How does Macbeth's state of mind deteriorate and how is this shown in the play?

‘How does Macbeth’s state of mind deteriorate and how is this shown in the play?’

In William Shakespeare’s tragic play ‘Macbeth’, the state of mind of the main character, Macbeth, deteriorates throughout the play as we see the transformation of Macbeth, from hero to villain. He goes from being a tyrant due to his ruthless ambition to be King, spurred on by some interfering witches putting ideas into his head by predicting that he will be King and Lady Macbeth, his bossy wife. This happens because of a fatal flaw, Macbeth feels guilty about the murders he has committed so his mind deteriorates throughout the play, and slowly the locked up guilt drives him mad.

At the beginning of the play, Macbeth and Banquo are told to have been fighting in the battle. Macbeth is then hailed as brave Macbeth, as a hero because he has killed the rebel McDonald and is continuing to face the Norwegian troops successfully. Then we are told that Macbeth has triumphed again capturing the traitor Cawdor, obtaining ransom and a favourable peace treaty from the King of Norway. ‘For brave Macbeth – well he deserves that name -’ is used by a Sergeant to describe his actions in battle.

‘O valiant cousin, worthy gentleman’ are used by the King. This shows that Macbeth really was a hero; as such, a compliment from the King was considered a great honour. The King, Duncan sentences Cawdor to death and rewards Macbeth with his title.

The first time we see Macbeth in the play, he is returning from the battlefield after a victory alongside the Norwegians against a rebel army. The witches greet Macbeth as Thane of Glamis; they know who he is, then as Thane of Cawdor and then King of Scotland because that is who they predict he will be. The witches are interfering by putting ideas into Macbeth’s head because Macbeth will become driven by the idea of being King, convinced that he shall be King. The witches prediction will drive his ambition especially as after his meeting with the witches Angus comes and gives Macbeth the news that he is to be Thane of Cawdor, which means the witches first prediction has come true. When he is made Thane of Cawdor - as foretold, he already is considering murdering the King: ‘My thought, whose murder yet is but fantastical, shakes so my single state of man that function is smothered in surmise and nothing is but what is not.’ I believe that this is the point in the play that Macbeth starts to think as a villain because if the three witches’ prediction about Macbeth becoming thane of Cawdor had been correct that probably did mean that someday he would also become King. If the witches had never greeted him as King on Scotland, then he would probably never have contemplated killing Duncan in the first place. Banquo warns Macbeth that the witch’s predictions might lead to evil. Which he is right to do so as it is the witches who ‘inspired’ the murder of Duncan.

Macbeth has sent his wife a letter telling her about the witch’s prediction. After reading it, she calls on evil spirits to assist her murderous plans for Duncan. When Macbeth arrives, she pressurises her husband into the murder. Lady Macbeth tells him to hide his deadly intentions of murder behind welcoming looks. She wants to deceive Duncan by putting on an innocent look-

‘look like th’innocent flower,

But be the serpent under’t.’ Lady Macbeth is encouraging him to murder Duncan.

Macbeth is alone, speaking his first soliloquy that reveals the breakdown of the character than any other part ...

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‘look like th’innocent flower,

But be the serpent under’t.’ Lady Macbeth is encouraging him to murder Duncan.

Macbeth is alone, speaking his first soliloquy that reveals the breakdown of the character than any other part of the play-

‘If it were done when ’tis done, then’twere well

It were done quickly.’ Macbeth feels that if he were to assassinate the King, Duncan, that he had better do it soon. He is saying if only there were no consequences resulting from the murder, he’d risk it, not worrying about the future. He is struggling with his conscience over killing Duncan and arguing the pros and cons with himself. Mostly he speaks of the reasons against the murder, killing Duncan will result in vengeance-the killer will be killed-

‘We still have judgement here that we but teach

Bloody instructions, which being taught, return

To plague th’inventor.’ Kinship because you do not kill your own relatives as Duncan and Macbeth are cousins and also loyalty because you don’t kill your own King-

‘First, as I am his kinsmen and his subject,

Strong both against the deed;’ Hospitality because a host does not kill his own guest-

‘then as his host,

Who should against his murderer shut the door

Not bear the knife himself’ Duncan’s good qualities because his a good man and a loyal King and you don’t kill a virtuous King-

‘Besides, this Duncan

Hath borne his faculties so meek, hath been

So clear in his great office, that his virtues

Will plead like angels, trumpet-tongued against

The deep damnation of his taking off.’ Religion because the killer is damned for eternity and also pity and horror because the murder is unnatural to innocent humanity and to heaven-

‘and pity, like a naked newborn babe

Striding the blast, or heavens cherubin horsed

Upon the sightless couriers of the air,

Shall blow the horrid deed in every eye,

That tears shall drown the wind.’ Macbeth decides then that the only reason to kill Duncan is his ambition. So there are lots of cons to committing the murder and only one pro – a bit one sided, isn’t it? That is probably why after he struggles with his conscience he changes is mind-

‘That tears should drown the wind. I have no spur

To prick the sides of my intent, but only

Vaulting ambition which o’erleaps itself

And falls on th’other –’ In this scene, Macbeth’s character is really exhibited in his soliloquy, which becomes the basis of Macbeth’s character, as well as the entire play.

