In the beginning of the play, Macbeth is a good and noble man. He essentially, however, becomes a weak man who is manipulated by the witches and his wife, Lady Macbeth, to perform evil deeds. The play, Macbeth by William Shakespeare, is not a straightforward story of an evil man committing evil acts. Instead it is a story of a weak, impressionable man who is blinded by his ambition and in turn is lead by the evil intentions of the people around him.
             Macbeth is a good and noble man at the beginning of the play. He is the Thane of Glamis and earns the title of Thane of Cawdor by loyally fighting against a Scottish nobleman, Macdonwald, who is rebelling against the king. Macbeth shows great heroism and bravery in fighting against Macdonwald. He is obviously a loyal general who fights hard with courage for his country. The sergeant says of Macbeth, "For brave Macbeth---well he deserves that name" (Act I, Scene I, line 16). This statement is an example of how well respected Macbeth was after winning the battle. This strengthens Macbeth's good name and reaffirms his admirable qualities to Duncan and the rest of the soldiers. Before the people he trusts around him corrupt him, he is an honorable and brave soldier.
             Macbeth is led by the witches' prophecies and eventually the prophecies drive him to commit murderous acts. When Macbeth first encounters the witches they prophesize that Macbeth will become the Thane of Cawdor as well as the King of Scotland. They strangely name Banquo's descendants as the future kings of Scotland. When Macbeth learns of becoming the Thane of Cawdor, he can't help but contemplate the other exciting prophecy of him possibly obtaining the kingship. The witches, by naming the three prophecies that are to come true, effectively plant a seed of ambition in Macbeth's mind. This is the first indication of Macbeth's ambition to be king. At this point in the ...