Was Macbeth Justified Analysis

559 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Analysis of macbeth

In “Tragedy of Macbeth,” William Shakespeare tells a story set in medieval Scotland of power and ambition. Macbeth is told his fortune by the witches and his future is shaped around it. After he obtains the throne his character changes, but is still fit to be king. As he becomes more unstable he hires assassins to kill some of the immoral citizens and potential rivals. Macbeth then goes back to the witches to learn and know more. Macduff seeks revenge on Macbeth and kills him, ending his reign. Macbeth’s murders and assassinations were justified because he viewed his victims as immoral and the witches influenced his ambitions. Macbeth viewed the victims he killed as immoral and a possible threat. If he had not taken action his life …show more content…

Every one. (Shakespeare 4.2 44-52)
Lady Macduff is explaining to her son that his father is a traitor and what happens to traitors. Since Macbeth saw Macduff as a traitor, he viewed the whole family as immoral and decided to end Macduff's line. This was a very reasonable action taken by Macbeth, as Macduff put his whole family on the line after becoming a traitor, and in turn had to pay the consequences. Another justification to Macbeth's assassinations was the influence of the witches on his ambitions. In this time period and situation fate is more powerful and plays a big role. When the witches read off his prophecy he can’t stop thinking about it. Macbeth even says “The Prince of Cumberland! That is a step on which I must fall down, or else o’erleap, For in my way it lies. Stars, hide your fires; let not light see my black and deep desires: The eye wink at the hand, yet let that be which the eye fears, when it is done, to see” (Shakespeare 1.4 48-53). In Macbeth's little speech the stars represent a pagan belief system, which shows he is still under the witches influence. He also mentioned that he knows he has to get passed the heir to the throne, which leads him down his only option. Many people think that all of the murders and assassinations that Macbeth has caused are unjustified and created more problems. This just isn’t the case though. He had a very good reason for all of them, as his victims were immoral and he was influenced by the witches,

Show More
Related

  • Macbeth: 'Another One Bites The Dust'

    1118 Words  | 3 Pages

    To begin with, Macbeth is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare that believed to have taken place around 1606. This play dramatizes the physical, emotional, and psychological effects of those who seek power for ones’ sake. In this play a Scottish General named Macbeth receives predictions from three witches that voice him he will one day become the King of Scotland. With determination his wife takes action convincing him to murder King Duncan therefore he would become king. Macbeth then becomes paranoid and filled with guilt, forcing him to commit more murders to protect himself from suspicion. Macbeth and Lady Macbeth then receive the madness of death.

    Read More

  • Traitors In Macbeth Act 4

    250 Words  | 1 Pages

    The purpose of the scene was to show the readers that even though Lady Macduff and her son had no involvement in Macbeth's crowning situation he was still going to kill anyone that angered him or were related to them. This shows us that Macbeth has gone completely mad and power hungry and is willing to do anything to keep his crown. It was completely unnecessary to kill Lady Macduff but he did it anyways because he is becoming crazy.

    Read More

  • How acts of courage develop and nurture personal integrity

    653 Words  | 2 Pages

    In Macbeth Lady Macbeth is perceived to be very evil and conniving, she is the catalyst that pushes Macbeth into killing King Duncan. She emasculates and manipulates him, causing his psychotic tendencies. Before the murder of Duncan, Macbeth played the role of a honorable servant of the King, and was praised for killing the traitorous Thane of Cawdor. Instead of the praise of Macbeth’s bravery bettering his personal integrity, he lets his prophesies that the witches informed him about go to his head. He is willing to kill to try and set himself further ahead, and after he is crowned King, he would kill anyone that stood in his way. This eventually catches up with him when the other characters put the pieces of the murders together and realize that Macbeth is responsible for all the deaths. Once this happened, Macduff, the Thane of Fife, set out to Macbeth’s castle at Inverness with a large army disguised by birnam wood to behead Macbeth, so Malcolm could be crowned King. Macbeth’s lack of courage throughout ...

