Macbeth: A tragedy of pursuing ego-integrity

Macbeth is probably the least likely protagonist in all the Shakespeares plays that can bring sympathy from audiences. However, his final destruction, resulting from no sheer depravity but the universal frailty from an individual, deepens his title of tragic hero into a wider scope. In this essay, I will argue that the tragedy of Macbeth lies in this frailty- the collision between individual incompletion and the natural impulsion of pursuing ego-integrity. Through the death of Duncan, Lady Macbeth, and Banquo, Macbeth achieves ego-integrity, which features the dominance of social position, the independence of personality, and the permanence of ownership. Therefore, by describing the collapse of one entity, the tragedy in Macbeth goes beyond the holy retribution to a killing machine, but symbolizes the predetermined destruction of any individual who dares to challenge the incompletion of human beings. Macbeth, shown in the beginning as having a genuine sense of human kindness, is not brutalized by Shakespeare to merely kill or usurp. His moral qualities twinkle among his inter-personal relationships with many characters. Introduced by a conversation between sergeant and Duncan, Macbeth gives audience a full view of his bravery as well as allegiance towards the King and kinship. They are both highly honoured in feudal system, which can be proved by Duncans praise O valiant cousin, worthy gentleman (Macbeth I.ii.24)1. Additionally, his love towards Lady Macbeth, more like a perspective from a partner than an owner of property, indicates a rare sense of respect and equality from male to female at that time. Evidence comes from her influence and intervention in the initiation of Macbeths desire. Moreover, Macbeths friendship with Banquo, his first foil whose mortal quality must not be questioned, suggests that he once is a frank and honest person, as well as a trustworthy friend. Unfortunately, all those moralities from human kindness cannot set Macbeth free of the great bond of individual incompletion, nor can the status quo brings security and peace to a person with strong natural impulsion. He is not the one who holds the dominant power, nor is he the one who can be independent from others. Has he no chance of ever succeeding in terms of a thane, a man or an individual? Has anyone no desire of succeeding towards the peak of human power, thus breaking through the boundaries of incompletion? Though, the same questions are hidden at the bottom of every human heart, ego-integrity cannot be pursued by human efforts from secular level. Thane of Cawdor!(M I.iii.50) Macbeth, that shalt be king hereafter.(M I.iii.51) Both predictions come from supernatural, offering a world to Macbeth into which everyone can be thrown, a dungeon for examining our imperfect state or not, accepting the temptation or not, and contending for the ego-integrity or not. On behalf of all the human beings, Macbeth takes the challenge from three weird sisters to break through boundaries of ego-incompletion. The first murder of King Duncan shows the process of approaching social dominance in a feudal system where the sacred and absolute monarchism supposed to meet no challenge. As the cousin of the current King, Macbeth shares the second closest consanguinity with Duncan, yet is still not close enough to be in the centre of sovereignty. His nobility settled from the moment of his birth somehow nails Macbeth with such limitation that his natural fate is set to end up as a worthy servant, valiant soldier, and judicious thane, whose great glory gains from his sacrifice for the holy King, no matter how much efforts he makes to change the reality. Later, the possibility of succeeding relegated to impossibility when Duncan announced Malcolm to be the inheritor. On the other hand, Macbeth is theoretically the most likely successor of the crown if Duncan dies with his two sons incapable of succession. Differing from the Macbeths image described by Cunningham as an ambitious usurper whose fundamental tragic pattern lies in the inability to overcome the surrender to evil (Cunningham 42), Macbeth features more human nature through owning secular dominance, including releasing the instinct of desiring power, conceiving the notion of the self as the only reality, and fulfilling the impulsion of pursuing ego-integrity. Thus, his usurpation is fundamentally distinct from the violent rebellion Shakespeare has put in the beginning for deliberate comparison. Of all Shakespeares tragic protagonists, Macbeth is the least free (Bloom, An essay by Harold Bloom 177), which is particular proved by his profoundly dependent personality on Lady Macbeth. It is to Lady
1 All Macbeth quotes are taken from the following edition: William Shakespeare. Macbeth. Fully annotated, with an Introduction, by Burton Raffel. With an essay by Harold Bloom. New Haven and London: Yale University Press, 2005. Print. 1

