
How anyone could listen to what Macbeth says and witness the absolute
horrors he perpetrates, and then conclude that innately he is a man of nobility
and honor is beyond rational comprehension. Or perhaps it is a horrible comment about the
psyche of a sizable part of the human race.
Macbeth speaks some of the most beautiful poetry in all of Shakespeare and
all too frequently the beauty of the poetry is mistaken for the beauty of the
man. The eloquent poetry is of the
medium and not the character. To judge
his poetic imagination by the quality of his speech is a mistake. The poetry is Shakespeare's but the
tendencies, desires and actions are Macbeth's. He, like his wife, is self-corrupted.
From the very beginning killing is what he does and murder is on his mind. He is a free agent and a voluntary sinner. The weird sisters speak not one word of murder or intrigue to him. They make a prediction that he will be king but they never imply, nor even remotely insinuate, that he must kill to make it come true. And yet the insinuation on his part is clearly there from the beginning. In Macbeth's mind the acquisition of the crown is synonymous with murder. They are inextricably bound. And this alone explains his response to the prophecy. And when he is announced as Thane of Cawdor the vision of murder is so clear and persistent that is overwhelms all other thoughts.