    Read More

  • Macbeth and His Mental Deterioration

    1302 Words  | 3 Pages

    William Shakespeare’s Macbeth is a play centred around opposing forces trying to gain power in the succession for the throne of Scotland. Macbeth, in the beginning, is known to be a noble and strong willed man, who is ready to fight for his country. However, one may see that Macbeth has a darker side to him, he is power hungry and blood thirsty, and will not stop until he has secured his spot as King of Scotland. Though Macbeth may be a tyrant, he is very nave, gullible, and vulnerable.

    Read More

  • Analysis Of Macbeth

    1799 Words  | 4 Pages

    Macduff and Malcolm, along with ten thousand soldiers, move to Dunsinane to attack Macbeth at his castle. While the army is fighting, Macduff slips into Macbeth’s chambers. He calls out to Macbeth, saying, “That way noise is. Tyrant, show thy face! If thou beest slain, and with no stroke of mine, My wife and children’s ghosts will haunt me still. I cannot strike at wretched kerns, whose arms Are hired to bear their staves. Enter thou, Macbeth, Or else my sword with an unbattered edge I sheathe again undeeded” (420). Macduff tells Macbeth that he is coming to kill him. He hopes to get there before anyone else finds and kills Macbeth because he needs to avenge his wife and children. Macduff then finds Macbeth and stabs and kills him. If Macbeth had not chosen to kill Macduff’s family, Macduff would not have desired to kill him to avenge their deaths. This shows that Macbeth’s decision to murder yet another group of people led to his final

    Read More

  • Macbeth: The Cursed Scottish Play

    1019 Words  | 3 Pages

    From the time Macbeth took the power of the Scottish throne, many more innocent civilians and royal officials have been executed by Macbeth to satisfy his lust for complete power. This central focus on power plunged the country into despair and lowered the wellbeing of his subjects, causing mass disapproval and speaking out from everyone; this subsequently led to Macbeth murdering anyone who spoke against him. This, as well as in seeking aid for Scotland, causes Macduff to travel to England, as, “For from broad words, and ‘cause he failed his presence at the tyrant’s feast, I hear Macduff lives in disgrace” (3, 22 – 23). Macbeth continues to ruin Scotland, causing Macduff to speak out, yet in a plain and concerned manner, rather than a boastful, selfish tone. Many would not dare speak against the king, as doing so ensures certain death. The courage of Macduff, however, does not prevent him from holding his tongue nor his actions, and he seeks to help Scotland without much regard for Macbeth’s backlash. This backlash, however, reaches Macduff’s family, and Macbeth orders everyone slain, which leaves only Macduff alive in England. Even though he no longer possesses anything in Scotland to physically fight for and protect, Macduff resolves to courageously fight for Scotland and rid it of Macbeth, while at the same time he works to avenge the murders of his family and household. Macduff’s final

    Read More

  • Shakespeare's Macbeth - Innocent and Naive Macbeth

    1484 Words  | 3 Pages

    instill in him the need to be King. Still, desire is not enough for Macbeth and he is thus driven "to seek certainty as his one objective. He wants certainty from the witches . . . at whatever cost" (Campbell 228). Macbeth, however, is not completely lost yet; honour and justice remain in him, and although it takes him some time to fully consider the consequences of the witches' words on him, he rejects his horrible thoughts of murder and postpones all action: "If chance will have me king, why,chance may crown me, / Without my stir" (I. iii.143-144). For the time being, Macbeth's true essence is in control, that of loyalty and honour.

    Read More

  • Macbeth Downfall Analysis

    1709 Words  | 4 Pages

    Now Macbeth is in a complete delusion as he now believes to be himself invincible, yet is still paranoid enough to kill Macduff even though he doesn 't think he can be caused harm. Sending murderers to take care of Macduff, who kill Macduff 's wife and children when Macduff himself isn 't there.

