Do you think that Macbeth is evil, or weak and easily led?

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Nina Vadjaraganian

01/05/07

Set 1

4th draft

Words 2024

Mrs Matchett

Do you think that Macbeth is evil, or weak and easily led?

(English; response to Shakespeare.)

Macbeth in my opinion is not inherently evil although he does have the potential to be evil. The reason he became evil is because he is easily led by his strong-minded wife Lady Macbeth and the three evil witches. At first Macbeth is unwilling to give in to ambition, but the witches and Lady Macbeth tempt him. The result is a disaster and Macbeth loses everything. He finds that being King gives him no satisfaction. One of the play’s main themes is that when people allow their sense of what is right to be overcome by their ambition, they are doomed to disaster.         

        The witches are the physical embodiment of evil in the play; they represent temptation. In Act one, scene one the three witches begin the play with evil prophecies, which have the effect of evil as they speak in rhyme. This symbolises that they are plotting when they shall ‘meet again, in thunder, lightening or in rain.’

At the start of the play, Macbeth is portrayed as the very loyal and respected subject of the King, fighting courageously for King Duncan’s honour.

‘The service and loyalty I owe,

In doing it, pays itself.’

  He is praised and rewarded for his victory and King Duncan gives him the title, Thane of Cawdor.  

‘The news of thy success; and when he reads Thy personal venture in the rebels’ fight His wonders and his praises do contend.’

 However, over the course of the play his attitude begins to change. The turning point of this transformation takes place when he is confronted with the witches for the first time. After meeting the witches he writes a letter to his wife telling her that the witches predicted that he would be ‘Thane of Glamis’, ‘Thane of Cawdor’ and ‘King’. The witches’ words have a powerful effect on him and a twist his thoughts and he starts to change. Everything that he held dear to him such as loyalty, good friendship, serving his King and law and order have started to change by the compelling influence of the three witches.   The seed of evil has been planted in his mind. The witches’ announcement has implications because although they did not mention murder, in order for him to fulfil their prediction he has realised that the only way to secure kingship is to kill Duncan and anyone in line to the throne.  However, at this stage in the play he is frightened by these thoughts and as Macbeth speaks his own thoughts in a soliloquy, he tries to reject this first

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impulse, declaring that he will leave everything to chance:

 ‘If chance will have me king, why,

Chance may crown me, without my stir.’

In Act 1, scene 5, Lady Macbeth is delighted with her husband’s letter. She knows that her husband does not have the evil spirit or ruthlessness that is necessary to carry this deed.  She says,

‘Yet do I fear thy nature: It is too full o’the milk of human-kindness…

Art not without ambition, but without the illness should attend it.’

 Lady Macbeth is saying that her husband has the ambition but not the ruthlessness ...

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