21; (1:3:145-149) But it is as though Macbeth could not continue to doubt their predictions due to his own racing desires. They were forcing such a great idea into his head, and he could not suppress the temptation of one day being crowned. His emotions were being played with, not only by the witches but also by his wife, who made him feel cowardly when he decided against taking Duncan’s life. “Wouldst thou have that… And live a coward in thine own esteem…” (1:7:44-48) Both Lady Macbeth and the witches manipulated Macbeth into being unsatisfied with his position, and wanting more. In this way, he was far from innocent, but he was not exactly a tyrant. There are, however, ways in which Macbeth seemed undeniably cruel. First of all, he committed the act of murder. With his own hands, in his right mind, he killed the king of Scotland. Not only did he slay him, he held the king’s loyal guards responsible, and supposedly murdered them out of rage. He seemed to feel little remorse after the incident, and upon his reign he became so paranoid that he had his best friend, Banquo, murdered because he knew of the witches’ prophecies. Soon after, he threw a banquet, creating an atmosphere of happiness. I think his intentions were to cover up the incident quickly so that remorse would not set in. He repeatedly does this throughout the story, and his cruel deeds only increase in number as his ego grows. “The castle of Macduff I will surprise… His wife, his babes… that trace him in his line” (4:1:65-68) This quote is an example of his unsympathetic nature. He is not concerned with whether they are innocent spouses or little guiltless babies, he will obliterate until he is satisfied. He sends his death orders out like Christmas cards, blinded by his wickedness and confidence. Yet his bad nature can be justified to a certain extent. He was incredibly weak in the beginning. He would not ...
