Tragic Ambiguities: Unravelling Macbeth's Dilemmatic Existence in Shakespeare's Macbeth

Abstract

Tragedy as a genre is vital as it is an emotional exercise which helps people learn compassion for others. William Shakespeare, also known as “Bard of Avon,” was an English poet and playwright, often considered by many to be the greatest dramatist of all time. The protagonist Macbeth, a noble and sensible person, highly esteemed Thane of Glamis and Cawdor, lets his ambition for power win over his morality despite being intensely self-conscious, leading him to commit atrocious crimes under an unjust monarchical system which made the bloodshed inevitable, making the audience empathize with him as well as feel outraged with him, which also reflects his own dilemma regarding his actions and the path he has taken. A series of murders and his recognition of the meaninglessness of his life eventually leads him to a warrior’s death in the battlefield, leaving the audience feeling terror and pity together.