Character Profile: Macbeth

Macbeth is the tragic hero of William Shakespeare’s play Macbeth. He is one of Shakespeare’s most famous and complex characters — a man who starts the play as a respected warrior and ends it as a hated tyrant. His journey from loyal soldier to ruthless murderer is at the heart of the play. 

Macbeth at the Start: Brave and Loyal

When the play begins, Macbeth is a hero. Other characters talk about him with admiration and respect. He has just fought in a war for King Duncan, and he has fought with great courage. A captain describes him as “brave Macbeth” and says that he fought with “valour’s minion” — meaning that bravery itself seemed to be his servant.

He is loyal to Duncan, the king of Scotland, not questioning his duty. When we first hear about Macbeth, we see him as noble, honourable, and strong. This is important because it shows that he is not evil to begin with. His downfall comes not because he starts bad, but because he allows ambition and temptation to take over.

The Witches’ Prophecy: Planting the Seed

Macbeth’s first step towards tragedy comes when he meets the three witches. They greet him with three titles: Thane of Glamis (his current title), Thane of Cawdor (a title he doesn’t yet know he has been given), and “king hereafter” (predicting he will become king).

This prophecy does not tell Macbeth how he will become king. It simply says he will. At first, Macbeth seems shocked and unsure. Banquo, his friend, warns him that “instruments of darkness tell us truths”, meaning that evil forces sometimes use truth to trick people into harm.

Here we see the first sign of Macbeth’s inner conflict. He begins to think about what would have to happen for him to become king. He even considers murder, though briefly. Shakespeare uses this moment to show that ambition is already inside Macbeth. The witches plant a seed, but Macbeth chooses how to act.

Lady Macbeth: The Push Toward Murder

Macbeth’s wife, Lady Macbeth, plays a key role in his downfall. When she reads his letter about the prophecy, she immediately wants him to take action, even if it means killing Duncan. She worries that Macbeth is “too full o’ th’ milk of human kindness” to do what is needed.

When Macbeth hesitates, Lady Macbeth challenges his masculinity and his courage. She manipulates him, asking, “Art thou afeard / To be the same in thine own act and valour / As thou art in desire?” In other words, are you afraid to act on your ambition?

Eventually, Macbeth gives in. He murders Duncan while he is a guest in Macbeth’s own castle. This is the turning point of the play — the moment when Macbeth moves from hero to villain. It is also the moment when guilt and paranoia begin to take control of him.

Macbeth After Duncan’s Murder: Guilt and Fear

Immediately after killing Duncan, Macbeth is shaken. He says, “Will all great Neptune’s ocean wash this blood / Clean from my hand?” He feels that nothing can wash away his guilt. He also begins to feel trapped. He says he has “supped full with horrors” and that returning to innocence is impossible.

At this point, Macbeth changes. He begins to kill not out of hesitation but out of necessity and fear. In act three, he orders the murder of Banquo and his son Fleance because Banquo’s descendants were also promised the throne by the witches. However, Fleance escapes. In act four, Macbeth has Macduff’s wife and children murdered — a cruel and unnecessary act that shows how far Macbeth has fallen.

The Tyrant: Macbeth as King

By the middle of the play, Macbeth is king, but he is not a secure or happy one. He is paranoid, restless, and increasingly violent. He trusts no one. He visits the witches again, seeking more prophecies to guide him, which shows how much power and fear now control his decisions.

The prophecies trick him into a false sense of security. He is told that “none of woman born shall harm Macbeth” and that he will not fall until “Birnam Wood comes to Dunsinane.” Macbeth interprets these as impossible conditions; all men are born of women, and woods cannot move. But he misunderstands. 

Macduff, his final opponent, was delivered by caesarean birth (technically not “born” in the usual way), and Malcolm’s army disguises itself with branches from Birnam Wood, making it look as if the forest itself is moving.

Macbeth’s End: Courage and Tragedy

At the end of the play, Macbeth faces his enemies in battle. Even though he realises the witches tricked him, he fights bravely. His warrior spirit returns. He refuses to flee, saying, “I will not yield.” This final stand reminds us of the brave soldier we met at the beginning. Even though he has become a tyrant, he still dies with a kind of dignity, facing his fate head-on.

The Tragic Hero

Macbeth is a tragic hero. In Shakespeare’s tragedies, a tragic hero is usually a great man with a fatal flaw — a personal weakness that leads to his downfall. For Macbeth, this flaw is ambition. His desire for power makes him vulnerable to temptation, manipulation, and paranoia.

Macbeth’s story warns us about what happens when ambition goes unchecked, when we let power matter more than morality, and when we act against our conscience. It is both personal and political — one man’s choices lead to chaos in an entire country.