Corruption In William Shakespeare's Macbeth

During the Elizabethan times in England, William Shakespeare wrote many plays, including one of the most famous ever, Macbeth. The play is immersed with corruption and is seen through the eyes of the main character, Macbeth. Macbeth becomes corrupt, eventually leading to his tragic downfall as a result of the deceitfulness of three witches, his wife, Lady Macbeth’s ambitions and manipulations, and his own ambitions to become the King of Scotland. At the beginning of the play, the reader meets the three witches, who the reader eventually finds out are evil. The first time the witches meet Macbeth, they give him two prophecies: he will become the Thane of Cawdor and he will become the King of Scotland. The first of Macbeth’s prophecies

However, once she hears about the prophecies, one could say she went insane, especially when she asks the spirits to unsex her “and fill [her]...of direst cruelty” (1.5.41-42). After she becomes “unsexed,” the manipulation of Macbeth began with her plan to eliminate Duncan. The plan includes Lady Macbeth performing all the hard work by making the king’s chamberlains drunk and out of play, and all Macbeth would have to do is slay Duncan. At first Macbeth was hesitant to follow the foolproof plan and was called a coward by his wife. Macbeth held offense to being a coward, and says “Who dares do more do none (1.7.47), meaning that going through with the murder of Duncan would make him less of a man because Macbeth was his kin, his subject, as well as his host. Nonetheless, he eventually went through with the plan because he took offense to be called a coward, and not a man. After Macbeth slew Duncan, Macbeth was supposed to plant the two bloody daggers on the chamberlains. However, Macbeth forgot, and then refused to return to Duncan's chamber. Resultantly, he was once again called a coward by his wife, resulting in Lady Macbeth returning to the chamber to place the evidence. Macbeth being called a coward multiple times did not bode well with him, therefore, his true ambitions emerged from within him and lead him in the wrong