The Breakdown and Restoration of Order in Macbeth Essay -- Macbeth ess

The Break brush up and Restoration of Order in Macbeth When Macbeth kills King Duncan in William Shakespeares tragedy Macbeth, on that point is a breakdown of order throughout Scotland. This breakdown is evident through three main factors within the person, mainly through Macbeth and Lady Macbeth, through the dry land and through nature. From a completely ordered body politic into the depths of chaos - Scotland collapsed from the lack of strong leadership. In the end, when resolution is reached, this chaos is reversed and Scotland is restored to a peaceful nation as it was before Macbeths reign. Traditional Elizabethan ideologies were based on the great Chain of Being. The people believed in an absolutely ordered universe were ranked in order of their superiority. This order corresponded with all religious beliefs and the political system. General beings were ranked in the order of theology, angels, force, man, animals, plants, inorganic material and finally chaos. When Macbeth murders Duncan, he violates this order. The king was seen to be Gods representative on earth and if any rebel was to attack the king, he was seen as rebelling against or attacking God. There was a belief that God passed special powers on to all kings, as seen in Act four Scene three he cures... the healing benediction... he hath a heavenly adorn of prophecy (lines 168-173). Macbeth does not have this divinity, as he is not the rightful king. This is one of the reasons that Scotland turns to chaos. The evidence that the audience receives about a breakdown within a person is within Macbeth himself. After murdering Duncan, he begins to go crazy - his mind and his thoughts begin to rule him. He becomes very domineering. Macbeth... ...r breaks down the murderer, breaks down the kingdom and breaks down nature, to have Scotland in complete fear and terror. But, good wins over evil and in the end, peace is restored. The coronation of a divine king brings peace and yield to previous chaos. Works Cited and Consulted Bradley, A.C. Shakespearean Tragedy. Toronto Penguin Books Canada Ltd., 1991. Campbell, Lily B. Shakespeares Tragic Heroes, Slaves of Passion. Gloucester Peter Smith Publisher Inc., 1973. Edwards, Terence. Twentieth Century Interpretations of Macbeth. New Jersey Prentice-Hall Inc., 1977. Shakespeare, William. Tragedy of Macbeth . Ed. Barbara Mowat and Paul Warstine. New York chapiter Press, 1992. Scott, Mark W. (Editor). Shakespeare for Students. Gale Research Inc. Detroit, Michigan. 1992