Macbeth that he writes upon the dark enterprise of murder. It is Lady Macbeth who provokes his performance for active evil. It is again Lady Macbeth who teaches him the art of disguise-look like thinnocent flower/ serpent undert (M I.v.63-64) and takes care of the aftermath of the first murder when Macbeth dares not to go back. As two disunited parts of one individuality, Lady Macbeth completes his characters in so many ways (Kirsch 273) that the development of Macbeths egoism has to base on the diminishing of her domination. According to Dr. Gould (Week 3 Lecture 7), the first inkling of Macbeths separation from husband-wife partnership appears in his self-isolation of keep[ing] alone (M III.ii.8), after which he successively plans the destruction of Banquo and Fleance and of Macduffs family without her company, agitation or even knowledge at all. Very soon he turns the hypocritical capability against Lady Macbeth by saying make our faces vizards to our hearts (M III.ii.33). By absorbing her pluck, constancy, and countenance, Macbeth gradually places his wife into a title of queen only, who serves as an elegant hostess in his banquet with similes and comforts towards guests in a fluster, where she actually knows no more than other skeptics. Finally, the notion of moving decisively away from her is clarified by his indifference upon her insanity and death. Despite the fact that he knows what is gnawing at her, he throws all responsibilities to a doctor who can never cure her from inner torment. The miserable function of Lady Macbeth acts like a container, within which are Macbeths fear, sensitivity, and resipiscence. Therefore, Macbeths ignorance and exclusion of Lady Macbeth represents his independence from outer influence. Meanwhile, he provides himself with an opportunity of fighting against the frailty of any normal person, combining a divided self into a single psychical individuality, and achieving the self-centred isolation in a universal context. After achieving the sole sovereign of his world, Macbeth comes across the one and only impasse of unable to make himself and his kingdom coextensive by fathering sons. Upon my head they placed a fruitless crown / And put a barren sceptre in my grip (M III.i.62-63). His lament of childlessness soon transforms into a deep sense of insecurity, along with a frenetic rage to his best friend, when Macbeth remembers the prophecy of Banquo get[ing] kings (M I.iii.69), which declares his fruit of crime will finally become dust and ashes. As one aspect of human nature to achieve ego-integrity, Macbeths exclusiveness of threats from other individual finds expression in the aspiration of being the ultimate one and holding omnipotent power to contain the whole world, including power and possession, within his control. Consequently, Macbeths scheme for the murder of Banqo and Fleance in order to revolt against the biological oppression of him tends to be a relatively reasonable method in the context that one individual wants to maintain the permanence of ownership. Also, his desire of holding omnipotent power can be further proved by killing Macduffs family as well as slaughtering men throughout the Scotland: Each new morn/ New widows howl, new orphans cry, new sorrows/ Strike heaven on the face (M IV.iii.4-6). However, the full release of his sorrow and recalcitrant rebellion does cause more blood from blood, which finally increases his collapse in tyranny. The theme of pursuing self-integrity is doomed to be a tragedy. Even Macbeth manages to loosen every possible human boundary; he never truly breaks any of them down, and never escapes from the fatal destruction either. Towards the end, he feels an appalling sense of mental clearness, especially when Macduff announces himself not being of woman born (M V.viii.13), which echoes the supernatural power that provokes all the efforts done by Macbeth. There is no alternative door open to him; no amen for the heavenly forgiveness but perish (Kirsch 291), once he decides to challenge the incompletion of human beings. He dies as a usurper and tyrant who murders Duncan the meek while persecutes the noble and his people; as a merciless husband who abandon his wife; as a butcher who kills his best friend. However, the reason why Macbeth really terrifies us is largely that we view our own reflection of frailty through his collapse in the collision between individual incompletion and the natural impulsion of pursuing ego-integrity. The dominance on the peak of secular authority, the independent personality from outer contamination, and the permanence of ownership, all of which warn people how minuteness, powerless and worthlessness, when facing the limitation of incompletion. Macbeth, as a tragic hero, mourns the tragedy of all human beings. Word Count: 1520

References: Bloom, Harold. An essay by Harold Bloom. Macbeth. William Shakespeare. Fully annotated, with an Introduction, by Burton Raffel. With an essay by Harold Bloom. New Haven and London: Yale University Press, 2005. 169-204. Print. Cunningham, Dolora G. Macbeth: The Tragedy of the Hardened Heart. Shakespeare Quarterly 14.1 (1963): 39-47. Web. 26 Sep. 2010. Gould, Gaye. Week 3 Lecture 7. ENGL1009. Hong Kong: University of Hong Kong School of English, 2010. Kirsch, Arthur. Macbeths Suicide. ELH 51.2 (1984): 269-296. Web. 20 Sep. 2010. Shakespeare, William. Macbeth. Fully annotated, with an Introduction, by Burton Raffel. With an essay by Harold Bloom. New Haven and London: Yale University Press, 2005. Print.