Suddenly everything the witches had said is more believable and perhaps they do posses powers of foretelling the future, maybe they are magical creatures and this leaves Macbeth thinking. Thoughts of himself killing Duncan appear, “horrid image”. Perhaps Macbeth has already thought of becoming King but his lack of ambition and his love for the King prevented him from doing anything about it. But his heart races at this exciting opportunity, an adrenaline rush, “heart knock at my ribs”.
Also there is a small chance that the witches could have cast a spell upon Macbeth as he seems “rapt” with awe as they foretell his future. They’ve already predicted that he would become Thane of Cawdor, showing that they could have magical powers. So what’s to stop them from casting an evil spell upon a non-suspecting Macbeth? Plotting to destroy another’s life. They’ve already admitted to sinister actions against the sailor and his wife during the beginning of Act 1, Scene 3. “He shall live a man forbid” the first witch speaks before revealing a “pilot’s thumb”. All because the sailor’s wife refused to give the witch “chestnuts”.
The witches are certainly responsible for the rekindling the idea in Macbeth’s head that he could become King. They’ve successfully started a chain of events that would lead to Duncan’s murder, because soon after they left Macbeth send a letter home to his wife, Lady Macbeth.
Lady Macbeth is a prefect example of how appearances can be deceiving. She seems innocent, kind and maybe a little naïve. Childlike. When she wants something, she gets it. After reading Macbeth’s letter about the witches, Lady Macbeth gets excited about the good news of Macbeth’s promotion to Thane of Cawdor. Too excited at the prospect of Macbeth becoming King.
She quickly thinks, planning King Duncan’s murder, ambition driving her forward. Determined to become the Queen of Scotland she immediately pounces on Macbeth, forcing him to be part of her plan. “ Glamis thou art, and Cawdor, and shalt be what thou art promised”. She is unwavering in her plot to make Macbeth a King.
Lady Macbeth even goes as far as asking the evil spirits to “unsex” her. To take away the natural kindness a woman possesses, such love seen by a mother or a wife, remove her gentler feelings. Perhaps she is weaker than we think, she needs help to fill herself “from the crown to the toe topfull of direst cruelty” and to “stop up the’access and passage to remorse” suggests that she is not really evil, which in the end drives her insane and to death because she is haunted by images of the murder. She underestimates the power of evil and soon returns to a childlike state of mind. Afraid.
Ambiguous language plays a great part during lines 64-8 Act 1, Scene 5. She refuses to use direct language about the murder; she may be scared herself and unsure. Or it could be to protect Macbeth from the awfulness of their actions to be. Also the words have double meanings, considering that the servants at the castle could over-hear their conversation the Macbeths don’t want to take any chances. “Must be provided for”, being fed or being killed. “The night’s great business” could be referring to the feast and the welcoming of King Duncan, but it could also represent the actual murder which will be performed at night. Lady Macbeth does not want Macbeth to see the brutality of killing his King, for whom he fought for. She could also be protecting her own conscience, as neither does she want to see the truth in murdering somebody. She does not want to be caught.
But when Macbeth gets cold feet about whether to kill or not kill, Lady Macbeth isn’t so easily put off and immediately begins to bully Macbeth. “And live a coward” she insults him, taunting Macbeth that he could not possibly be a man because he has no honour or pride. Calling him a coward is a rash action against him when announces, “we will proceed no further in this business”. “be so much more the man” but only if he kills Duncan and fulfils the witches prophecy. She also threatens everything a kind mother should be, “ have plucked my nipple from his boneless gums and dashed the brains out”. This shocks Macbeth, how cruel could his wife be? He doesn’t really know what to think of her. Lady Macbeth is cunning, smart and ambitious. She only wants the best for her husband. She gets what she wants. She’s playing little games with Macbeth, manipulative. She is also naïve to think that she could get away with murder. Again very childlike.