Macbeth has now decided that he will not kill Duncan. He tells Lady Macbeth that they will proceed no further and the reasons he gives her for this is are –

‘He hath honoured me of late, and I have bought

Golden opinions from all sorts of people,

Which would be worn now in their newest gloss,

Not cast aside so soon.’ He does not wish to throw away his reputation so quickly. Lady Macbeth gets extremely angry with him. However, he doesn’t tell her of the argument he has just had with himself giving powerful reasons why he shouldn’t murder Duncan. Lady Macbeth accuses him of being too scared, a coward, and lacking manliness-

‘And live a coward in thine own esteem,’ She continues to taunt him in this manner but he does not retaliate and argue with her, it seems he is quite scared of her as he lets her talk to him in this manner. She successfully makes him feel guilty by telling him that she would kill her own child rather then break such a promise and how much he has disappointed her. Lady Macbeth has talked Macbeth into the murder again by making him feel guilty and damaging his ego and pride with the taunts. When Lady Macbeth then comes up with the plan that she will make the Kings bodyguards so drunk that killing Duncan and blaming the bodyguards will be easy, Macbeth is pleased with her idea. So anytime Macbeth had second thoughts, Lady Macbeth was there to spur him on – mostly by criticising him and calling him a coward! This could be another reason for Macbeth’s change of character.

This is Macbeth’s second soliloquy again revealing the breakdown of the character. Macbeth is now alone and you can tell he is starting to lose his mind as he hallucinates. He thinks he sees a bloodstained dagger. This is a soliloquy as he talks to himself about his thoughts that are filled with evil images as he moves to prepare for killing Duncan. At first when he sees the dagger, it frightens him, but then he pulls himself together taking his own, and very real, dagger out. Macbeth murders Duncan in his sleep and this is the point that Macbeth really is considered a villain.

Immediately after the murder, Macbeth is not in a very good state of mind, guilt-stricken by the reality of what his done. He has taken the daggers to Lady Macbeth so she can smear Duncan’s blood on his servants’ faces and she plans an alibi-

‘A little water clears us of this deed.’ While they are speaking a knocking, sound frightens Macbeth-

‘Whence is that knocking?

How is’t with me, when every noise appals me?’ It is clear he is on edge but Lady Macbeth tells him to pull himself together. After the murder, Macbeth is starting to realise what it is that he has done, and becomes suspicious and paranoid of everyone around him.

This is Macbeth’s third soliloquy that shows even more the decline of the character. Banquo is the only other person who knows of the prophecies and would naturally assume that it was Macbeth who killed the King. Also, Macbeth broods on his fears that Banquos descendants will become King as the witches had made predictions of Banquo’s son would become King

‘Thou shalt get kings, though thou be none’ – he seems obsessed by the witches’ prediction. That is why he planned to have him killed.

‘There is none but he,

Whose being I do fear’ Macbeth thinks it is nothing to be king unless he is safely King, he is now showing insecurity even though he got what he wanted and is now King. When the two murderers enter he reminds them of an earlier conversation when he told them Banquo is their enemy. Macbeth then has Banquo killed by the assassins because he thinks Banquo is his enemy.

There is further proof that Macbeth has turned into a tyrant when Ross goes to see Malcolm and Macduff knowing that Macbeth has killed Macduffs family without his knowledge although at first Ross tells him his family is well. Ross reports that in Scotland suffering goes unremarked and good men’s lives are short.

‘Alas, poor country,

Almost afraid to know itself.’ He also informs them that rebellion against Macbeth has been rumoured, Malcolm then revels his plans to invade Scotland. At this stage Macbeth is no longer just a villain but a psychotic serial killer. So basically, after the murder of Duncan, Macbeth then went about the process of killing anyone in line to the throne, or anyone who suspected him of killing Duncan.

Towards the end of the play, Macbeth could be considered, not only a villain, but insane, as at his banquet he had hallucinations of Banquo’s ghost. However, I believe that he also showed signs of insanity at the start of the play as well, when he followed an imaginary dagger to Duncan’s chamber. Also, a sane person is not in the habit of killing everyone in sight. Macbeth is troubled by the fact that his soldiers only obey him out of fear, and his conscience oppresses him.

‘Now does he feel

His secret murders sticking on his hands.’ Angus tells us as he and the other thanes conspire against Macbeth hoping to be free from tyranny.

In conclusion, there is no doubt in my mind that Macbeth was a villain even though Macbeth is originally a hero in Scotland, and a strong character. But at which point did he truly earn this title. He was considered a hero after fighting bravely in a battle – killing more innocent people. Surely, this should make him a villain and not a hero. Back in the 11th century, it was quite acceptable to kill people in battles, and still be looked upon as a hero. If Macbeth had been set in modern times, he would have been a villain all along. Due to the fact that it was set hundreds of years ago, he was a considered a hero at the start of the play and only looked upon as a villain when he started to kill people for selfish reasons and self gain. Throughout the play, the soliloquies reveal Macbeth's change from a valiant Thane, to a guilt-stricken King. After he commits the deed, his entire conscience is consumed with the guilt of what he has done, and this is where his character is flawed and leads to his eventual breakdown. So Macbeths fatal flaw is his conscience causing the guilt he feels for the evil deeds he has carried out. The collapse of character is brought on by the small, yet fatal flaw within themselves, whereby they can no longer live with themselves, and they give up on life altogether.

In the end conclusion, I believe that he was a villain all along, but it only became clear towards the end when he was found out. However, the only reason he was found out was because of his fatal flaw – the guilt – that causes his state of mind to deteriorate displayed in the soliloquies.