fear

• through the characterisation of Macbeth, Shakespeare presents cowardice as a destructive trait, echoing the Christian notions of the Jacobean era-that courage and moral upstanding is required among all God’s men, and anything less is the devil’s work. Shakespeare positions the audience to view cowardice as Macbeth’s hamartia, as it ultimately results in his downfall. This is expressed through Macbeth’s moral fragility and his betrayal of Banquo.
• In the beginning of the play, Shakespeare portrays Macbeth as a valiant man whose morality is questioned once tantalised by evil. This pertains to the Jacobean belief that one must sustain their morals in the face of wickedness to avoid God’s judgement.
• “Stars, hide your fires! Let not light see my black and deep desires.”
• “Stars, hide your fires! Let not light see my black and deep desires.”


  begins speaking in rhyming couplets – an allusion to his temptation to commit evil.

  Macbeth’s ambition for kingship as a defiance of the nature, hence symbolising his desire to subvert the Great Chain of Being

  “light” and “black”, as “light” symbolises God whereas “black” symbolises sin.

  - By juxtaposing the two terms, he highlights Macbeth’s moral fragility, as he wants to hide the evil that has poisoned his noble character from God as he is in fear of the punishment of having evil thoughts

  - Through this, Shakespeareelicitsoutragefrom contemporary audiences,as they perceivedaristocratsasupholdersof God, andtherebywould see Macbeth as a coward forabandoningthis role.
• Although his morality initially subsists as he fears the divine repercussions of committing sin, it eventually retires once he is confronted by his wife. 
• "dashed the brains out, had I so sworn as you Have done to this.”
•  "dashed the brains out, had I so sworn as you Have done to this.”

   disrupts Jacobean conceptions of gender, as women were considered inherently pure. 

  -does this to appal contemporary viewers, and thus presents Lady Macbeth as another sinister trial to Macbeth’s morality. 

  -stating she would commit this atrocity “had [she] sworn” to Macbeth she’d do so, Lady Macbeth suggests that Macbeth’s refusal to kill Duncan is an act of disloyalty to her

  Jacobeans saw disloyalty as an immense sin therefore Lady Macbeth overthrows the sin of regicide with the sin of disloyalty to make Macbeth di what she wants- Macbeth is in fear of being seen as disloyal.

  the era saw men as innately dominant over women, and thereby accentuates Macbeth’s cowardice.this portrayal of Macbeth moral fragility, Shakespeare positions contemporary audiences to view cowardice as a foothold for evil’s proliferation.
• Macbeth's betrayal of Banquo, Shakespeare illustrates the extent to which cowardice defines Macbeth's rule as king, opposing the Jacobean notions of loyalty as treachery- especially towards one's closest friend- was seen as an abhorrent sin
• “To be thus is nothing, But to be safely thus. Our fears in Banquo Stick deep”
• “To be thus is nothing, But to be safely thus. Our fears in Banquo Stick deep”


   “thus” refers to Macbeth’s position as king-Macbeth stating that “to be” king is “nothing” unless he is “safely” king, Shakespeare implies Macbeth’s paranoia, as he feels his dominion is vulnerable despite nothing directly indicating so(Jacobean beliefs of divine retribution, as since Macbeth obtained his position illegitimately, he fears that God will strip it from him)

  -contrast to Macbeth’s earlier claim that he would “make honour” of Banquo if he became king his paranoia disturbs Jacobean notions of loyalty.
• Furthermore, instead of facing Banquo himself, Macbeth hires murderers to carry out the assassination. Through this, Shakespeare enrages Jacobean audiences, as they believed that if violence is to be enacted, it must be upfront.