The last character who is responsible for murdering Duncan is Macbeth. The main argument is that he commits the murder. He is driven to the murder because of the thought of being king which is clearly shown when he first meets the witches. Banquo points out 'Look how our partner's rapt', which shows us Macbeth is deep in thought about the third prophecy. The witches have stirred some thought in Macbeth’s mind, he could have even thought about becoming King before meeting the witches “things forgotten” and even considered murdering Duncan. He is already having thoughts of murder such as “horrid image doth unfix my hair” and “my thought, whose murder yet is fantastical”. Overwhelmed by the sudden power he has, Macbeth sends a letter home to Lady Macbeth, unknowing that it is his downfall. Because if Lady Macbeth had never received the letter, then her ambition wouldn’t have fuelled Macbeth to murder Duncan.
The relationship between Macbeth and Lady Macbeth is important. In the beginning for the play Lady Macbeth is a strong, domineering person. She can convince Macbeth into doing things that he would not do on his own. He might have had thoughts of Killing Duncan before returning home to his wife, but he did not seem likely to act upon them and therefore without Lady Macbeth, he would not have commited murder. Macbeth on the other hand is soldier, fresh from battle, and is no stranger to danger, "unseamed him from the nave to the chaps and fixed his head upon our battlements." However Macbeth does know the difference from right and wrong, killing Duncan, a good King and friend is immoral and this is why Macbeth is hesitant to murder Duncan and to even talk of such a thing. "We will speak further" shows that he doesn’t want to talk about murdering Duncan and tries to put it off. He is still loyal to Duncan.
But by Scene 7 Macbeth has decided to kill Duncan, “if only there were no consequences resulting from the murder, I’d risk it, not worrying about the future.” It seems that Macbeth is easily persuaded, especially in his confused state of mind about whether to kill or not to kill Duncan. Despite his best efforts to block out Lady Macbeth’s taunts and trying to persuade her that it is wrong to kill, Macbeth can’t help but surrender to his wife. Lady Macbeth at this point in the play holds the upper hand of the relationship and easily persuades him into murdering Duncan by attacking the thought in Macbeth’s mind that he is not a man of power or strength and accuses him of being a coward, everything that a real man is not. Macbeth has even adopted Lady Macbeth’s manipulative ways of thinking, “false face must hide what the false heart doth know”. He tells her to do this, and this could be the changing point of their relationship. Macbeth no longer has Lady Macbeth’ ambition to drive him. He is now responsible for ‘covering up’ Ducan’s murder. He doesn’t want to be found out. But also this line brings back the theme of the play, “fair is foul and foul is fair”. Appearances can be deceiving and that you can’t tell what people are like from an outwards perspective and cannot be trusted. You cannot judge a book by its cover, so to say.
In conclusion it would be impossible to put the blame and responsibility or Duncan’s death solely on one person. Macbeth is guilty of killing him, Lady Macbeth of plotting and planning his death and the witches are guilty of putting the idea into their heads that Macbeth could become a King. However, we could argue that the witches put real ideas to him that are already in his head. Shakespeare could also be making a bigger point about the potential of the sleeping evil in us all. Perhaps all we need is a little push, for example the letter that caused Lady Macbeth to react in such a way she asked for evil spirits to enter her, and we could be able to perform evil actions.
But Macbeth has great ambition and may already want to be king so the witches therefore could not be totally responsible. We can see it is quite easy to resist the witches as demonstrated by Banquo. He knows the witches could just be trying to plant ideas in his head as he says, “And oftentimes, to win us to our harm, the instruments of darkness tell us truths, win us with honest trifles, to betray's in deepest consequence” This shows us Banquo can control his thoughts and that most people can. Macbeth, however, has a weak point and cannot control his ambition when it is driven forwards by Lady Macbeth.
They are all to blame for Duncan’s murder and death, despite the witches playing a small role by contrast to Macbeth killing Duncan. Or perhaps the supernatural happenings in the play have more of part to play than first imagined. First we have the possibility of the witches casting a spell upon Macbeth and then the evil spirits Lady Macbeth asks to “unsex” her. On one hand the evil fate of Macbeth could have been pre arranged by the supernatural and on the other it seems that people are responsible for there own actions. It all comes down to the question do you believe in fate?
