Self-Preservation In Macbeth

In William Shakespeare’s epic “Macbeth”, there is a portrayal of how Macbeth utilizes different forms of self-preservation in response to meeting both internal and external demands. A visibly significant importance is placed on how Macbeth utilizes self-preservation, and understanding the impact that it has on Macbeth. Macbeth’s actions and decisions hold a striking resemblance to a/an _______, in the sense that all actions he takes, beginning the murder of King Duncan, have led to negative consequences. Like a __________, his actions have continually led him deeper into _________, and there is no hope for return; consequently, he commits more sinful actions as he cannot return to his previous state of innocence. As a result of believing the

The initiation of Macbeth’s use of self-preservation is quite clear, the murder of King Duncan, but the factors which synthesize demands must be observed with insight to understand the true motives behind his use of self-preservation. Macbeth’s conscious is plagued with a certain uneasiness as he faces internal demands such as his own conscious repeatedly questioning the validity of the witches’ prophecies, and his urges to make them come true, or even alter them in his benefit. Additionally, Macbeth is forced to deal with his own inflating ego, as the witches’ prophecies foretell stories that seemingly always benefit him, leading to a drastic increase in his confidence. Similarly, Macbeth is challenged by his wife to expedite the prophecies by committing sin, and beginning with that action, he faces more pressure to change the witches’ prophecies to benefit himself. Also, after Macbeth assumes position as King, he is given great responsibility and the immense power he desired, but as he begins to abuse it, it leads to his path down the ______. Macbeth’s own conscious holds a skeptical view on the witches’ prophecies, as even though the first may have been fulfilled, others seemed very far-fetched. Although after he succumbs to believing in the prophecies, he develops the thought

As the audience is already aware, Macbeth developed a paranoid personality, which resulted in his use of self-preservation; furthermore, those two factors lead to an existential crisis, his inevitable downfall. Macbeth is observed expressing emotions of cockiness, and believing he is immortal while having little to no guarantees that such claims will hold true in his future. This behavior is in great part, a result of the witches’ second apparition, stating that “no man born of woman shall harm Macbeth” (Shakespeare 77). After Macbeth murders King Duncan, and later receives his position as King of Scotland, he begins to fear he may not be able to carry on a royal status in his bloodline. This fear leads to the development of a paranoid personality seen in Macbeth, and elucidates upon why he ordered the only partially successful murders of Banquo and Fleance. Macbeth’s fear is vividly illustrated in his soliloquy where he states, “There is none but [Banquo] whose being [Macbeth] fears” (Shakespeare 55). The prophecy in the second apparition entails Macbeth will not be killed by any man born of a woman, and leads to Macbeth developing the notion that he is immortal in this world. Subsequently, Macbeth’s immortal belief leads to irrational decisions and actions, as he then begins