One of the main messages he is trying to deliver to us is to always weigh what you achieve to what the consequences will be. This especially holds true for Macbeth, as when first contemplating if he should kill Duncan, not once did he think of how he could be punished. Also, when Macbeth first hears the witch’s prophecy of him being a king, he jumps directly to the idea of murder. This kind of thinking is exhibited in Macbeth’s monologue in scene 5 act 5, where he discus’s the uselessness of living, and this attitude towards life made him go mad. This also points to how unintelligent Macbeth really was.
Although it is quite different than his first encounter with murder, this murder is all Macbeth’s idea. Furthermore, instead of doing it himself he decides to hire hit men to kill his friend Banquo who he believes is in his way of getting what he wants, more power. “I am in blood, stepped in so far that I should wade no more, Returning were as tedious as go’oer” (Act I, Sc.IV, Line 136-137). This serves as a pivotal moment in this play, Macbeth has decided that he is in to far already and there is no point in going back. He has decided that he already has blood on his hands he should just keep killing and getting what he desires, which now is to secure his hierarchy position.
Macbeth knows that he can not allow Duncan to see his ambition for the power of the throne, or Duncan will find a way to hinder him from doing so. After Malcolm is named Prince of Cumberland, Macbeth's hunger for the throne only becomes stronger. Employing her power over her husband, Lady Macbeth convinces him to kill King Duncan in order to obtain the throne Though Macbeth pines for the throne, he understands that he can not rightly justify his actions, "I have no spur to prick the sides of my intent, but only vaulting ambition" (1.7.-.). Nonetheless, Macbeth goes through with the murder. Soon, Duncan's body is found and his two sons flee the country, leaving Macbeth the successor to the throne.
Because of this, he decides he must kill Banquo, so that there will be no heir. “Macbeth plots the murder of Banquo, out of jealousy and insecurity.” (Hompi 1) This is obviously an absurd idea, and prior to Macbeth’s murder of King Duncan he never would have considered it as a solution. Shakespeare uses this to show how power corrupts even the best of people. It is obvious that this is still a problem in society today, as people start off with good intentions but slowly get sidetracked. Before long, their objectives have changed completely.
?If chance will have me king, why, chance may crown me.? (1 3) Did it happen because of fate or did Macbeth make it happen? The witches tempted Macbeth to kill the King, however, it was his own ambition that led him to do that terrible thing. Macbeth, even though he was uneasy, he chose to kill King Duncan and ascend to the throne of Scotland. ?Nothing is but what is not.?
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.
The devil, or the evil spirits, take up many disguises, one of which is through Lady Macbeth. Our tragic hero does not realize that every murder will come back to haunt him. We begin to see the slippery slope Macbeth slides down as he promptly kills his best friend, Banquo, and attempts to murder Banquo’s only child, Fleance, without any outside influences. He was content killing his closest ally because he worries about the witches prophecy that “the seeds of Banquo’s kings, rather than so, come fate into the list, and champion me to the utterance…” (III.I.70-73). Even when you believe Macbeth cannot be any worse he slaughters Macduff’s entire family when he hears Macduff has fled to England; he said that he would “give to the edge o’the sword his wife, babes, and all unfortunate souls that trace him in his line”.
In other words the kingship won’t stay in Macbeth’s line with his kids being after him. To remedy this, Macbeth decides to send murderer to Banquo and Fleance so they cannot take the kingship from him. And Macbeth becomes bloody and bloody. Second, Macbeth is evil, because he continue his evil action although he really didn’t like what he did. Immediately after murdering Duncan, Macbeth experiences a combination of remorse and panic.
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
He is easily influenced. He showed he is willing to do anything to become king. Macbeth was convinced he would become king but not told he would be for only a short amount of time. He is peer pressured into doing all these things and in the end he dies from everything he wanted to accomplish by gaining his power the wrong way. “Look like the innocent flower but be a serpent under it” (I.v, 72-73) Lady Macbeth says to him trying to encourage him that that is the only way he will become king is to be deceit.