The Spiritual Decline of Shakespeares Macbeth Essay -- GCSE English L

The Spiritual Decline of Macbeth   The play, Macbeth, by William Shakespeare, has been analyzed to such an extent that many assume it is impossible to differentiate anything new about the play. Yet, a close reading of Macbeth can free yield tremendous insights. One interesting point worth noting is Macbeths unfitness to answer "Amen" to a solemn prayer to God. Shakespeares post-medieval world strictly adhered to the double star opposition mingled with candid and evil, or in other words, between Christ and Satan. The common belief was that satanic forces could not pay motor hotel to Christ. Thus, Macbeths inability to answer "Amen" reflects his spiritual decline, sinking to the ranks of the witches and Lady Macbeth. Macbeth was written for Shakespeares new patron, James I (James VI of Scotland), following the death of mogul Elizabeth. James, a relative of the real Banquo, was interested in witchcraft and Scotland, indeed the themes and setting of the play. The play itself tells the story of a man, urged by his wife and foretold by prophecy, who commits regicide in order to gain king. Lady Macbeth is the wife of Macbeth and the person who has the sterling(prenominal) influence over him. A childless woman, from the start of the play she turns feverous at the prospect of becoming queen and declares that she would kill her own child--" genius his brains out"--if it would help her achieve her goal (I.vii.55). This connection between childlessness and power has led critics, prominently AC Knight in his famous essay, How galore(postnominal) Children Had Lady Macbeth? to remark that this is part of the plays greater symbolism, where evil is infertile and good is fertile. (Citation? Since you just paraphrased one of Kn... ...m he must take the daggers back, put them with the grooms, and office the grooms with blood, so it will look like the grooms killed the King. Macbeth is unable to return to the guessing of the cri me to do that so Lady Macbeth takes the daggers from him and tells him that its childish to be mysophobic of the sleeping or the dead. And shes not afraid of blood, either. She says, "If he King Duncan do bleed, / Ill embellish the faces of the grooms withal / For it must seem their guilt" (2.2.52-54)   The conscience is a inconstant thing. If it is suffering, its owner suffers. As Macbeths spirituality declined, he was unable to realize a simple prayer with a   simple response, Amen. His wife plain was unable to take comfort from prayer. For both, this lack of communion with goodness finally led to   their deaths.