Macbeth convinces himself that he is not going to kill the king but he is so easily persuaded by Lady Macbeth to continue as planned. Both Macbeth are then sure that they shall kill the king, all is ready Macbeth is ready, his ambitiontaking control fuelled by his wife's words ' When you durst do it, then you were a man.... Be so much more the man... we'll not fail.' Macbeth is so ambitious that he even sees an imaginary dagger before his eyes, Lady Macbeth signals with bells that Duncan has retired to his chambers. Macbeth then ruthlessly drives a dagger into the heart of Duncan. This the full transformation form Hero to Villian, this where the audience see it fully if they couldn't before.
Macbeth and his wife are now King and Queen only one can who suspects anything is Banquo for he was there when the prophecies were made, knowing this Macbeth plans for him to be murdered but not only because Banquo is suspicous but Banquo was predicted that his descendants would be kings and Macbeth would not allow this. In Act 3 Macbeth hires two henchman to kill not only Banquo but his son Fliance, the would of shocked and disturbed the audience for they believed that killing a child or women was EVIL! for they were innocent and pure. Banquo was dead, suspicion was of Macbeth but at a celebration feast for Macbeth's ascendance on to the throne, Macbeth sees the ghost of Banquo in the chair placed for Banquo and suspicion began again even his wife was suspicous and she to had no idea of Macbeth's plans.
Macduff, a visiting nobleman confronts Macbeth and he to is suspicious of Macbeth. Macbeth- who at this point is very worried- confronts the witches once again for he believes that they are only ones he can trust, he is starting to go mad and doesn't know who to trust. The witches give him three visions:
1. A severed armoured head ( this means that Macbeth will fall and to beware Macduff) 2. A crowned child with a tree branch in hand (He can not be defeated until Malcolm and Donalbain return to Dunsenain)
3. A bloody baby (he cannot be defeated by one born of man, who Macbeth thinks is Macduff)
Macbeth in his curreent state of mind can't see clearly and he doesn't see the true meanings behind the visions and so commits terrible deeds. Macbeth's commands soldiers to kill Macduff's family both his wife and childwhile Macduff is in England, this would be seen as truelly EVIL, this makes many of subjects turn against and despise Macbeth. Macduff finds out of Macbeth's deeds and joins the English Army to defeat Macbeth, Macduff uses the tree branches of the Donalbain Forest to disguise the army and with the element of surprise they wage war upon Dunsenain. Macbeth with his false hope that he can't be killed strikes down many warriors but is defeated by Macduff and his limbs are placed on the gates of Scotland as warning to others.
Macbeth was a sucessful play because he knew what the audience wanted to see which was plays: about Kings, witch craft, heroes falling and becoming villians, it was these kind of things that made people want tosee Macbeth, even King James I went to see it. Macbeth is a play that had a reference to both society at that time and history, at that time there was lots of talk about witch-craft and regicide, (two themes of the play as well as: Deciet, 'Good' and 'Evil', loyalty, kingship and many others.,). History shows that Macbeth was a Scottish King in the 13th century, Shakespeare knew this and spiced it up, but he had a problem with the fact that one of the plays themes was regicide (killing a king) so he made it seem that it wasn't about killing kings but what will happen if you kill a king. The themes worked well because the Elizbethans were quite blood-thirsty and like I said before everyone loves to hate a Villian and they love to see a villian die!
Macbeth at the start was brave and loyal but as the play progressed he slowly became this tragic villian that was too ambitious for his own good. The audience first witness this in Act 1 Scene 3 and the ambition continued to grow and control him so much that he betrayed all the people he loved and that he didn't know who to trust. Macbeth's power hungry search lead to him killing a king, his best friend, women and children, and countless innocents which lead to his demise, Macbeth's ambition was his downfall.
Now that you know about the play Macbeth and its origin what do you think? do you think that Macbeth was 'Evil' and got what was coming to him?. I personally think that Macbeth was slightly sinister/evil although some will argue that it was Macbeth's fate or that the witches 'poisoned' Macbeth's mind and that may be true, but on the other hand I think Macbeth had the free will to chose what he would do. Who do you agree with? and i know that some might not be able to decide because my analysis was quite short, what i say to you is read the play or better yet see it performed you'll enjoy it! and then you should be able to decide whether you think Macbeth had a just death or he was wrongly killed.
