'Macbeth deserved to die because he was totally responsible for the betraying the Scottish king, Duncan, and the Scottish people';. Write an analytical essay in which you explore the forces behind Macbeth's murdering ways. Macbeth deserved to die for betraying the Scottish king, Duncan, and the Scottish people; however, he was not totally responsible for his actions. Lady Macbeth and the three Witches also played a major role. They were responsible for convincing Macbeth to begin the series of events, which eventually led to the destruction of order in Scotland. Once she had received news of the three Witches' prophecies, Lady Macbeth was intent that she would eventually become Queen of Scotland. Initially, Macbeth had decided not to murder Duncan, 'We will proceed no further in this business'; (Macbeth, Act I, scene vii). However, Lady Macbeth was determined to continue with her original plan. She repeatedly insulted Macbeth's manhood, provoking him to continue with the plans to murder Duncan, 'When you durst do it, then you were a man; and to be more than what you were, you would be so much more the man'; (Lady Macbeth, Act I, scene vii). She appealed to Macbeth's 'vaulting ambition'; so as to intensify the effect that the Witches' prophecies had on him, 'Great Glamis! Worthy Cawdor! Greater than both, by the all-hail hereafter'; (Lady Macbeth, Act I, scene v). She convinced Macbeth that the rewards of the murder would far outweigh the drawbacks and clear their conscience, 'A little water clears us of this deed'; (Lady Macbeth, Act I, scene ii). Although Macbeth dearly loved his king, Lady Macbeth yielded such a persuasive power over him that he was convinced the Witches' prophecies of Duncan's murder and the resulting kingship were his rightful fate. The three Witches deceived Macbeth by proclaiming ambiguous prophecies, which led him to believe that he would be a powerful and loved king. The second apparition, 'Be bloody, bold, and resolute; laugh to scorn The power of man, for none of woman born shall harm Macbeth'; (a bloody child, Act IV, scene i) led him to believe that he would never be harmed, as nobody alive can be 'none of woman born';. Macbeth failed to realise that the apparition was referring to Macduff, who was born by caesarean. The third apparition, 'Macbeth shall never vanquished be until Great Birnam Wood to High Dunsinane hill shall come against him'; (a child crowned with a tree in his hands, Act IV, scene i) also fooled Macbeth into believing that he would not be harmed as king.
We certainly know that the direct responsible for Duncan’s death is Macbeth. However this does not necessarily mean he is to blame, for his violent death is obviously the consequence of certain influences that forced Macbeth to perform his fatal deed. Furthermore, to unearth the truth about who is really the guilty for Duncan’s murder we must explore the influences the different characters have on Macbeth’s impulses and the overall scenario of the slaying.
Macbeth wrote a letter to his wife about the prophecy and she became ambitious for Macbeth initially. She convinced him to kill King Duncan and not wait for fate to give him t...
The witches caused much confusion throughout the play, to Macbeth and anyone associated with them. For instance, when the witches spoke to Banquo and Macbeth they said, Hail thee, thane of Glamis/ Hail thee, thee of Cawdor/ that shalt be king hereafter.” This statement was directed to Macbeth, but it very much confused him, as he was thane of Glamis, but not thane of Cawdor or certainly not king. Moments later he was to be crowned thane of Cawdor by King Duncan. The actions of King Duncan led Macbeth to believe he was going to become king. Lady Macbeth, when reading about Macbeth’s encounter with the witches, automatically devised a plan for Macbeth to become king. This plan involved killing the king, but to convince Macbeth that it was supposed to happen, she extremely criticized him and put him down on all thoughts. Her emasculation of him subjected him into thinking, killing the king was the only way to gain
If Lady Macbeth had never spurred Macbeth's ambition on, he never would of committed murder and fallen down a path of chaos and destruction and Lady Macbeth would not have any hidden guilt and sorrow that would eventually drive her mad with grief. Killing King Duncan was the gateway that would lead to their reversal of roles and their destruction. Guilt and grief create a tragedy of turmoil that can destroy its' victims from the inside out or it can leave them devoid of feeling as they release it on those they once held
Good day. Today I will prove to you that Macbeth, the king of Scotland, is innocent. It is outrageous that anyone in this courtroom should think otherwise. There are three key factors to consider before it is possible to make any judgment concerning the murderer of Duncan. First of all, before fingers are pointed at Macbeth, I ask you to consider if he is the only suspicious person? A murderer must have a motive and an opportunity. Obviously, there are several candidates that fit this category. Also, before you can reach a final decision, you must consider the character of the individual. Macbeth is a man of the finest character; he does not have the nature of a cold-blooded killer. I am sure you will agree with me long before you go into the jury room. Finally, the will of the gods must be taken into consideration. It is not within the powers of mortals, even important mortals like Macbeth, to change the future as determined by the stars. I am confident that you, dear jury, will consider the three factors I will shortly describe and realize that Macbeth is a most unlikely suspect.
