Throughout the play Macbeth written by William Shakespeare, Macbeth shows himself to be a man of many sides. Macbeth displays three character traits –bravery, ambition, and self-doubt – during the play. Macbeth is an example of the terrible effects ambition and guilt can have on a man who lacks strength of character. Although some people may make out Macbeth as an evil person, his weak character shows that he is not strong enough to conquer guilt and self-doubt. Great warrior though Macbeth is, he is badly equipped for the mental consequences of crime.
             At the beginning when Shakespeare first introduces Macbeth, he is portrayed as a loyal and trustworthy warrior. This is shown through the way that people speak of him and to him, as though he can be trusted. When we first hear of Macbeth in the wounded captain's account of his bravery in the battlefield, "But all's too weak: For brave Macbeth – well he deserves that name – Disdaining Fortune, with his Brandished steel" (I, II) it shows what a high opinion people have of Macbeth and his courage and fighting skills. Also, when Banquo calls Macbeth his "noble partner" it shows that he has great respect for him. This all helps to form the initial impression that Macbeth is a brave, capable warrior and loyal subject.
             This viewpoint is complicated, however, once we see Macbeth interact with the three witches. We realize that his physical courage is joined by a consuming ambition and a tendency to self-doubt-the prediction that he will be King brings him joy, but it also creates inner turmoil. When Lady Macbeth is talking to him, although he is plagued by worry and almost doesn't commit the crime, Lady Macbeth, with her strong sense of purpose, pushes him into the deed. Lady Macbeth threatens his manhood by saying, "When you durst do it, then you were a man; and to be more than what you were, you would be so much...