The witches tell Macbeth that he will become Thane of Glamis, Thane of Cawdor and King of Scotland. The witchâs prophecies make Macbeth ambitious and tap into pre-existing ambition. Macbeth believes these prophecies as the first of his prophecies has been fulfilled. Afterwards the second prophecy is carried out. Immediately Macbeth thinks of murdering King Duncan so the third of his prophecies will be fulfilled even though he is horrified by the idea.
When people find out that the king is murdered they accuse the guards. For this reason, Macbeth kills the guards because he is afraid that they would deny killing King Duncan. As Macbeth is crowned king, Banquo starts to suspect that Macbeth cheated to earn his title. When Macbeth knows that Banquo suspects him, he hires murderers to kill him and his son, Fleance. Not only was he terrified that Banquo would expose him, but he was afraid that Banquo’s line would all become kings in the future, as according to the witches’ prophecies.
A lust for power already existed in Macbeth, but it was his encounter with the three witches on his return from battle that triggered his thirst for the throne, and subsequently the deaths of many, Macbeth among the deceased. The witches told Macbeth that he would become the Thane of Cawdor, and when he did, he became obsessed with the idea that he will become the King of Scotland; “prophecy” said so. With the encouragement of his wife, Macbeth murdered King Duncan, and Banquo, who was a comrade of Macbeth. Macbeth then orders the deaths of Macduff’s wife and children, because he fears that they stand a chance of taking the throne. Upon hearing of his families’ death, Macduff returns to Scotland to confront Macbeth, who is slain.
In Shakespeare’s Macbeth, Donalbain says that, “Where we are there are daggers in men’s smiles” (2.4.141)… And in this play, perception plays a big role. Hence, the reoccurring main theme “fair is foul and foul is fair” (1.1.10). Macbeth and his devious plans become his downfall, and unfortunately for him the murders will not cease. Corruption begins with the predictions of the witches and their paradox statements about future events. Since Macbeth is so hung up on their words, he and Lady Macbeth develop this growing ambition to take the throne.
Then road home to his wife and told her what happened. Lady Macbeth heard the story and desires the crown for him and wants to kill Duncan in order for him to be crown King. So late at night, she persuades him on killing the king and she drugs the chamberlin so they'll knock out. ( having someone to blame on the kings death) While Duncans asleep, Macbeht goes in for the kill despite his hallucination with a bloody dagger and supernatural effects. After Duncan's death has ben found out, he killed the two chamberlins for their "crime" and gets the kingship.
That all changes when he returns home after telling his wife what had happened. She says “ Make thick my blood/ Stop up th’access and passage to remorse” (1.5 33-34) Lady Macbeth is the one who encourages Macbeth to become King. Now that they both believe that Macbeth is going to become king, there is nothing that will get in their way. Soon after, Macbeth decides that one of the only ways that he is going to become king, is to kill the current king, Duncan. He realized that the plan might not be reasonable and he started to second guess himself.
He is then encouraged by his wife, Lady Macbeth, that in order to become king he must kill the king; so, Macbeth in the act of greed and selfishness, goes into a pursuit of power and murders the king. In Act 2 scenes 1, Macbeth begins setting out to kill the king. He shows an increasing desire to kill him. Before he does how ever, him and Banquo; another soldier of the king; have a conversation. “I dreamt last night of the three weird sisters- to you they have shown some truth.” Banquo says to Macbeth that the witches’ prediction about Macbeth becoming Thane of Cawdor came true.
One of them being his fatalism described the witches. The witches informed Macbeth’s of him becoming Thane and afterwards the King; however, Banquo’s son was prophesized to become the king after Macbeth. Macbeth feared that part of the prophecy and it was an additional explanation for his downfall. He became paranoid and he reacted only how a threatened individual would: by eliminating the threat. His paranoia reached the point to where he was mentally unstable.
Shakespeare’s play Macbeth is a play revolving around greed and ambition. The protagonist is to overcome greed and ambition on hearing the witches prophesies as he sets himself on a path to self-destruction. Macbeth’s strong desire to become king and obtain power was sparked when the witches gave three prophecies. ‘Thane of Glamis…Thank of Cawdor…that shalt be king hereafter!’ These prophecies sparked Macbeth’s ‘thought whose murder yet is but fantastical, Shakes so my single state of man, that function Is smothered in surmise; and nothing is But what is not.’ After listening to the witches prophecies the fantasy for Macbeth to become king was a fantasy, the mere thought of committing murder shakes him up so much he didn’t know who he is anymore. ‘That is a step On which I must fall down, or else o'erleap…’ As the play develops his ambition for power increases and to obtain his power he will step over those who become a threat to him.
Lady MacBeth plays an important part in Duncan’s murder because it is she who had the greater ambition to kill him. If Lady MacBeth weren’t a role in this play, MacBeth would have realized that murder was wrong and illogical. If Lady MacBeth was not a part in the play MacBeth, her husband would not have committed such a heinous crime. In Act 1, Scene 7, Macbeth is hovering around King Duncan’s bedroom, hesitant and afraid. He claims that “This even-handed justice commends th’ingredience of our poisoned chalice to our lips” (Act1, Scene7, Lines 10-12) Here he is saying that, if the King is killed, there will be terrible consequences.