Practice essay

Describe at least one important character in the written text(s).
Explain how the character changes throughout the text(s).

[This question didn’t say anything about language techniques but I think that it is part of his change]

The play Macbeth written by William Shakespeare is about the main character Macbeth and his deteriorating state of mind. From the beginning of the play through to the end Macbeth’s mental state travels steadily to a place of no return. Various language techniques are used to show Macbeth’s change throughout the text such as the use of iambic pentameter, this is a type of rhythm used in many of Shakespeares plays. The changes of the character Macbeth are displayed throughout the text with iambic pentameter, not only does Macbeth’s mental state change and the rhythm he speaks in but so does his ambition.

At the beginning of the play the character Macbeth is strong and secure. His mind is stable as so far nothing has yet corrupted his mental state. In act one scene two Macbeth is introduced to us as worthy and noble, Macbeth’s says “so foul and fair a day I have not seen”, because this is Macbeth’s first line there is nothing that has possibly altered his state of mind at this stage in the play. Not only is his great mental state portrayed in the words but it is also shown in the meter Macbeth says the line. Macbeth is stable and so is the iambic pentameter he speaks with. During this scene Macbeth is unaware of his upcoming goals and ambitions, meaning he has no distractions and his mind is clear.

As the play develops more we now know Macbeths dark ambitions and plans to kill the king. By act two Macbeth has already killed the king and his mind is beginning to rot. Macbeth tells Lady Macbeth that his mind is “full of scorpions”, meaning that he is having venomous and bad thoughts. While expressing how he is feeling and how his mental state is, Macbeth also is not speaking in iambic pentameter. He says “A dagger of the mind, a false creation”, he has started hallucinating and is now aware of his degenerating mind. This line is not iambic pentameter as it ended with a weak foot. What Macbeth says about his mind and the rhythm he says it in proves the changes happening to him and his mind have begun to devour him.

Macbeth was once described as his nature being “too full o’ the milk of human kindness” Macbeth feared this side of himself as he believed he was too kind and wouldn’t be able to kill the king. Times have now changed and because of the change in his mental state Macbeth already killed the king and his kind nature has been forgotten. Macbeth’s ambitions have changed also and his dark desire for power is overtaking him and his thoughts, he wants to kill more.

During act five scene five Macbeth is at his worst stage and at a point of no return. He has found out that his wife Lady Macbeth has killed herself and he wishes she had “died hereafter”. Because Macbeth’s mind is at its worst and also finding out the terrible news he speaks without any rhythm. “To the last syllable of recorded time. And all our yesterdays have lighted fools” Macbeth is aware that he is speaking out of rhythm and tries to establish his rhythm once again, only to fall back out of iambic pentameter. “The way to dusty death. Out, out brief candle.” Macbeth’s rhythm, his mental state have crumbled to nothing but so has his ambition, he is weak and venerable, he has no power and nothing left.

Throughout the play the main character Macbeth changed from being noble and worthy to powerless and weak, his state of mind was stable until throughout the play it degenerated to nothing. The language technique of iambic pentameter displayed Macbeth’s change of mental state. Alongside the changes in his mind Macbeth’s ambition also changed until it was only for greed and power, leading him to being weak and having no power at all.