Macbeth seems like an even worse person after he kills Macduff’s family for no apparent reason. Macduff has some real hatred for Macbeth, on 143 he says “Not in the legions of horrid hell can come a devil more damned in evils to top Macbeth.” Macduff is not bloodthirsty, he just wants revenge. Because of Macduff there is a strong protagonist to fight against Macbeth. Duncan and Banquo are killed so Macduff takes their place as “the good guy”. Another comparison that is made to Macbeth is with Duncan, the old king.
If it wasn't for the influences of the people surrounding him, he would have lived happily as Thane of Cawdor, an honourable title in itself. The downfall of Macbeth was ignited by the actions by those around him, mainly the witches and his wife Lady Macbeth, and eventually, his ambitions took over. Macbeth never had the intention of killing his king, but was ultimately persuaded that it was the correct thing to do. The three witches planted the seed of ambition within Maceth. They were the driving force behind Banquo and King Duncan's killing.
That is a step on which I must fall down, or else oerleap for in my way it lies. Stars hide your fires, let not light see my black and deep desires.” When Lady Macbeth receives the letter from her husband about the witches prediction she also realises that Duncan must killed. She thinks that Macbeth deserves to be great but also believes he is too noble to do such a thing. “Yet do I fear thy nature It is too full othe milk of human-kindness to catch the nearest way. Thou wouldst be great art not without ambition, but without the illness should attend it.” This shows that Lady Macbeth simply brings out the murderous butcher within Macbeth which was always subconsciously there with his ambition for glory.
From the moment she makes her first appearance in Macbeth, it is impossible to deny that Lady Macbeth is a force to be reckoned with. She doesn’t question her husband’s plan to kill the King; no, she questions his manliness, fearing he is too soft to actually keep his word: 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. (I, v, 15-18) She fears that Macbeth lacks the monstrous brutality necessary to kill Duncan and fulfill the prophecy of the three witches—which is surprising, considering he hacked his way through a throng of innocents just to chop a man in half and stick his head on a pike—and so she tells Macbeth that she will make the arrangements to
7. 12). Macbeth’s thoughts and feelings about killing King Duncan are results of his good nature. Expert Wayne Booth says, “The testimony of other characters and Macbeth’s own moral vacillations presented early in the play suggest that Macbeth is not a naturally evil man, but a man who has every potentiality for goodness.” Macbeth’s moral values are clear examples of
At the moment a lot of people seem to be fond of Macbeth and look up to him. The social hierarchy is very important in the play, with Duncan as king, Macbeth as thane and then lady Macbeth at the bottom. This would be the normal and natural order of the hierarchy and no one dares to commit regicide – killing of the king. Except for Lady Macbeth, who is against the hierarchy and wants Macbeth to kill Duncan so he can become king; however committing regicide comes with a lot of consequences... In Macbeth’s soliloquy, (Act 1 Scene7) which is when he would be at the front of the stage by himself and expressing his feelings to us, the audience, he lets us know how he is feeling towards what Lady Macbeth has asked of him.
No one to blame but Macbeth Decisions can be impacted by a number of factors; but in the end we have to be the ones to take responsibility for our actions. This is demonstrated when we see Macbeth transform from a brave soldier to a power-hungry murderer, feared by all his subjects. Macbeth is the one to blame for his own descent into cruelty and murder because he let his ambition, arrogance and greed take over his mind. While some may claim that Macbeth is to blame for his actions, others argue that it is the force of the supernatural that leads to his demise. Early on the witches reveal prophecies to Macbeth suggesting his rise to power.
Another aspect of the tragic hero is that they are responsible for their own fate. Macbeth is certainly responsible for his fate. He chooses to commit the murders and take the crown although it is not rightfully his. However, like all tragic heroes the fact that he has committed murders does not make the reader totally despise him. He is seen, in part, as a victim of Lady Macbeth’s ambitions.
A clear example of how power and ambition corrupts is demonstrated in the fictional tragedy of the Scottish ruler, Macbeth. Macbeth starts out a wise and noble general. He is loyal to his king. He has integrity, and the respect of all. However, once the notion of royal power is introduced by the Witches, the dam is broken and a cascade of corruption follows.
According to Duncan, the Thane of Cawdor was a man who had earned his Highnesses deepest respect. He is found out to have betrayed information to an opposing force, which lead to his execution. This event leads the king to state "There's no art/ To find the mind's construction in the face:/ He was a gentleman on whom I built/ An absolute trust"(Act IV, Scene I, ln 13-14). This quote sets up the whole theme for the play: you can not tell what a man is really thinking, only by looking at his outer appearance. Deception through false prophesies is also seen within this play.