Who is responsible for the death of Duncan?

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Who is responsible

                   for the

                 death of Duncan?

Lewis Buckley 10A

Who is responsible for the death of Duncan?

In order to answer this question you must look at the play carefully as the question is not as simple as it seems. Although Macbeth murdered the king the question of who is actually responsible is a debateable one. The witches, Lady Macbeth and Macbeth himself are all important characters and I will look at these in my essay. I will examine too, the situation surrounding the death of Duncan.

The supernatural plays a very big part in Macbeth and I think that the witches do have a part to play in the murder of Duncan. Whilst not really responsible they certainly contributed to his killing. In their first encounter with Macbeth they are portrayed as quite eerie. They talk in mystic riddle and rhyme. I think that Shakespeare chose to start the play with these witches in order to portray a sense of uneasiness with the audience and also to represent mistrust which is prevalent throughout the play. The fact that Macbeth echoes their words when he meets them, in the first line that is spoken by him indicates that they have a powerful part in the plot. Macbeth then goes on to address the witches:

‘Speak if you can: what are you?’

Then the first witch replies and talks of the past:

‘All hail Macbeth, hail to thee, Thane of Glamis.’

It is to be taken note of that as yet there is no mention of Banquo as the next witch continues, talking of the present (Macbeth is not aware that he is at that moment the Thane of Cawdor):

‘All hail Macbeth, hail to thee, Thane of Cawdor.’

This will surprise Macbeth but what will surely shock him is what is said by the third witch talking of the future:

‘All hail Macbeth, that shall be King hereafter.’

He has just returned from a battle and is being hailed as a hero for his latest victories over the rebel Macdonwald as well as the Norwegian King. He is on a high, feeling almost invincible and probably believing that nothing is above him now, that the sky is the limit, so he would likely believe that becoming a King was not an impossible feat. This prophecy without a doubt influences Macbeth. When he’s told that he shall become ‘Thane of Cawdor’, and it comes to be almost at once, Macbeth is able to believe that he would become king with no trouble.  Of course, this alone wouldn’t affect him and Shakespeare shows this by Banquo’s view towards the witches ‘prophecy’ which is quite different to that of Macbeths. His immediate response is:

‘Good sir, why do you start and seem to fear,
Things that do sound so fair? – I’th’name of truth

Are ye fantastical?’

In other words Banquo is saying to Macbeth ‘You don’t actually believe this do you?’ The witches set the trigger for Macbeth who told his wife and this chain of events ultimately led to Duncan’s death. They are, therefore certainly partly responsible for his death as they arouse Macbeth’s strong lust for power.

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Duncan is obviously a deficient judge of character as we can see in Act I Scene 4 where we hear King Duncan saying:

‘He was a gentleman on whom I built

An absolute trust’

of the former Thane of Cawdor who betrayed him. The second Thane of Cawdor then goes on to murder him so it is clear to us that he puts trust in insecure places. When Duncan promotes his son, Malcolm, as the next of kin, it means that if Macbeth is ever to become the King, he will have to take the title for himself by force. ...

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