William Shakespeare's Macbeth

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William Shakespeare's Macbeth

Behind every man’s actions, there are driving forces—impetuses that

push a man into performing the things he does. Some men go to all

ends for happiness and joy, while other men work for hours at a time

for fame and money. However, in the play Macbeth by William

Shakespeare, Macbeth, the tragic hero, is pushed into his actions

neither by money nor happiness. His driving force is none other than

his evil, ruthless wife, Lady Macbeth who thrusts him into murdering

the most beloved King Duncan. Macbeth, who was very much so a loyal

subject, did not want to commit murder, but was tempted by his wife to

carry out actions that he eventually regretted.

As revealed throughout Act I of Macbeth, Macbeth really had no

thoughts of murdering his king. Though his vaulting ambition made him

start to lust after the crown, Macbeth knew his boundaries and did not

have treason on his mind. In fact, in Act I Macbeth even said, “We

will proceed no further in this business:/ He hath honored me of late,

and I have bought/ Golden opinions from all sorts of people,/ Which

would be worn now in their newest gloss,/ Not cast aside so soon?”

(Act I, scene vii, lines 31-34). In this short quote, Macbeth mainly

said that King Duncan had been such a great king and he had no reason

for backstabbing him. Macbeth knew that he already had so much fame

being the Thane of Glamis and the Thane of Cawdor and that it would be

foolish to risk his glory simply in an attempt to steal the throne.

However, despite the fact that he was not going to murder King Duncan,

cries of murder are heard throughout Act II. Does Macbeth actually

commit treason because he is evil? This question is not only

misleading, it is deceptive. The truth was that gentle Macbeth was

tempted, even in a way forced by his wife, Lady Macbeth, to kill the

king.

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