Macbeth, a story of tragic events, murder, betrayal, and some more betrayal. Throughout the play many things such as events and the behavior of others have affected many characters, in this case Macbeth’s betrayals have affected him as well as many others causing him to change drastically. The betrayals of Duncan the king of Scotland, Banquo his best friend, and Lady Macbeth his wife have changed Macbeth from a brave, loyal, trustworthy man into a guilty, ruthless, crue,l and, bloodthirsty king
In the beginning of the play we see the full extent of Macbeth’s loyalty to his king when he is happily fighting to protect his country and the king. He even goes as far as to slicing the head of a traitor off, which at that time was considered brave, heroic, and noble. Fast Forward a bit and three mysterious witches go to Macbeth and tell him that he will be the Thane of Cawdor and the king thereafter. Macbeth doesn’t pay much attention to what the witches have said until he gets a message from the king stating that he is now the Thane of Cawdor and how the king will come to his house later.
Macbeth was very close to his wife at that time and wrote a letter to her saying what the witches have said, how he is the Thane of Cawdor, and the king will be there at their home soon. Now this is where a strange turn of events occur, when Macbeth returns home Lady Macbeth explains her plans to kill king Duncan so that Macbeth can become king. Macbeth who was a loyal man at the time did not want to take part in Lady Macbeth’s plan and he definitely did not want to harm his king in any way. Eventually Lady Macbeth happened to persuade Macbeth into following her plan.
Thus, leading us to the actual betrayal of Duncan. Macbeth states this seconds before the murder of his king, “I go, and it is done. The bell invites me. Hear it not, Duncan, for it is a knell that summons thee to heaven or to hell. ” (2. 1. 75-77) This is as said before seconds before the murder and betrayal of Duncan. The whole significance of those lines is that it marks the moment Macbeth changed forever, the moment he officially went through with the betrayal, and the moment Scotland would change forever or at least until the end of Macbeth.
After Macbeth finished his evil deed his hands permanently become stained with the blood of Duncan and others to come. Due to that stain Macbeth becomes very guilty and paranoid this guilt and paranoia last quite a while. With his loyalty gone his other attributes slip away as each betrayal eats at him one by one. Following the betrayal of Duncan, Macbeth’s paranoia continues to eat at him making him become ruthless. Macbeth fears Banquo and the idea that, the witches have said that he will create a line of kings.
Macbeth felt that he has killed Duncan not for himself but for the benefit of Banquo’s sons. (3. 1. 52-77) Rather than kill Banquo himself Macbeth lies to murderers saying that Banquo is the cause of their problems and that he must be killed. Macbeth prepares himself for Banquo’s murder by saying the following, “Come, seeling night, scarf up the tender eye of pitiful day and with thy bloody and invisible hand cancel and tear to pieces that great bond which keeps me pale. “(3. 3. 52-56) Here Macbeth is simply waiting for the night to come so that his crimes are hidden.
He is also asking for the bond between Banquo and himself to be broken so that he will not feel guilt for what he is about to do. Like the lines said before Duncan’s murder these were said before Banquo’s murder and signify the betrayal. Before the betrayal of Banquo we didn’t see Macbeth as ruthless as he is shown during and after it but, at this point Macbeth is not just ruthless or guilty he is also bloodthirsty not even his strong bond with his best friend ended his greed for power, Even before Macbeth’s last moment he betrays someone who he once had an extremely strong bond with.
Near the end of the play Lady Macbeth was seen sleepwalking and saying strange things. The things she would say while sleepwalking would pertain to the killing of Duncan. She was so haunted by what she had done that it has affected her mentally. When a doctor came to explain Lady Macbeth’s current state Macbeth simply brushed off the doctor as if her health was of no importance to him. The doctor had said that there is no treatment for her, she must help herself. Macbeth’s reply to this was, “Throw physic to the dogs.
Ill none of it – Come, put mine armor on… (5. 4. 58-59) Later on Macbeth was told that Lady Macbeth had died and Macbeth showed no sympathy. To show no emotion for his wife’s poor mental state and then death is cruel there is no other way to put it. Hence, throughout the play we see a dramatic change in Macbeth’s character. What was once a loyal, brave, and, trustworthy man became a cruel, ruthless, bloodthirsty king. Each and every betrayal changed him and caused him to act a certain way, taking away each positive attribute he had one by one murder by murder betrayal by betrayal.
