Again Macbeth’s conscience comes into play when he says, “We still have judgement here; that we but teach / Bloody instruction, which being taught return / To plague the inventor: this even-handed justice,” (I, vii, 8-10). He knows what he is doing wrong and that there will be consequences even before he murders Duncan. Macbeth is a weak man however, and ignores his conscience; he instead gives in to his power-hungry wife’s greed and allows his ambition to lead him on a dastardly journey. Although it may seem as though Duncan’s murder was not only Macbeth’s doing, he had a
Duncan is primarily a force of goodness in the play even considering his certain flaws. Duncan’s murder was an act of unnatural events, against moral order and even Macbeth sees the wrong in this vicious act. Duncan was seen as the perfect king and was called “Gracious Duncan” by the tyrant Macbeth. Duncan’s holiness is reinforced by Macbeth being shown as an unholy king which is a compete contrast to Duncan. The king should be patient, have justice, mercy and lowliness.
Where there is a positive figure there will always be a negative mocking the good. During the act, Macbeth, Shakespeare uses contrasting images of lightness and darkness to express the differences of powers used amongst two different characters. The character Macbeth is a very important aspect of the play because his is referred to as the tyrant: a dark, evil and violent dictator that does nothing, but tries and destroys other around him. Duncan on the behalf is a loyal king to the people of Scotland. Duncan tries to praise the people around him and honor them for the good that they instill.
Essentially, they are both great mean who have a position in society but each has a fatal flaw. Macbeth’s fatal flaw is ambition and Jekyll’s fatal flaw is professional vanity. Shakespeare presents Macbeth’s sense of evil through soliloquy and imagery, and Stephenson presents Jekyll’s evil through different types of narrative non-linear, third person, first person narrative and imagery. At the start of the play the tragic hero Macbeth is portrayed as loyal to the King and a brave solider. Macbeth is portrayed as a "good being" because he fought for his country and for his king.
In the play written by William Shakespeare entitled Macbeth, one character in particular named Duncan is indeed an interesting fellow. He first appears in Act One, Scene Two, and praises Macbeth for defeating Macdownwald. There are many ways to describe him, as he seems to be a good but foolish person, a good king, and a poor judge of other people’s character. These characteristics are painfully obvious throughout the play until Duncan is murdered by Macbeth. Duncan plays an important role in the play, as he shows how power-hungry Macbeth is throughout the tragedy.
Murder is one of the seven deadly sins and a crime that most try to avoid. Murder taints the criminal with the victims’ blood forever. Macbeth is a man that understands what it is like to steal the life of another man, yet continues to butcher one victim to the next. In the play Macbeth, by William Shakespeare, Banquo’s murder plagues Macbeth’s innermost soul more profoundly in comparison to the murder of Duncan because of the relationship he has with him, his motive behind the murder and the immensity of the remorse following the murder. Banquo’s murder affected Macbeth more deeply than that of Duncan because the relationship Macbeth has with Banquo is that of a friend.
James I was a very superstitious monarch, he hated the idea of witches and paranormal activity. Shakespeare took this into account to make the play more enjoyable for the king. The play also related to James I as it showed a man killing the king; earlier that year King James was a target of an attack on parliament, this is seen as defying god as a king was placed on the throne by god giving it the name “Divine right.” Attacking the king was equivalent to attacking god. Shakespeare shows a change in Macbeth and Lady Macbeth within their relationship throughout acts 1, 2 and 3. In the Elizabethan era, the would be the dominant figure in a traditional relationship, but in Lady Macbeth and Macbeths relationship, lady Macbeth is seen as the dominant figure and would bully, tease and mock Macbeth into committing things he didn’t wanted to do, but she thought was the best way to go.
Macbeth is more to be condemned than pitied, when faced with his heinous crimes. A single regicide would have been enough to denounce him beyond any hope of acquittal, yet it was not just one murder that so condemns him. Not only did Macbeth murder his king, but Young Siward, Macduff’s family and his own friend Banquo, in addition to the attempted murder of Banquo’s son Fleance. During the course of the play, his actions are inhumane and morally wrong, and while it can be argued that it was the influences of both Lady Macbeth and the Witches led to King Duncan’s murder at Macbeth’s hands, it was he who performed the act. It was his fatal flaw, ambition, that ultimately led to his downfall.
Macbeth quotes, “will it not be received/ When we have mark’d with blood those sleepy two/ Of his own chamber and used their very daggers/ That they have done’t? (1.7.75-79), stating that blood is beginning to literally represent guilt, rather then symbolically. By killing Duncan with the guard’s weapons and then smearing blood all over them, Macbeth is framing them, making them guilty by using Duncan’s blood. This quote also depicts Macbeth’s transition from a morally correct ruler to a corrupt and vicious murderer. Before hearing the witch’s prophecy, he was a virtuous and ethical person, but after hearing that he is destined for kingship, he goes on a murderous rampage to gain political power, completely disregarding his previous decency.
They are both selfish men, led by irrational motives. Macbeth killed a good king; he speaks greatly of Duncan when he reconsiders murdering Duncan due to his good heart; “Besides, this Duncan hath borne his faculties so meek, hath been so clear in his great office that his virtues shall plead trumpet-tongued against the deep damnation of his taking off. "(1.7.16-20) Macbeth also happened to be related to Duncan but that still didn’t stop him from murdering him and fulfilling his prophecy. Under Macbeth’s rule, people were in constant worry due to the numerous assassinations and experienced food shortages. The narrator in ATTH, killed because he claimed the old man’s eyes resembled that of a vulture’s and that he felt uncomfortable because he also claimed that whenever they fell on him, his “blood ran cold”.