Lady Macbeth shows more ambition then Macbeth does in terms of gaining power regarding kingship. When Macbeth finds out about the witches’ predictions and the first two coming true “Glamis, and thane of Cawdor: The greatest is behind” (1.3.124-125) meaning that he got a taste of power, making him thane of Glamis and thane of Cawdor making him more ambitious for the power to become king. Proving that he will do anything for power he decides that he is going to murder Duncan. When Lady Macbeth receives the letter from Macbeth learning about the witches’ predictions and that two of them came true already, she becomes very ambitious towards gaining power. She doesn’t believe that Macbeth will murder Duncan, so she makes a plan for the murder.
When Macbeth finds out about the witches prophecies, he quickly sends a letter to Lady Macbeth explaining the situation. She rapidly sees that she must help Macbeth become king, so she says “Glamis thou art, and Cawdor, and shalt be What thou art promised. Yet do I fear thy nature; It is too full o' th' milk of human kindness /To catch the nearest way. /Thou wouldst be great,/ Art not without ambition, but without/ The illness should attend it. (1.5.15-20). Right away, Lady Macbeth is going to do everything she possibly can to ensure he becomes king which proves her ambition. Later on in the play, Lady Macbeth makes another decision which shows that her ambition is quickly getting the worst out of her. When King Duncan arrives, Lady Macbeth sees a perfect opportunity to kill Duncan. She is worried that Macbeth will not go through with the plan so she says ¨When Duncan is asleep—/Whereto the rather shall his day’s hard journey/ Soundly invite him—his two chamberlains/Will I with wine and wassail so convince¨ (1.7.61-65). Lady Macbeth reveals that her need for power is taking a turn. She plots to get the “two chamberlains” drunk so she can blame the murder of Duncan on them. The fact that she plots out an entire plan to kill Duncan and that she is willing to blame it on someone else reveals that her ambition has brought out the worst in her.. All in all, Lady Macbeth is a character who does not second
At the beginning of the play, Macbeth is a trusted soldier, who is honest and noble. Unfortunately, he meets three witches who tell him three prophecies; that he will become thane of Cawdor, that he will become king and that Banquo’s sons will become kings. These three prophecies slowly change his opinions on life and turn him into a greedy, dishonest, tyrant, full of ambition. Lady Macbeth’s thoughts change as well when she is told about the three prophecies that were told to Macbeth. In the beginning of the play, Lady Macbeth is ambitious, controlling and domineering. She is the one who encourages him to kill the king, she not only encourages him, she makes all the plans herself, which shows her determination and persistence."Yet I do fear thy nature, it is too full o’th milk of human kindness. To catch the nearest way thou wouldst be great. Art not without ambition, but without the illness should attend it." (Act 1, scene 5). Lady Macbeth is the force behind Macbeth’s sudden ambition and she tries to manipulate him into feeling guilty and unmanly for not following through with the murder, by using her husbands emotions, she manages to convince Macbeth to murder Duncan.
At the outset of the play, Macbeths encounters the witches who predict he will become “Thane of Cowdor” and that he too, will one day be king. Nevertheless, the witches do not oblige Macbeth to ultimately commit his actions. However, they do place within Macbeth a sense of wonder and optimism. The three witches intruded upon a part of man, which that he is gullible. Macbeth being gullible caused his wonder and brought forth a feeling of possibility. This is evident, when Macbeth tells his wife of what he has experienced. Upon revealing what was told to him, Lady Macbeth further on, appeals to Macbeth to take action when King Duncan comes to visit. Lady Macbeth urges her husband to fulfill his obligation and kill King Duncan. However, it is apparent that Macbeth is hesitant of such action and is at first unwilling to go forth with the plan. Once again Lady Macbeth alludes to the witches vision and with that, lusts upon the possible gains. The plan is executed and Macbeth becomes King. upon the vacancy of the throne. The witches’ vision is obtained, through the natural human sense of possibility and lust.
