By the time Macbeth murders Duncan Essay

‘By the time Macbeth murders Duncan, he has already lost the battle for his soul’. Discuss this statement and examine the factors which lead to his decision to kill the king. It is the aim of this essay to evaluate and determine the validity of the above statement. I will examine the factors which lead to Macbeth’s decision to kill the king. The definition for a person’s soul is the spiritual part of them that is supposed to continue after their body is dead. People also use ‘soul’ to refer to a person’s mind, character, thoughts and feelings. ‘The battle for his soul’ represents whether this person submits to good or evil. The factors that I will look at in particular when considering what drove Macbeth to commit the murder, are the witches and Lady Macbeth. The play begins with the witches who introduce Macbeth by saying they will meet him. ‘There to meet with Macbeth’. This is an effective way to start the play, as people were very superstitious at the time. They believed in witches and they believed they were evil. One person who was very wary and curious about such matters was James I and Shakespeare had written this play for him. The gunpowder plot took place the previous year and James I was, consequently, very sensitive and concerned about future assassination attempts. Shakespeare was writing for an audience who were predominantly Christian and who believed in heaven and hell; the way some one behaved on earth would decide what happened to them when they died. The soul is very important in this play and this is why ‘Macbeth’ may have been popular as people were interested in these things. If someone lost their soul, they would be lost to God and would be condemned to hell for eternity. Macbeth talks a lot about this in his dramatic monologues. Duncan was a good honest king who had done nothing but treat Macbeth as a good friend. Duncan calls him ‘worthiest cousin’, which suggests the closeness of their relationship. Duncan is grateful for Macbeth’s bravery in battle. He says, ‘I have begun to plant thee and will labour, to make thee full of growing†. Duncan is saying he will do anything to repay him for being so brave. Duncan is a very good person, Macbeth says, â€Å"Duncan hath borne his faculties so meek hath been so clear in his great office that his virtues will plead like angel†. Macbeth knows that he was good and he still murdered him. Therefore is no excuse for what he has done. The King is Macbeth’s guest so he should protect him, not attack him. There are different reactions from Macbeth and Banquo to the witches’ predictions. Banquo believes that Macbeth will become king because he has already become Thane of Cawdor, just as the witches had predicted. He thinks that it is very strange how the witches are helping them. Furthermore, he believes the witches will be kind to them and have their trust only to betray them later. He is clearly surprised and remains sceptical as to their intentions. The different reaction by Macbeth is apparent when he is shocked at first after hearing what the witches have to say. He truly believes that he will become king as two of the predictions have proved accurate. Things can only get better for Macbeth, or so he believes. Macbeth’s opinion of the witches remains undecided and he does not really know what to think about the ‘weird sisters’. There are conflicting beliefs that he has. Firstly, he believes they are not good, but if they were bad why did they give him such success? It seems that he is beginning to trust the witches when he considers the success that they have given to him. Banquo, on the other hand, instantly distrusts them and believes ‘†¦to win us to our harm, the instruments of darkness tell us truths’. As soon as Lady Macbeth receives Macbeth’s letter about the witch’s predictions she begins to plan the murder: ‘Come, you spirits that tend on mortal thoughts, unsex me here and fill me from the crow to the toe top full of direst cruelty.’ She wants to be filled with cruelty and wants evil spirits to posses her. She wants to lose her femininity and become manly so she is capable of the greatest cruelty. She hopes to lose her soul so she does not feel guilty. The factors that lead Macbeth to kill the king are the witches, Lady Macbeth and his own personality. The witches led Macbeth to the murder when they greeted him and said ‘All hail Macbeth, that shall be king hereafter.’ In the time of the play it was believed that witches could take demonic possession of people and make them do what they wanted. Macbeth sees a dagger just before the murder of Duncan. Some people may say that it is the witches that put the image in front of him to drive him into murdering. However, Act 1, scene 1 suggests that there are limits to the witch’s powers; they cannot kill. They talk about a lady who did not give them nuts so they want to get her back, and also her husband who is on a boat. ‘I’ll give thee wind.’ ‘I’ll drain him as dry as hay. They say many things that they will do to him but they do not mention killing him and this proves that death is not in their power. Macbeth and Lady Macbeth have a good relationship, they seem to get on extremely well together and when they are apart they miss each other. Later in the play Lady Macbeth begins to take control and becomes rather dominant. She can persuade him to do anything. Macbeth decided that he did not want to go through with the murder but Lady Macbeth talked him into it by calling him a coward and using harsh words. ‘And live a coward in thine own self esteem’. She says this after Macbeth refuses to proceed any further with the murder. She is taunting and humiliating him. When Macbeth talks himself out of committing the murder, ‘We will proceed no further in this business,’ Lady Macbeth makes him change his mind by calling him a ‘coward’. She tells him, ‘When you durst do it, then you were a man’. The implication being that he is no longer acting like a man. She tells him that if he breaks this promise, he will break all other promises including those made to her, ‘Such I account thy love’. Nevertheless, she claims that she would rather dash out the brains of a baby then break such a promise. Shakespeare utilises extremely strong imagery to emphasise just how important it is for her. In Macbeth’s dramatic monologue he gives many reasons as to why he does not want to go through with the murder. Many thoughts are running through his head such as the fear of Duncan returning as something bad in his next life. Additionally, he believes something bad will happen if he goes through with it. ‘To plague th’ inventor. This even handed Justice’ He is going against the deed of killing the king. ‘Strong both against the deed: then, as his host’. He is a kinsman, therefore he can not kill somebody on the same side as him and this suggests that it is not like him at all and he does not want to take his life. When Lady Macbeth enters he does not tell her these reasons but gives different ones altogether. He says the king has been honouring him recently and people have high opinions of him. Consequently, he wants to remain popular with people. Macbeth must kill Duncan so that he can be king and take his place. The witches told him that he would be king, but not necessarily by murdering him. Initially the murder has been devised entirely by Macbeth and not recommended by anyone else. As Macbeth states, ‘If chance will have me king, why chance me crown me, without stir’. He is saying that if he becomes king that is good but he will not do anything to make himself king. As he admits, his only motive for the killing is ‘Vaulting ambition’. I will now consider the nature of Macbeth’s sin. The crime that has been committed is truly evil, but I do not believe that Macbeth is necessarily evil. The fact that Macbeth believes that he will never be forgiven indicates he is genuinely remorseful. The only reason Duncan was murdered was for Macbeth’s personal gain. Macbeth had no real reason to kill him, as the king was a dear friend. There are many reasons that suggest that Macbeth should never be forgiven for this. The murder was in cold blood and it had been planned and not committed in the heat of the moment. Macbeth did not want to go through with it but Lady Macbeth induced him to do so. This is why I believe Macbeth is not evil because he was driven to it. After the murder the grooms were smeared with blood to make it seem as if they had committed the murder. In the morning Macbeth murders them too pretending that he has acted out of ‘violent love’ for Duncan. He does this to get himself out of trouble and to avoid suspicion. Therefore, the grooms cannot deny committing the murder. Macbeth has killed the king. At the time, there was a belief that kings were put onto the throne through God’s power (divine right) and so an attack on the king’s power was seen as acting against God’s wishes. This is the reason for him to go to hell as God has disowned him. Macbeth says, â€Å"He’s here in double trust: first, as I am his kinsman and his subject, strong both against the deed; then as his host, who should against his murderer shut the door, Not bear the knife myself.