Michel de Montaigne once said that “Wickedness sucks in the greater part of its own venom, and poisons itself therewith.” This truth is essential in understanding the consequences of malicious pursuits. The rancor found in the nature of a path of dissent can be discovered when the serpent’s bite is scrutinized. The venom of the snake once injected causes many immediate and extraordinarily excruciating effects. Panic, fear, shock, and pain all result from the initial assault. Meanwhile as the poison flows through the veins of its victim it deteriorates the internal composition of the body. The toxin devastates the cells and causes the tissue and the muscles to collapse. The venom then attacks the essential structures of the body that are absolutely necessary to survive. One vital structure falls and the others soon follow. This leads to the imminent casualty of the afflicted individual. There is a devastating effect incorporated with this wound, but when this venom is rooted in wickedness the bite is often self-inflicted. When one domino has fallen the others quickly ensue. It exhibits an unstoppable course that defines how one action could directly influence so many actions that occur after it. If this path began with evil it will continue and leave in its wake a melee of destructive capability. This was manifest in William Shakespeare’s theatric tragedy “Macbeth”. The Thane of Glamis was no pawn of fate, yet he chose to yield to evil and because of this he became possessed by it. His diablerie flourished and was not subdued; it forced him to carry out depraved acts of malice. Macbeth’s irrepressible vileness eventually led to his demise and exposes the effects of a series of malicious defiance’s. To a great degree, the foremost premise in the play “Macbeth” was that, deeds that are rooted in evil will grow stronger and facilitate more iniquity.
When Macbeth committed his initial deed of wickedness he liberated his concealed depravity and became consumed by it. Lady Macbeth incorrectly judged that Macbeth “wouldst not play false/And yet wouldst wrongly win” (I.v.20-21), she possessed the notion that he would not want to cheat, yet he coveted what did not belong to him. Lady Macbeth was not completely correct in her assessment of her husband’s character. She did however recognize that to be able to uphold his avaricious desires cruelty needed to be present in the character of the aspiring Macbeth. This malice was indisputably present in Macbeth’s nature. It became evident when Macbeth attempted to rationalize his impending assassination of the king. Macbeth says that he has no "spur"(I.vii.25) to “prick the sides” (I.vii.26) of his intent, he had no incentive to instigate the murder. He decided that there's no genuine validation for the crime other than his insatiable yearning for the crown. While Macbeth was initially resolute on avoiding the action of manslaughter his wife awakens his balefulness by convincing him to be “so much more the man” (I.vii. 51) and carry out the regicide. While Macbeth was a noble and valiant thane and he comprehended the cost of this treason his passionate craving for power deemed that the throne merited the prospect. He and his wife could not contest with their own covetousness; this resulted in the utter disregard for moral constraints. Macbeth unleashed his malevolent cruelty and his ferocity when he committed the murder. He eventually became consumed by this corruption. When Macbeth murdered the virtuous Duncan, the “dark strangles the travelling lamp” (II.iv.7), Macbeth’s devilry which inhabits him, suffocated the king. Macbeth was introduced in the play as a brave and valiant patriot. When he committed his treachery he became filled with the darkness associated with his voracious desires, the “darkness does the face of the earth entomb / When living light should kiss it” (II.iv.9-10). As the moral order was corrupted Macbeth himself was tainted with the burden of immorality. His “black and deep desires” (I.iv.51) were released, evil itself was awakened in light of his horrific murder. His intentions to disrupt the moral order were hidden well within the darkest, deepest, and blackest portions of his soul. Darkness was the chaos and vileness that resulted from a broken Chain of Being. Macbeth sent everything into turmoil when he murdered King Duncan. This predominance of darkness obscured the light and was present as a result of the corrupted moral order. His malice was released when he decided to murder the good king; he then became entombed in his turpitude. The darkness of his evil blanketed the light of virtue.
