Macbeth: Macbeth is not a killer
Throughout Macbeth, the characters moods and opinions change. Macbeth turns from a keen, moral, skilled kingsmen to a power hungry murderer. In this essay you will see that Macbeth did not want to kill the king (Duncan) and with Lady Macbeth’s smart and cunning ways, brainwashed him and convinced him to commit the murder and turn him into a heartless killer.
The story of Macbeth started when three witches confronted him and tell him that he will become the next king and kill the current king. Thus Macbeth decides to write a letter to his beloved wife (Lady Macbeth). In the letter he describes his strange encounter with the three witches. Lady macbeth is extremely pleased with the news, however does not believe that Macbeth is capable of murder. Lady Macbeth calls for evil, supernatural spirits to come and fill her with cruelty, so that she and her husband can commit the murder. Lady Macbeth is very determined to become the next queen. “Come you spirits that tend on mortal thoughts, unsex me here and fill me from crown to the toe top-full of direst cruelty.”(I V 48-50).
Macbeth tells Lady Macbeth that the king Duncan will be coming
and leaving the next mourning, thus Lady Macbeth see’s this as an excellent opportunity to murder the king, Macbeth becomes worried and nervous as his facial expressions show. Lady Macbeth tells him to look normally and show a happy, welcoming face. “Your face my thane, is a book where men may read strange matters…Bear welcome in your eye, your hand and your tongue. Look th’ innocent flower” ( I VI 73-77). Lady Macbeth then offers a plan for the murder of Duncan, “But be the serpent under’t he thats comeing must be provided for, you shall put this nights great business into my dispatch”( I VI 78-80). Macbeth seems interested however after Lady Macbeth gives him the idea of murder his morals come into place, and he questions the murder. “If it were done when ’tis, then ’twere well it were done quickely. If the assination could trammel up the consequence and catch with his surcease success” ( I VII 4).
Macbeth states that if the murder was committed there would be no consequences however “what comes around goes around”. He also states that Duncan is a good king and doesn’t deserve to be killed, he continually shows his morals and questions the murder, “I dare do all that may become a man. Who dares do more is none” (I VII 52-53). Macbeth says that to serve the king and fight in battle he is a man, but to kill the king he is nothing. The cunning Lady Macbeth is slightly mad at his theory and now tries to convince him to commit the murder, and if he does he will be more then a man. ” That made you break this enterprise to me? when you durst do it, then you were a man, and to be more then what you are, you would be so much more the man” ( I VII 55-59) Macbeth then questions the chances of getting caught. ” if we should fail?” ( I VII 68). Lady Macbeth then tries to encourage him to commit the murder and be courageous. “But screw your courage to the sticking place and we’ll not fail” ( I VII 70-71).
Lady Macbeth uses her cunning and intelligent concepts to compose a plan, in that she will get the chamberlains drunk and Macbeth will kill Duncan whilst he is asleep. “When Duncan is asleep…. his two chamberlains will I with wine and wassail so convince that memory the warder of the brain, shall be a fume, when in swinish sleep their drenched natures lies as in a death, th’unguarded duncan” ( I VII 71-75). MacBeth now falls victim to his wives mulipitive ways, he is now convinced and commits the murder. “I have done the deed. Didst thou not hear a noise” (II II 22). Macbeth comes back from the murder scene with Duncan’s blood on his hands and the dagger that was used to kill the sleeping king. Lady MacBeth see’s this and tells him to return it. “Go get some water and wash this filthy witness from your hand-why did you bring these daggers from the place, they must lie there” ( II II 60-63).
MacBeth is now horrified and shocked by his actions, he refuses to continue with Lady Macbeth’s requests. Thus Lady Macbeth decides to return the daggers herself. “I am afraid to think what I have done. “Look on’t again, I dare not” (II II 66-67). “Give me the daggers the sleeping and the dead are but as pictures. ‘[T]is eye of childhood that fears a painted devil” ( II II 69-71). Lady Macbeth them tells Macbeth to put on his night gown adn act completely innocent as if he were aleep and nothing happened. “Get on your nightgown, lest occasion call us and show us to be watchers. Be not lost in your thoughts” ( II III 90-93).The following mourning Lady Macbeth is awakened by the bells which have been rung to announce the kings murder, she awakes and acts as if she knows nothing . “What’s this business, that such a hideous trumpet calls to parley the sleepers of the house? [s]peak, [s]peak” (II III 93-95).Macduff then tells her of the murder. Malcolm Asks for who murdered his father. Lennox announces that the chamberlains are responsible for the murder according to the blood on their hands and faces, evidence of the successful plan in which the multiple, cunning Lady Macbeth conducted.
Banquo now suspects that Macbeth murdered Duncan in order to become king as the witches predicted. “Thou hast it now-king, Cawdor, Glamis, all as the weird women promised and I fear thou played’st most foully for’t” (III I 1-3). Macbeth however believes that Banquo’s children will become kings and not his own. Banquo is invited over for a feast, Macbeth who is now a heartless murderer, aranges for his murder. Macbeth makes sure that Banquo comes to the feast to insure that his plan goes well.enemy” ( III I 129-130). Macbeth then tells the murderers that Banquo is his enemy, and that he cant murder him because Banquo’s friends are also his friends and that if he was to kill Banquo he would dissapoint and let down his friends.
“So is he mine, and such bloody distance that every minute of his being thrusts against my near’st of life and though i could with bare faced power sweep him from my sight and bid my will avouch it, yet i must not, for certain friends that are both his and mine” ( III I 132-137). The murderers agree to carry out the murder and show their loyalty to the king. “we shall my lord perfrom what you command us” (III I 142-144).Macbeth is now responsible for two murders. He has turned from a loyal, highly moral kingsmen to a blood hungry killer. He has become a cunning mulipuative individual just like Lady Macbeth, the one he once fell victim to.
The worried king approaches the witches for reasureence of his kingship.Upon this the witches tell him to beware of MacDuff, who had fled to England, thus Macbeth orders for his family ot be killed. A messenger comes to warn lady MacDuff. “I doubt some danger does approach you nearly. If you will take a homely man’s advice be not found here, hence with your little ones” (IV II 72-75). The murders then enter and ask for Macduff. “What are theses faces, where is your husband?” (IV II 89-90). Lady Macduff then states that she hopes they dont find him. “I hope in no place so unsantified where such as thou mayst find him” (IV III 90-91). Lady Macduff’s son then accuses the men of being villians, thus the muderers stab him to death. “Thou liest, thou shag-eared villain!” (IV III 93). “What you egg? [stabbing him] young fry of treachery!” (IV III 94-95). The murderer then kills Lady Macduff as she tries to flee.
The mulipuative lady Macbeth convinced her husband to commit the first murder (Duncan). Macbeth did not handle his actions well, however with the expierience he could now kill anyone else who threatened his kingship.he had Banquo killed and then Macduff’s wife and son. These crimes may have never been done if Lady Macbeth didn’t turn him into a cunning, heartless killer.Macbeth was always undicicive about his actions towards Duncan and did not want to commit the horrible deeds that he had done.
