Personal Responsibility of Macbeth in Spakespeares Macbeth :: essays research papers

Let me ask just one question, have you ever heard anyone say something, that deep down it is known that, that is not right? Of course, everyone has been in that circumstance. Just because someone ‘tells’ you to do something does not mean that the deed gets done, right? If someone ‘told’ me to murder a lot of people, I’m not going to do it. The same follows for Macbeth. In the novel Macbeth written by William Shakespeare the main character, Macbeth, is told that he will become King. The only logical way to become king (in his own mind) is to kill the existing one, King Duncan. Lady Macbeth, Macbeth’s wife, has no uncertainty at all, in fact she wants him to become king more than he does, and tells him to murder Duncan to obtain this position. As one can see Macbeth not only knows what he is doing, but he knows what he is doing is wrong. Macbeth was not an unintelligent individual. In fact before he was crowned king, he was the thane of Cawdor. The novel insinuates that Macbeth was having uncertainties, â€Å"and cursed thoughts.† (2.1.8) To paraphrase lightly, the novel states, when Macbeth arrives at Inverness, Lady Macbeth overrides all of her husbands’ objections, and persuades him to kill the king that night. Telling us that he knew what he was doing was wrong! All he needed was a little persuading. Not only does Macbeth kill the king, but he stabs him in his sleep, along with all his chamberlains’ men. Also we know that he is fully aware of his wrong- doing is he had supernatural portents, like a vision of a, â€Å"bloody dagger of the mind/ a false creation.† (2.1.38-39) Macbeth pre- meditated this murder, and all the ones to come. Every human is born with a subconscious thought process known as your common sense. Not to kill is one of them. Yes, killing took place a lot more in that era, but it does not make it right to do so, but Macbeth’s greed took precedence over all these peoples’ lives, in fact, when Macbeth speaks to himself he states that his life is that of a â€Å"fruitless crown,† (3.1.62) or having no heir to the throne. Macbeth not only killed the king and his chamberlain’s men, but also Banquo, Banquo’s son Fleance, Lady Macduff, all the Macduff children.