† Macbeth knows that what he has done is wrong as he should be looking after his guest. After the murder, Macbeth is unable to say the word ‘Amen’, â€Å"But wherefore could not I pronounce ‘Amen’ I had most need of blessing and ‘Amen'†. He feels that God has deserted him as ‘Amen’ means ‘god with us’. He is trying to keep his Christian faith but he believes he is losing his soul and that he will be doomed to eternal damnation. Macbeth feels that he cannot sleep because only the good sleep. After the murder has been committed Lady Macbeth is calm and does not feel any guilt at all. The fact that she is not sorry suggests that she is evil. ‘Wash this filthy witness from your hand†¦smear the sleepy grooms with blood’. She gives him orders as she does not want to get caught and she wants somebody else to get the blame. If I were in the audience, I would be thinking that Macbeth is now behaving unlike himself. He is acting guilty about the murder and he wishes that he never committed the crime. This is dramatic because it shows that he must really want to be king if he kills even though he does not want to and this shows how desperate he really must be. Christians believe that if someone is truly sorry for a sin they have committed and repent, they can be forgiven and, in that case, their soul would not be forfeit. After the murder I strongly believe that Macbeth is extremely sorry for what he has done. ‘I had most need of blessing’. This means that he still wants God’s blessing even after his terrible sin. ‘I am afraid to think what I done’, which suggests that it is so unlike him to do this that he is scared to look back, he does not want to believe what he has done. â€Å"To know my deed ’twere best not know myself† he would rather not know himself after what he has done as he is so ashamed. ‘Wake Duncan with thy knocking, I would thou couldst’ He wishes that Duncan could be wakened with knocking which means he regrets the murder. I do not believe that Macbeth has lost his soul as he feels sorry for what he has done and feels very guilty he also has many regrets. As Macbeth is so worried about the murder he has committed one would not think that he would kill anymore, but he does. He arranges the murder of Banquo, his best friend, and tries to have his son Fleance killed. This is because Banquo suspects that Macbeth has killed Duncan as he heard the witches’ predictions. He has Fleance murdered because the witches said Banquo’s descendants would be king. Macbeth seeks out the three witches to predict the future, even though he knows that they are evil. ‘To the weird sisters. More shall they speak. For no I am bent to know by the worst means, the worst’. He also wants to know what else must be done for him to be king. The audience may have thought that he is turning evil and is just looking for trouble and they will probably be worried about what will happen next. He arranges the murder of Lady Macduff and her children because she has fled to England to join the other side to be against Macbeth. He wants to hurt her for turning against him. Now Macbeth is beginning to lose his soul as he keeps on killing and he does not feel guilty anymore. He finds that he must keep on doing more and more wrong in order to stay in his position. ‘I am in blood stepped so far that I should I wade no more, Returning were as tedious as go o’er.’ He has gone far enough and there is no point stopping as he has done a lot to get where he is. It will be far easier for him to carry on then to stop. It is possible that the witches have sensed a potential for evil in Macbeth and that is why they have chosen to use him. It is Macbeth who has ‘horrible imagings’. He fought in battles so he killed a lot of people there. We learn many contradictory things about Macbeth. He is a very strong man as he fights in the king’s battles and wins. He is described as ‘Brave Macbeth’ and ‘Noble Macbeth’ by the captain, this is because he is very loyal, brave and honourable. However, Lady Macbeth says he is ‘too full o’th’ milk of human kindness’ and implies that he has a good heart. Macbeth has been violent in battle. ‘†¦He unseamed him from the nave to th’ chops and fixed his head upon our battlements’. He had fought a lot in battle and killed a lot of people but after the murder he can not handle all the guilt. His personality has changed. He admirers Lady Macbeth when she is at her most evil, saying she is ‘undaunted mettle’. This is because she does not give up and pursues with her target. Macbeth is frequently associated with dark and night, asking for darkness to cover his feeling. ‘Stars, hide your fires, let not light see my black and deep desires’. Goodness is represented by light and evil is represented by dark. For example, Macbeth using the cover of darkness to hide his crimes, ‘Come, seeling night, scarf up the tender eye of pitiful day’. He is ashamed of what he is thinking. Macduff says of him ‘Not in the legions of horrid hell can come a devil more damned in evil to top Macbeth’. He thinks Macbeth is filled with evil. The name of his follower, Seyton is perhaps a pun of Satan. I do not believe that Macbeth is evil. The witches made him think a lot and this led him to do things he would never normally do. It was the witches who gave him the idea of being king and this is where things started to become bad. Macbeth goes to visit the witches again after the murder who tell him that no person can kill him that is born from women. He now thinks he is invincible. In my opinion, it is here that he loses his soul given that he carries on killing without feeling any guilt. It seems that Macbeth was not only an instrument of evil, but also the victim.