Macbeth - A Comparison between the main two soliloquys

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Macbeth: A Comparison between the two main soliloquies.

The first time we meet Macbeth, is when he has just triumphed over the Norwegians. He is in the middle of nowhere, and meets the two Wyrd Sisters. Macbeth is a widely esteemed soldier, who fights bravely for his King and Country, and has no ambition. He is content with his lot, and happy to be supporting his King, who he greatly likes.

He is a loyal Thane, the Thane of Glamis. He has a wife, Lady Macbeth, who later reveals herself as the dominating influence over Macbeth, and is very controlling.

The first soliloquy that I am going to compare is very famous. It is the one in Act 1, Scene 7. It is the one that begins; “If it were done, when ‘tis done…”

At this point in time, Lady Macbeth has just ‘suggested’ to Macbeth that he should kill Duncan. This is after hearing the Wyrd Sisters’ prediction. She has used her womanly ways to force Macbeth into saying yes, and he is now in a room, alone, pondering over the deed, discussing the merits and demerits:

The first line of this soliloquy states that if he killed Duncan quickly, it would be all over, and Macbeth would sustain no damage from doing this deed. Besides, he thinks it is better for someone to die quickly rather than to live, and be hated. He still has a sense of morality at this point, and acknowledges that killing someone it bad. However, he has no idea of the consequences.  

He uses non-direct sentences; he does not mention the word ‘murder’ in the sentence. He just calls it a deed. Macbeth is under torment here, and he goes from thinking “Yes, I will do it,” to “No, I will not” very quickly. He also thinks that he is doing a good deed, and it is in the best wishes of Scotland.

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“If th’assassination/Could trammel up the consequence…success.” He is now under the opinion that although he is going to kill someone, it would be better if he did. The action could be hidden by the good that will come from it; he appears to be under the opinion that he could rule much better than Duncan.  He thinks people would forget what had happened; it would succeed as soon as Duncan was buried. He would lead Scotland to a noble future. Poor Macbeth; at this point in time he was under so many illusions, he did not realise what a prediction ...

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