Ruhr-University of Bochum

"Shakespeare′s Macbeth -
Analysis of the influence of evil on the mainprotagonist Macbeth"

by 

Hecht, Jessica

Semester: 4

Table of Contents

1. Introduction... 3

2. Background Information... 3
2.1 Elizabethan World Picture...3
2.2 Shakespeare′s biography...4
2.3 Introduction to Shakespeare′s Macbeth ...5

3. Characterisation of Evil with regard to special aspects ...5
3.1 How does the play portray evil as a perversion of human nature? ...5
3.2 How is Macbeth finally destroyed by evil? ...13

Pictures 15

Bibliography 16

Declaration 17

1. Introduction

In this paper I am going to analyse the influence of evil on the mainprotagonist of Shakespeare′s tragedy "Macbeth". In order to do this it is necessary to point out the way of analysis I prefer. First I will present some needed background information about the author himself and the Elizabethan World Picture. The next part introduces the reader to the play "Macbeth" and its actions. This is in order to lead over to the proper analysis where I will try to identify the play′s spirit of evil with its personifications in nature and other protagonists and special regard to its influence on Macbeth until he is finally destroyed by it. This analysis will be supported by further focus on the imagery and the language which Shakespeare has used.′

2. Background Information

2.1 Elizabethan World Picture

To understand and to be able to interpret Shakespeare it is necessary to know some important facts about the way of life and thoughts at Shakespeare′s lifetime.

The Elizabethan Era was characterised by hierarchy and thoughts of extreme order. People thought that everything in the universe had got its own specific position in their strict order. You can find this world of ideas in the assemblage of the universe as well. This cosmological constellation hasn′t told only about the order and the position of the human being in this cosmos but also about the relations of the interconnected creation and the relation between cosmos and God (cf. picture 1 on p. 15)
The ideas of this world picture can already be found in the antiquity but it was improved in all its details by the scholastic philosophy.

In this chapter of my paper I am going to introduce you to one of the three main forms of the Elizabethan World Pictures: the chain of being. 
The whole universe is divided into a ladder. At its ground there are the non-living elements and at its top there is God. At first you can find the elements, liquids, metals, then vegetation and the animals. The human beings stand over the animals because of their reason. The angels follow the human beings as non-materialistic and spiritual creatures. God is at the top as the creator of this chain. This originates from Platon and Aristoteles. Within these steps there are more separations which mirror and allow the already mentioned hierarchy because of its God-sanctions. For example, within the step of the metals there is gold at the top and brass at the ground. Within the human beings the father reigns his children, the husband reigns his wife and the king reigns his people. You can see, there is not just a vertical order but a horizontal order, as well. 

If one of these elements leaves its place the whole order will become a chaos and everything will turn around. You can see already this consequence in Act 2 of Shakespeare’s play “Macbeth”. The chaos within the state because of the murder of King Duncan is mirrored in nature as well. But you can read more about it in the further analysis.

2.2 Shakespeare’s biography

At the beginning of this work I thought that this would be the most easiest part. But that is not true. Because of just 150 existing documents about Shakespeare’s lifetime there are a lot of different versions referring his life. To my mind it will be the best if I just sum up the most significant facts that can be proved by the mentioned documents and that are the most pointed out ones by some dictionaries.

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