    Read More

  • Nihilism In Macbeth

    835 Words  | 2 Pages

    This isn’t right because, in spite of the fact that Macbeth was put under an evil spell, he killed people that he didn’t need to,

    Read More

  • Why Macbeth Is A Monster

    761 Words  | 2 Pages

    Furthermore, we also learn about Lady Macduff’s and her kids’ death. To prove this, Macbeth says in Act 4, scene 1 that he wants to kill Macduff and his family for joining Malcolm, the protagonist adds “The castle of Macduff I will surprise, / Seize upon Fife, give to th’ edge o’ th’ sword / His wife, babes, and all unfortunate swords / That trace him in his line.” Although many might argue that Macbeth was forced to kill Duncan, which caused him to kill everyone else, the protagonist could of have refused to follow his wife’s orders and refrain from the power he wants. From the quotations used, we can now tell that Macbeth is a monster due to the murders he

    Read More

  • Macbeth’s Tragic Flaw

    826 Words  | 2 Pages

    The Tragedy of Macbeth written by William Shakespeare is a tale of a man and his un-bridled ambition, set in ancient Scotland. Macbeth is a nobleman of the king of Scotland, Duncan, who is in mid-war with Norway. Macbeth and his fellow general Banquo encounter three witches. The witches tell the pair that Macbeth will be king, and Banquo’s children will also be kings. Any person in their right mind would question information given to them by strangers, let alone witches, but for some reason these statements intrigue Macbeth. They temp Macbeth to do evil things such as treason, and worse, to kill. Although un-bridled ambition is his main tragic flaw, there is one more that plays a big role in his decisions and the outcome of the story; Macbeth is far too impressionable.

    Read More

  • Morality In Macbeth Essay

    976 Words  | 2 Pages

    Macbeth is a play written by William Shakespeare in the early 17th century and depicts a Scottish general by the name of Macbeth, who hears a prophecy that dictates that he will become the Thane of Cawdor, as well as king of Scotland. The play then follows on Macbeth murdering his king and attempting to maintain control of the crown and also committing countless murders in order to do so. The theme of morality is constantly represented in Macbeth through its characters such as Lady Macbeth, Macbeth, biblical imagery, and quotes. In Act ii Scene ii, Macbeth feels regret over the murder of King Duncan. This can be shown through a quote from the soliloquy of Macbeth, “Will all great Neptune’s oceans wash this blood from my hand?

    Read More

  • Macbeth Ambition Analysis

    809 Words  | 2 Pages

    Stars hide your fires! Let not light see my black and deep desires.” (I, v, 49 – 52). The words ‘black and deep desires’ relate to Macbeth’s evil desire and the vaulting ambition shown to be present in him. This first sign of Macbeth’s evil nature is shown in this scene as he slowly begins to open up and show the real man he is.

    Read More

  • Fate And Free Will In Shakespeare's Macbeth

    1130 Words  | 3 Pages

    The witches do not force him to kill Duncan, but they do plant the idea is his head. After murdering Duncan, Macbeth made the decision to murder the guards, making Macduff suspicious of him. He also chooses to kill Banquo, and Macduff’s family. His actions are the reason that his life ended in the way that it did. At the beginning of his moral conflict he says in an aside “If chance will have me king, why chance may crown me without my stir” (1. 3. 143-144). Macbeth is thinking to himself that if he is meant to be king by fate, he should just sit back and let it happen. He does not want to betray his king. After some careful thought, Macbeth chooses to take matters into his own hands by murdering the king. He was not influenced by the witches when he makes the decision to have Macduff’s family murdered. In an attempt to scare Macduff and show that he does not fear the Thane of Fife, Macbeth seals his own fate and ensures his death. Shortly after the death of his children and wife, Macduff returns to Scotland for revenge.

    Read More

  • Tragic Elements Of Macbeth

    774 Words  | 2 Pages

    “The witches predict that Macduff may harm Macbeth. The prediction becomes the catalyst again and makes Macbeth decide to murder Macduff’s family in order to make sure his own safety. Apparently he’s determination is continuously becoming stronger. He no longer struggles with moral justice and this is when Macbeth’s ambition reaches a climax” (Blind ambition kills).

    Read More

More about Was Macbeth Justified Analysis

Open Document