Macbeth’s Fatal Flaws William Shakespeare’s play, Macbeth, is thought to be cursed; many people have been injured or killed while the play is being performed. Macbeth not only has a curse that causes tragic events, but the actual play itself involves tragic events as well. This includes the deaths of many people, such as Macbeth, the main character. Macbeth starts off as a seemingly good and noble gentleman until he is persuaded by his wife, Lady Macbeth, to kill King Duncan in order for Macbeth to become king. Then, he continues on a murdering spree by killing many others, including his close friend, Banquo. Throughout the play, Macbeth shows signs of remorse which leads to him being suicidal. Macbeth’s fatal flaws of being easily swayed, …show more content…
Although it may seem that Lady Macbeth is at fault for Duncan’s murder, it is really Macbeth who is at fault. He should have stood his ground and not been so easily swayed by his wife. Lady Macbeth says to herself, “Yet I do fear thy nature; It is too full o’ th’ milk of human kindness to catch the nearest way” (1.5.16-18). This shows that Lady Macbeth knew that Macbeth didn’t have what it took to murder Duncan. It was in his nature to be too kind and too noble. She later says, “Hie thee hither, that I may pour my spirits in thine ear and chastise with the valor of my tongue all that impedes thee from the golden round” (1.5.28-31). This shows that Lady Macbeth was planning on persuading Macbeth and talking him out of whatever was holding him back from killing the king. While trying to persuade Macbeth, Lady Macbeth …show more content…
Macbeth says, “Duncan is in his grave. After life’s fitful fever he sleeps well. Treason has done his worst; nor steel nor poison, malice domestic, foreign levy, nothing can touch him further” (3.2.25-29). This shows that Macbeth seems to envy Duncan and wants to join him in this everlasting peace, death. Macbeth also shows that he is filled with guilt and is suicidal when he says, “I have almost forgot the taste of fears…I have supped full with horrors. Direness, familiar to my slaughterous thoughts, cannot once start me” (5.5.11,15-17). This shows that Macbeth is familiar with his horrible thoughts and that they can’t startle him anymore. He has lost touch with reality and has become numb to his violent thoughts. Another time Macbeth feels guilty is right after murdering Duncan and forgetting to leave the daggers with the servants. He says, “I’ll go no more. I am afraid to think what I have done. Look on ’t again I dare not” (2.2.65-67). This shows that even right after killing Duncan, Macbeth feels regret and remorse for his actions. He refuses to go back and be forced to see the dead and bloody
He’s at first guilty for the crime he commits, as shown when he says to Lady Macbeth “I am afraid to think what I have done” (2.2.66) , but he soon realizes that it’s necessary to kill Duncan if he is going to take Duncan’s place as king; his guilt slowly fades to paranoia and more greed. Macbeth takes all the necessary steps to achieve his goal no matter how extreme it may be or who he has to hurt to be
Lady Macbeth puts this into action when she even does so much as to formulate the actual plan, which is used to murder King Duncan (Act 1, Scene 7, lines 59 – 72). Multiple other methods are also used by Lady Macbeth to convince her husband of this evil deed. Lady Macbeth making the killing into a test of manhood, so that Macbeth will only be a man in her eyes, she says, if he murders the king, is one of the more prominent methods used by Lady Macbeth to pressure Macbeth. It was used to encourage him to complete the deed of murder against King Duncan to achieve his place as king. Lady Macbeth asserts: “What beast was’t then, that made you break this enterprise to me?
His emotions are affected so much that he decides to “keep a servant fee’d” in Macbeth’s home (3.4,132). At this point, he is so paranoid and so filled with anger and suspicion that he spies on all his Lords. Lastly, after killing Duncan, Macbeth shows a great deal of grief and guilt. Immediately after Duncan’s murder, Lady Macbeth tells Macbeth to smear blood on the guards but he refuses, saying, “I’ll go no more. /
Macbeth’s conscience tells him again to resist temptation to gain the crown and not kill Duncan because he is a man Macbeth should defend and protect. Even after this nudge towards moral correctness, Macbeth kills Duncan. He begins to feel intense guilt about his decision, and lives in fear of
Because Macbeth’s and Lady Macbeth’s decision to murder Duncan, Both face the guilt of the power they abused portrays on the shadows that reflect on them as well as the natural consequences they will face. During the first half of the play, Lady Macbeth expresses her unnatural feelings and this is demonstrated through the corruption of power when she want’s to hire people to kill Duncan because she thinks that Macbeth is too scared. At first, when Lady Macbeth hinted “Their drenchèd natures lies as in a death”(1.7.78). This demonstrates that Lady Macbeth is characterizing corruption of power due to the fact that she want's to kill Duncan, therefore she can be queen of cawdor while Macbeth is king.
