The forbidden fruit; a beautiful fruit from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, that God warned Adam and Eve not to eat. In their temptation, they decided to take a bite, thus resulting in severe consequences, death being the worst of them all. Many authors and story-tellers have used the forbidden fruit to inspire their own ideas. A vast amount of literature finds their roots in the story of the fall of Adam and Eve and the forbidden fruit. Such a piece of literature is The Tragedy of Macbeth, a play written by William Shakespeare in 1606 for King James I, the king of England. In the play, Macbeth and Lady Macbeth use many elaborate schemes to place Macbeth on the throne. The first part of the Genesis story and the Tragedy of Macbeth, when placed side by side can appear similar because they are both stories of disordered ambition that end horribly. Macbeth mirrors Adam; Lady Macbeth mirrors Eve, and the kingship mirrors the forbidden fruit. The pursuit of taking a bite from this type of fruit has many consequences attached to it. Macbeth changes throughout the play from a moral and loyal soldier to the point of being ambitious and treacherous, creating an evil, heartless tyrant. He does however shows glimpses of his former self as his life comes to an end.
Firstly, at the dawn of Macbeth's gradual change, he starts off as a good, kind and loyal soldier. During the beginning of the play, Macbeth is portrayed as a brave warrior. When the captain of the Scottish army is talking to King Duncan of Scotland at his castle, he says, "For brave Macbeth – well he deserves that name- Disdaining Fortune, with his brandished steel" (I.ii.16-18). Here, the captain is telling Duncan about how brave Macbeth was during the battle. He implies that Macbeth fought bravely and was one of the most influential people to their victory. It is clear that Macbeth was a man held in high regard by the citizens of Scotland as a brave and honorable soldier.
