Macbeth 11 :: essays research papers

Macbeth Show how Macbeth and Lady Macbeth have to go against their own natures in order to kill Duncan. Each character in Macbeth has to either fight or give in to the evil. Because evil is contrary to human nature, Macbeth and Lady Macbeth have to go against their own conscience in order to murder Duncan. When the witches predict that Macbeth will become Thane of Cawdor and later, King of Scotland, he is stunned to silence by their prophecies. When murder enters Macbeths mind he is frightened by his thoughts. He tries to reject his impulse, declaring that he will leave everything to chance: ?If chance will have me King, why, chance may crown me Without my stir.? Very soon he begins to confess a ‘suggestion?of ‘horrible imaginings? Soon after, he admits to possessing ‘black and deep desires?but he is afraid to speak about them openly, even to himself. Later on he indites a letter to Lady Macbeth containing conjecture about the prophecies of the three witches. She im mediately wants to take fate into her own hands. She begs the evil spirits to tear all human feelings from her, for she knows that she will have to urge her husband, Macbeth, to become King by murdering Duncan. She will have to give up all the gentle, tender qualities of a woman, so that she can become a sexless, pitiless demon. She has to make her husband ignore his own conscience. She declares: ?Thou wouldst be great, Art not without ambition, but without The illness should attend it.? By ‘illness?she means ‘evil? Macbeth seizes evil, as one might catch a disease. When Macbeth has the opportunity to think about his wife’s suggestions and about his desires to become King, he becomes aware of the duty that he owes to Duncan, his loyal King. Following a great battle with himself, Macbeth decides not to go through with the murder. He states to Lady Macbeth: ?We will proceed no further in this business.? Macbeth is not prepared for all her wrath and abuse. She calls h im a coward. When in reality it is not cowardice that restrains Macbeth, it is his conscience. She also insults his masculinity, and declares that she would have murdered her child while it was feeding at her breast, rather than break such a promise as Macbeth had done. Persuaded by her conviction, he yields to her, and in order to prove himself a man in her eyes, goes against his own nature and agrees to the murder of King Duncan.