In Shakespeare’s Macbeth, the three major themes that are carried out in perhaps the greatest of Shakespeare’s tragedies is prophecy, guilt, remorse, and ambition. These themes are the ideas that Shakespeare explores dramatically in the experience of the characters in Macbeth, and they define the play. Macbeth explores its own issues alongside other Shakespeare plays, which are then accompanied by dramatized language, the actions of the characters and the setting in which it takes place.
Prophecy is the main theme in Macbeth, and the plot of the play is set in motion ostensibly by the three witches. They tell a prophecy about Macbeth, one being, he will be Thane of Glamis, two: he will become Thane of Cawdor and three: he will eventually become king ‘Banquo and Macbeth, all hail.’ Prophecy is purely self-fulfilling and ambiguous, and as it turns out prophecies are not only fated but fatal, especially because Macbeth’s ambition in the witches leads him to fight in a rash battle. The witches say:
‘All hail, Macbeth! hail to thee, thane of Glamis!
All hail, Macbeth, hail to thee, thane of Cawdor!
All hail, Macbeth, thou shalt be king hereafter!’
Prophecy was rather relevant in Shakespearian time but is also relevant in today’s modern society. As this self- fulfilling prophecy is an expectation, today it can result in both positive and negative outcomes. Someone or somethings expectations can affect a person’s behaviours, a common example is if investors think the stock market will crash, they would most likely buy fewer stocks, prices will start to decline, and the market will crash. Prophecy was ‘abused’ if you like in Macbeth, but it is an important ability to have in order to predict, in a realistic state, of what may occur in the future.
Guilt and Remorse is a theme that is used to express emotion in Macbeth but is also demonstrated as the characters are developed. Guilt and Remorse are dealt with in different ways throughout the play. After the murder of King Duncan, Macbeth instantly retreated to the chamber because the guilt of his actions resulted in him experiencing hallucinations, he speaks to his wife:
‘Methought I heard a voice cry. “Sleep no more!’
Macbeth doth Murder sleep”- the innocent sleep,
Sleep that knits up the ravell’d sleave of care,
The death of each day’s life, sore labour’s bath
Balm of hurt minds, great nature’s second course,
Chief nourisher in life’s feast.
His response he spoke to his wife was evidently in his own guilty conscience speaking to him and warning him of all the next sleepless nights that were ahead. This theme is still relevant because we can feel a sense of guilt and remorse when we do something wrong. This allows people to relate to the story. In the play, we can see an example of guilt when Lady Macbeth kills herself over the guilt of hiding the plan that was undertaken to kill the king.
Lastly, ambition is flamed from the prophecy within Macbeth and Lady Macbeth. Macbeth is a tale of ambition if you like. Shakespeare uses the titular character’s motives to covey the dangers of being too ambitious. We can relate this theme to our modern society, as it is of human nature that we succumb to temptation, and so Shakespeare warns us of that negative outcome of ambition. People question what the real cause of Macbeth’s death was, and some argue that it was his high ambition to try to overthrow King James, and others understand that he could not help but wonder what could be instead of accepting his new title of ‘Thane of Cawdor.’ We all have a desire in life to do something, be someone or achieve something. The character of Macbeth himself is an exaggeration of dangers that come in having too much ambition. Macbeth first shows sings on ambition when he speaks the lines:
‘Two truths are told
As happy prologues to the swelling act
Of th’imperial theme’’
Here, Macbeth realizes that the witch’s prophecy (that he will be Thane of Cawdor) is true. Furthermore, he wonders if the third prophecy will also be true. Later in the 1st act, we hear Lady Macbeth speaks the lines:
‘Thou wouldst be great
Art not without ambition, but without
The illness should attend it’
She is reflecting on her husband’s characteristics, and the lines reflect on Lady Macbeth’s own philosophy of power. Specifically, we can see that she believes only individuals who are willing to set their morality aside will rise to greatness. She notices that he is capable of these ambitious dreams and understands her husband very well.
This theme is substantially relevant today as much as it is in Shakespearian time, due to an individual’s inability to exercise restraint when it comes to desire.
Shakespeare’s use of themes in a play, underpin a concept or issue that propels and sustains Macbeth. They are the underlying motifs that shape the significance of it. Prophecy, guilt, remorse, and ambition are a part of the development of the characters and the story, however, are exaggerated in its context. Furthermore, the main themes in Macbeth are still relevant to modern society as much as they were in Shakespearian time, but just not in such extremities.
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