Essay: Psychological Depth of Macbeth: Tyranny and Tragic Heroism

In Shakespeare’s “Macbeth,” the theme of unchecked ambition and the corrupting power of absolute authority are central to the tragic narrative. Macbeth, a noble and valiant soldier, becomes ensnared by his desire for power, leading to a path of moral decay and tyrannical rule. His internal struggle and his descent into tyranny highlight the destructive nature of unchecked ambition and power, which has to be overcome by ever more senseless, murderous bravery, the tyrant’s self decays more and more (Unterstenhöfer, p.194, l.20-21; l.23-26).

In the end, Macbeth becomes the victim of divine providence in the shape of the armies united against him and dies just the way he previously celebrated his greatest victory, namely in a duel, as a soldier, on the battlefield – as a tragic hero. In the process, we, as the recipients, have difficulties to perceive Macbeth exclusively as a perpetrator or as a victim, since he possesses traits of both. His journey from a noble warrior to a tyrannical ruler illustrates the duality of his character, making it hard to categorize him simply as a villain or a hero.

Macbeth’s tragic end is marked by his final confrontation with Macduff. He finally conquers his fear, which depicts the characteristic state of the tyrant, through his bravery. However, the overcoming of fear is followed by despair, which the Elizabethan defines as a sin against the Holy Spirit (see Unterstenhöfer, p.194, l.15-19), and ultimately his death. The transformation of Macbeth’s bravery into despair marks the final stage of his tragic fall, emphasizing the moral and spiritual consequences of his actions.

Like Christopher Marlowe, Shakespeare too deviates from the, at that time, typical character description and counters it with his depiction of the figure as an individual. Through a strong differentiation of the mental processes of the tyrannic protagonist up into the fine ramifications of the figure – in this case Macbeth – he thus manages for the first time, to some extent, to create the portrayal of a ‘self-identity’ within the drama. Just like before with the figure of Hamlet, Shakespeare intuitively undertakes the attempt of a character analysis in a modern depth-psychological sense with Macbeth as well. This in-depth exploration of Macbeth’s psyche allows Shakespeare to present a complex character whose motivations and internal conflicts are vividly portrayed.

Thereby, he uses imagination as a means for illuminating how Macbeth’s mind ‘functions’ in detail and thus, by performing an internalization of the protagonist, brings his inner life and his uniqueness as a personality onto the Elizabethan stage. With the repression of the externalized character depiction by means of a now internalized one, he took on the role of a pioneer in his era. Harold Bloom also endorses this: “Shakespeare’s final strength is radical internalization, and this is his most internalized drama, played out in the guilty imagination that we share with Macbeth.“ (Bloom, p.545, l.8-10). Despite the still exploratory character of imagination at that time, Shakespeare made an important contribution to the psychological shaping of the drama by introducing imagination into the stage poetry.

Both internalization as well as imagination as a means for it were repeatedly taken up and perfected during the succession of Shakespeare. One significant further development of this psychological method of characterization in the modern age is the technique of the ‘inner monologue’ and the ‘stream of consciousness’, of which, in English-language literature, especially James Joyce and Virginia Woolf made extensive use. These literary techniques allow for a deeper exploration of characters’ inner thoughts and emotions, much like Shakespeare’s innovative approach in his portrayal of Macbeth.

Shakespeare’s dramatic art and creative power give the dramatic character that unmistakeable, individual will for expression which also becomes visible with Macbeth. His realistic, differentiated character design gives rise to this ambiguous, enigmatic, psychologically extremely interesting figure that is so rich in contrasting traits (see Unterstenhöfer, p.50, l.13-15; l.29ff.). Intuitively, he already saw modern concepts of psychology in the human. The depth and complexity of Macbeth’s character make him a subject of endless fascination and analysis, showcasing Shakespeare’s understanding of human nature.

Those critics who try to deny his characters any psychological consistency are disproved by Shakespeare with the detailed description of the psychology of a figure as multifaceted as Macbeth – a criminal who, due to humanistic and modern insights, possesses convincing validity (see Unterstenhöfer, p.194, l.33ff.). Besides, his success at the time, as well as today, still speaks clearly for him. The enduring relevance and impact of Shakespeare’s characters affirm his genius in capturing the essence of human experience.