Macbeth’s growing aspiration changed him from a honorable and respected man to that of a ruthless murder whose guilt eventually caught up with him. Macbeth is guilty of first degree murder because even though he was being manipulated by his wife, Lady Macbeth, he still murdered the king with his own bare hands. If he really didn’t want to manslaughter the king, he would not have gone through with the plan, but instead he chose to. He is guilty of slaying the beloved King Duncan and others as well.
The vaulting ambitions of Macbeth and Lady Macbeth lead to the death of King Duncan. For the sake of Macbeth's ambition, he is willing to murder his cousin, Duncan. Macbeth realizes that murdering his king is perfidious and blasphemous because every king is set on throne by God; he is driven by his undying aspiration to steal the throne and be king: "I have no spur / To prick the sides of my intent, but only / Vaulting ambition, which o'erleaps itself / And falls on th' other." Lady Macbeth is also moved by her avarice to be alongside her husband on the throne. She uses all her strength and intelligence for evil purposes; this confident and arrogant authoritarian instills the plan of the murder (of Duncan) to Macbeth: "We fail? / But screw your courage to the sticking place / And we'll not fail. When Duncan is asleep."
Once Macbeth is told his prophecy of being king by the witches, he soon writes a letter to his wife explaining his newly found future, hoping to find some advice in return. Instead, Lady Macbeth quickly begins to think how life could be greater if he were king now. She then persuades Macbeth into killing King Duncan. "And to be more than what you were, you would be so much more the man." says Lady Macbeth, trying to change her husbands mind. She shows Macbeth that if they follow her plan exactly and show remorse for the kings' death. They would not fail, "Who dares receive it other, As we shall make our greifs and clamor roar upon his death?"
Throughout the play of Macbeth, by William Shakespeare, Macbeth is supposed to be a likeable character until he kills the king. By committing this heinous act, Macbeth instantly becomes a villain and continues to commit murderous acts, all stemming from his first terrible mistake. One of his motives consists of choosing power over integrity, therefore he kills the king. Another reason why Macbeth is a villain is because he continued to kill innocent people to hide his doings. Lastly, since Macbeth is a villain and murderer, he deserves to be condemned and disdained.
In William Shakespeare's famous play Macbeth, there are many reasons for Macbeth's gradual downfall. Numerous factors contributed to Macbeth's ruin, such as his own character flaws and his demanding wife, Lady Macbeth. The Three Witches, however, caused Macbeth the most trouble. First, the sisters stirred his dormant ambitions to be king. In addition to this, the witches' prophesies gave Macbeth a false sense of security. Finally, their predictions falsely led Macbeth to believe he would some day be happy. The Witches' contributed the most to Macbeth's destruction by first stirring his deep lying ambitions, also by giving him a false sense of security and finally, by allowing Macbeth to believe he would someday be content.
When Macbeth is first introduced to the audience, he is seen as a tough, trustworthy hero. He wins the battle and gains King Duncan’s honor and respect. This all lasts until his encounter with the witches. The witches terrorized and cursed people purely for their personal enjoyment. They came across Macbeth and could not pass this opportunity. Unfortunately Macbeth fell victim to the witches’ ruthless, evil plans. The witches begin to recite prophecies which immediately strike confusion and curiosity in Macbeth’s weak mind. The first prophecy stated, “All hail Macbeth! Hail to thee, Thane of Glamis!” which was said by the first witch. Macbeth already was the Thane of Glamis. The second prophecy stated, “All hail Macbeth! Hail to thee, Thane of Cawdor!” This prophecy in fact, came true after his defeat over the King of Scotland. This of course caused Macbeth the want more. The third prophecy stated, “All hail Macbeth that shall be King here after!” Macbeth new that the only way this prophecy would come true is if he murdered King Duncan. At this time, Macbeth was kind hearted and would not even think twice about murdering the man who trusts him. His weak mind caused him to fall victim to harsh words and tales of the future. The lovely Lady Macbeth is not at all who people perceive her to be. She is ruthless, impatient and power thirsty. She man...