The Character of Macbeth The play 'Macbeth' is a portrait of one man, Macbeth, showing how he changes. Although we are presented with his deterioration from good to evil, we can see his human side throughout the play, which makes it a tragedy. It is the shortest of Shakespeare's tragedies, and has a very fast pace. Once Macbeth's ambition has ‘set the ball rolling', events happen quickly in the play as it gathers momentum. The themes of ‘Macbeth' are ambition, effects of evil, and violence, shown mainly by the language of the play, as in Shakespeare's time plays were performed in daylight with very few props. Ambition is something that everyo