Macbeth's Degradation Of Self

(2.3.165-166) After seeing their father killed, the sons fear they are the next targets. Macbeth selfishly makes everyone in the palace feel in danger. He puts others at risk to reach his goal, making his greed a negative trait. Also, Macbeth puts the three murderers in danger when he chooses to kill Banquo and his son. Macbeth tells the murderers to “know banquo [is] your enemy” (3.1.130), making them long for revenge.

Macbeth's desire to "make assurance double sure" by having Macduff killed reveals his paranoia and his willingness to use violence to maintain his power. Macbeth believes that by eliminating all possible threats to his reign, he will be able to sleep peacefully and without fear. However, this ultimately leads to his downfall, as his violent actions bring about his own demise. Additionally, as declared in Document E, "I bear a charmed life, which must not yield to one of woman born. " This augments Macbeth's character flaw of overconfidence because despite the many warnings and signs that his reign is coming to an end, Macbeth remains overconfident and complacent.

Banquo becomes wary of the motif of the witch's prophecy and cautions MacBeth against having any faith in their words. Banquo and MacBeth share a deep, noble friendship. However, despite lacking any destructive ambition, he is a victim of Macbeth's ambition, who kills him due to his perceptions of him as a threat to his conquest for power. Other victims of over-ambitious characters in the play include MacDuff. Macduff, who is loyal to the rightful king Duncan possesses no personal ambitions for power (4.3.221-226).

“The castle of Macduff I will surprise; seize upon Fife; give to the edge o’ the sword his wife his babes, and all the unfortunate souls” (4.1. 165-167). This shows Macbeth’s complete disregard for human life and his willingness to commit crimes to maintain his power. He sees Macduff as a significant threat and is willing to do whatever it takes to eliminate him, including murdering Macduff’s wife and children. His ambition has consumed him, and he has lost touch with morality or compassion.

Greed and jealousy live inside everyone, but one must refrain from these thoughts to prevent self destruction. In William Shakespeare's Elizabethan era Tragedy Macbeth, Shakespeare uses betrayal as a vehicle for obtaining power for selfish means, and illustrates the grave costs of betrayal to the individual. Greed often fuels an uncontrolled lust for power. Shakespeare reveals the extent of Macbeth’s greed when Macbeth's first thought regarding the witches prophecy stir thoughts of murder: “ My thought, whose murder yet is but fantastical”(I.iii.152). Most individuals do not think one should murder someone to obtain what you desire.

With Macbeth being a general in the Scottish military, he had major influences on people and their daily lives. After the murder of King Duncan, Banquo’s suspicion of who committed the murders arose around a single suspect, Macbeth. Knowing that Banquo most likely knew the truth that Macbeth killed King Duncan, Macbeth went back to his evil ways with ease. Through his attendant, Macbeth summons three murderers. Shakespeare introduces the murders with stage direction “[Re-enter Attendant, with two Murderers]” (Shakespeare, 363), in which Macbeth he uses Banquo as bait in order to gain their graces and loyalty “That it was he in the times past which held you so under fortune, which you thought had been our innocent self: this I made good to you in our last conference, pass'd in probation with you, how you were borne in hand, how cross'd, the instruments, who wrought with them, and all things else that might, so half a soul and to a notion crazed, Say 'Thus did Banquo.'”

Lady Macbeth orders a servant to fetch Macbeth and before he arrives, she bemoans “Naught’s had, all’s spent, Where our desire is got without content,” indicating that even though she has gotten everything she wants, Lady Macbeth is still not happy because she had to kill to get what she wanted. According to Edith Whitehurst Williams, Lady Macbeth has “a conscience far from dead” that is seen in how she is not happy despite having the power she wanted, since the means of obtaining that power were unsavory (Williams 222). Once Macbeth arrives, Lady Macbeth consults him, advising that “what’s done is done,” meaning that Duncan is dead and their plan is through, so he does not need to do anything more or kill anyone else (3.2.12). Macbeth can sense that Lady Macbeth will not advocate for any more murders and therefore he “does not make her a party to the murder of Banquo” (Williams 222) and so when Lady Macbeth tells him to “sleek o’er your rugged looks”(3.2.27) in order to stop him from his planning of further murders, he simply agrees. At the banquet where Macbeth sees Banquo’s ghost, after everyone has left, Macbeth is talking about how he has more schemes to kill people, it is seen that Lady Macbeth’s “dedications to evil… [are] not going to sustain her”(Williams 222).

