One of William Shakespeare's most famous tragedies is that of Macbeth. It is also known as the "Scottish opera", mainly due to its Scottish setting and because it is loosely based on the life of a real King Macbeth of Scotland. (Mendham) This play is considered a tragedy because the protagonist of the play, Macbeth, will suffer a terrible fall due to his actions. From the beginning of the play, Shakespeare effectively establishes the atmosphere of the play as one of doom and desperation, where even nature is at war with itself. The main themes of this tragedy are power and betrayal. Throughout Macbeth, Shakespeare explores aspects of human consciousness. Pay particular attention to our sense of right and wrong, innocence and guilt. Once Macbeth has tasted power, he is continually driven by his desire. His fear of being stripped of power drives him to continue acting ruthlessly to eliminate any threat of being discovered for his treacherous actions and to maintain his position of power. Macbeth has many admirable qualities. The first of his three greatest qualities to be highlighted is his courage as a fearless war captain. “…Like the sparrows the eagles, or the hare the lion. They were like cannons overloaded with double shots, so they doubled the shots on the enemy.” (Macbeth Act 1, Sc 2) It is admirable to have such courage when fighting for something you believe in or to defend your home and your King. In the beginning, fighting for his kingdom was the main application of courage Macbeth, but as events progress and his morals become corrupted, we will find that his courage becomes an asset to his evil deeds. Macbeth's original pure-hearted courage fades and what... middle of paper... itself." (LitCharts) In his sleep he is haunted by guilt. "Macbeth kills sleep." (Macbeth Act 2, Sc 2 ) “Sleep symbolizes innocence, purity and peace of mind and in killing Duncan Macbeth actually kills sleep.” (LitCharts) He kills the peaceful rest that the kingdom had during King Duncan's reign, as well as the his peace and rest. “Our king was governed by a troubled sleep, destroyed by the ghosts of his secret self.” (Greider) Eventually Macbeth went from being an honorable and courageous man to an overly ambitious and morally corrupt one. .Works CitedGod. “The Book for Teens,” Solomon, King. Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, 1999. LitCharts.com .2008-2011. March 29, 2011.Shakespeare, William, 1992.