My first impressions on Macbeth are that he is loyal to the king. He is also brave and is a warrior on the battlefield. He did the most work on the battlefield. He is also undeterred.
His relation ship with the king was very close because they've known each other for a long time since they were younger. The king thinks Macbeth is violent on the battlefield and is worthy and honoured. Their relationship grows when Macbeth is given the title thane of Cawdor.
At the start of the play he doesn't seem likely to commit murder. However, there is a sense of irony because he did kill a lot of men on the battlefield. Even though he was a courageous warrior in war when it comes to killing the king he doesn't have the power to. So I think he only seems likely to commit murder for the right reason and clearly becoming the king is a good reason to his wife but not that good for Macbeth.
Macbeth's reaction to the witches prophecies were negative when he first heard them. However, as time past and he became thane of Cawdor he grew more promising to be king.
Evil thoughts enter his mind slightly at the part where he realizes Malcolm being prince of Cumberland threatens his success of becoming king. We know this because of the aside in the play
"The Prince of Cumberland! that is a step
On which I must fall down, or else o'er-leap'
For in my way it lies".
This is the first evil thought to enter his mind. But it is not 100% evidence he would kill the king because of this threat. This problem is in his way so it just stays in his head that him being prince makes him more likely to be king.
There is no plan of murder in his mind before he returns home. The only threat to him is Malcolm being prince of Cumberland.
On his return to home he still does not have a plan to murder the king but his wife does. He says if he is going to be king he will not have to murder Duncan but it would happen naturally we know this from another aside
"If chance will have me king, why, chance
may crown me,
without my stir.
This also backs up the fact that he had no plan of a murder which is evidence.
His soliloquy tells us he thinks of the murder now after the persuasion of lady Macbeth we know this when he says
"If it were done, when 'tis done, then 'twere well
It were done quickly".
Then he thinks of reasons not kill the king he says how the king is hear on double trust one is he thinks Macbeth loyal to him and secondly Macbeth is the kings host and instead of killing him he should protect and guard the king. We know this when he says
He's here in double trust:
First, as I am his kinsman and his subject,
Strong both against the deed; then, as his host
Who should against his murderer shut the door
Not bear the knife myself."
Therefore, he is more in two minds in the soliloquy not knowing which to choose out the two.
In the start of scene 7 he has two minds as I mentioned in the paragraph above. However, as he goes on in lines 62-64 he is fully with the plan of killing Duncan but still a little unsure.
In act 2 scene 1 while his speech is going on he is so nervous he does not know if it is reality or hallucination when he says
"A dagger of the mind, a false creation
Proceeding from the heat-oppressed brain?
He is very confused and afraid if he gets caught but he does not have much of a doubt because he does not stop. Finally he kills Duncan.
I think lady Macbeth is very responsible for the death of Duncan. Because if she didn't come up with a plan to kill Duncan Macbeth would have carried on thinking it would have happened naturally like the king dying a natural death or murdered by someone else. What also first got these ideas in lady Macbeth's head is the letter because killing the king was the first thing that entered her mind for Macbeth to be king she didn't think it would just happen like Macbeth did we know this when after she reads the letter she mentions things like "Yet do I fear thy nature:" which backs up she doesn't agree with him that it would happen naturally. She wants him to kill the king but feels he is
"too full o' the milk of human kindness.
In addition, says he has no ambition to kill the king.
Lady Macbeth is a strong powerful person and very violent when Macbeth acts cowardly towards her about being afraid of the murder and what it would lead to. Not physically but mentally when she mentions
"Have pluck'd my nipple from his boneless gums,
And dash'd the brains out, had I so sworn as you
Have done to this.
This is one of her violent mood swings and clearly puts her in charge of the two.
Her behavior causes him to change his mind about the murder and she persuades him to agree to the murder.
She tells him on and on how her plan would not fail and goes through it in detail to change his mind towards the end.
After all this summing up I have come to thee conclusion that not only one person is responsible but every one is in a chain some more responsible than others.
Firstly it was the witches putting the words in his head but they at first are not responsible but when Macbeth gets the message of being thane of Cawdor gets Macbeth more exited to become king. This is where the witches now are more responsible.
The king is also a little responsible because if he did not give Macbeth a title he would still have a negative view on two of the prophecies.
But after this he sends a letter to his wife which gets her involved and I think she is at the highest position if I was to choose who was responsible because she got Macbeth to change his mind. She was also most forceful to change his mind.
Macbeth is abit responsible because he was really forced by lady Macbeth and his first view is that i9t would happen naturally. But he is still responsible as he did commit the actual murder
Least responsible are the guards but still abit because they agreed to have the wine even though they knew they had to protect the king
Everyone is responsible one way or the other