Macbeth, written by William Shakespeare, is a play that mainly focuses on one common theme of insanity. Macbeth gradually becomes plagued by intense guilt as his desire for power drives him to attain his goals by any means necessary, including committing murder. He kills Duncan in cold blood in order to become King, has Banquo killed by three murderers because he wishes to maintain his position as King, and finally, he has Macduff’s family slaughtered. Each of these occurrences takes place because of Macbeth’s will to be King, or they are a result of his guilt. Nonetheless, they are all completed of his free will, which is what causes him to deteriorate mentally.
Macbeth’s moral weakness can be disputed as one of the flaws that caused his death. Macbeth's unbalanced superego leads to not knowing what he wants, with having second thoughts about his actions. Macbeth had just killed Duncan, and returning with the dagger he says to Lady Macbeth, “ “Glamis hath murdered sleep, and therefore/Cawdor/Shall sleep no more. Macbeth shall sleep no more.” ” (II.II.55-57).
Macbeth does not show mercy towards the king when the he cries, “I have done the deed. / Didst thou not hear a noise” (II.ii.14). He finally succeeds in his crime and murders King Duncan in this quotation. His act is unforgiving as it is immoral.
Macbeth is More Responsible In Shakespeare’s play “Macbeth” Macbeth is seen to be as the one responsible for King Duncan’s murder, as Macbeth’s hands were the ones that actually killed King Duncan. However, while Macbeth may be thought of as ultimately responsible for his actions, but there are other influences that actually show on a closer inspection of the text, the three main influences to his decision are Lady Macbeth, himself, and the witches. This is (in my opinion) convincing evidence that Macbeth is completely responsible for the murder of King Duncan.
After killing Duncan, Macbeth’s mental state changes completely. The difference between the moment before the murder and the moment after is that Macbeth’s lack of determination. He feels personally responsible for the murder and wishes it never happened. Thus, he is afraid to look at the dead body and face what he has done (2.2.54-56). His regret of the murder shows the transformation of Macbeth’s attitude: he lets his remorse overpower him to the point of madness.
Even Macbeth himself accepts responsibility for the act, “I’ll go no more: I am afraid to think what I have done; Look on't again I dare not.” (2.2.51-53) Despite the fact that he is convinced he is taking the right course of action, directly following the act he regrets it. He does not blame Lady Macbeth for he knows he is to blame, and she is forced metaphorically clean up his mess by making a mess of the
Macbeth started off as a valiant and courageous soldier, who would do anything for the king. By the end of the play, Macbeth was a tyrant and a horrible leader who killed those who trusted him to maintain the throne. It takes many factors to take a strong man and transform him into an evil monster. Macbeth’s downfall was caused by the deception and temptation of the witches and their prophecies, Lady Macbeth’s greed and aspirations for her husband to be king, and Macbeth’s own greed, jealousy and ambition.
Macbeths guilty conscience makes him unable to play the ‘true’ role of a villain of the play. Macbeth begins to see ‘false creations’ before murdering Duncan; the image of a floating dagger taunts Macbeth’s senses. Macbeth is devoured in his anxiety he starts to hallucinate the crime before going through with it. Macbeth is unable to dispose thoughts of his guilt and doubt, which prevents him from being stuck at the point where it is too late to turn back, yet the fear of his nature prevents him from turning completely into a ruthless coldblooded
Is Lady Macbeth to blame for the murder of King Duncan? King Duncan was killed because of the Macbeths thirst for power. Lady Macbeth is more to blame for King Duncan’s death rather than Macbeth himself. She would use her body and her influence she had on him to help direct his decisions to the way she wanted things.
I am afraid to think what I have done; Look on 't again I dare not.” (Act II, sc ii, Lines 48-50). Macbeth is getting extremely paranoid and feels bad killing Duncan. Macbeths ambitions caused him to murder Duncan, but he also had Banquo murdered, and wanted to murder Banquo 's son, Fleance. Macbeth wants Banquo killed because he saw him as a threat; however, Banquo had been Macbeth 's friend and thought he could trust him. "