At first Macbeth has doubts about whether he can trust the fate that was presented to him by the witches, and when the kingship seems beyond him Macbeth considers taking matters into his own hands – he ponders whether or not to try to master fate.
In his soliloquy here Macbeth is having second thoughts about the murder of Duncan. After all is the assassination is done and if it were done well, and quickly, then all of Macbeth’s ambitions could come true. However killing Duncan means that even though there may be no judgement on earth, there will still be judgement in the afterlife.
“If it were done when 'tis done, then 'twere well
It were done quickly. If the assassination
Could the consequence, and catch,
With his , success; that but this blow
Might be the be-all and the end-all -here,
But here, upon this bank and of time,
We'ld the life to come. But in these cases
We still have judgement here”
Killing Duncan may lead to Macbeth’s own death, or damnation, after all Duncan had been a good king, who had honoured Macbeth. If Macbeth kills Duncan it sets an example when Macbeth becomes king.
“ . . . . that we but teach
Bloody instructions, which being taught return
To plague the inventor.
Also Macbeth is plagued by the fact that he is “his kinsman”, “his subject” and “his host”. He should be warding away the very people that think like he is thinking, “Not bear the knife myself”.
Furthermore Macbeth knows that it is dishonourable to kill a king that is such a good king, when he is in Macbeth’s care and when he has no defence and is most vulnerable.
By the time Macbeth is finished he has convinced himself that there is nothing to make him do the terrible deed except ambition, which is a like a spur but also like a rider who jumps on a horse but falls off on the other side. Macbeth has almost succeeded in talking himself out of killing the king, he has seen the foul side outweigh the fair side of the act, but is it enough to cork Macbeth’s growing desire initiated by evil?