Macbeth knowing his actions were wrong, begins to become paranoid; afraid that someone might come to take his title the same way he took King Duncan’s. As Macbeth grows throughout the story he becomes a negligent murderer, and while continuing to murder he loses sight of his humanity. As this tragedy continues however; Macbeth become too ambitious too allow his conscience to stop him from murdering all those that he fear will ruin him. As his downfall slowly comes to an end he begins to show signs of relief, he no longer has to lie and hide things from anyone

His capricious and malicious acts prove how naive and vile he is as a person. Macbeth even attempts to kill Banquo to prevent any trace of his nature from making him, a “fruitless crown.” Macbeth states, “Must lave or honors in the flattering streams, and make our face vizards to our heart, disguising who we are,”(3.2.45). With such desperation, Macbeth is willing to include other people in his premeditated murder. By having Lady Macbeth be part of his plot to kill Banquo, Macbeth reveals two things about himself: That he does not value those around him, even if they are his loved ones, and that he places his personal success over all aspects of his life.

Additionally, it also accentuates the unjust nature of Banquo’s murder later on. This is due to the fact that unlike Macbeth, he remained true to his reputation until his death. The night that King Duncan is scheduled to visit Macbeth’s, Lady Macbeth warns him to act normal to avoid suspicion and

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

Even though Macbeth felt guilty after killing Duncan, he continued his journey through the wrong path. “Will all great Neptune’s ocean wash this blood.” Macbeth felt no guilt at all in killing his close friend, Banquo. He sends an army to kill Macduff and his family. Towards the end of the play, Macbeth became a person completely different.

He commits the murders of Duncan and Banquo, although he was goaded and provoked by his wife, and becomes foolhardy and over confident when misinterpreting the Witches’ prophecy. He is driven into madness and hallucinations by the terrible deeds he has done, seeing visions of ghosts, and blames himself (partially correctly) for the suicide of his wife. He is almost relieved when the army arrives at his gates, thinking that he is still unstoppable through all his tragedy. However, his main fault was to listen to the voices telling him to murder, mainly his wife, and carry through with the acts even when his own mind told him not to. Therefore Macbeth, too, is a guilty party in the tragedies that take place in

As tragic as Macbeth becomes through the play, his paranoia is also a factor that leads to his ultimate downfall, morally and physically. Macbeth, now a traitor after the assassination of the king, is paranoid of anybody who may threaten his position or how he attained it. After killing the king, Macbeth’s conscience is guilt-ridden and he is no longer able to sleep peacefully. His only worry is that someone may be plotting his murder, just as he strategized the death of the former King. If there was nothing stopping Macbeth from killing Duncan and committing treason, who is to say that no one else will make the same decision, killing Macbeth? After becoming king, his first suspect is Banquo, because Banquo voices his scepticism in regards

Eventually, he then acts upon his greed and abandons his morals through the vile words of Lady Macbeth. After the king 's death, Macbeth expresses his hatred towards killing the king "I have no spur/To prick the sides of my intent, but only/Vaulting ambition, which overlaps itself/And falls on the ' other. " Specifically, under his new state of power, he was taking extra precautions to prevent anyone from taking his dignity and bloodline. Simultaneously becoming apprehensive of his throne for this purpose he kills Banquo otherwise his descendants will inherit the throne, and the killing of Macduff 's family since Macbeth was suspicious of his downfall might be coming. "