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Recommended: Analysis of Macbeth
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.