Macbeth’s Murderous Madness “He who seeks evil will find it” (Heart and Minds). It is often that in both life and fictional literature those with the character to look for the answers to the future seek some immoral means. In Shakespeare's play, The Tragedy of Macbeth, Macbeth is portrayed initially as a valorous and good-hearted general to King Duncan, but who later is corrupted by ambition. He persuades himself that killing his king to take the throne is the right thing to do. Macbeth’s evil ways to attempt to control the future make him realize that he has to bury the past by firstly assassinating King Duncan, seeking the witches for information, and covering it all up by murdering Banquo. Macbeth’s evil ways to attempt to control the …show more content…
“All hail, Macbeth! Hail to thee. Thane of Glamis! All hail, Macbeth! Hail to thee. Thane of Cawdor! All hail, Macbeth, that shalt be King hereafter!” (Shakespeare 1.3.49-51). The information the three witches have provided for Macbeth was a big part of his controlling the future. Furthermore, Macbeth goes to the witches to profile what his future looks like. Macbeth wants to know what he can do to control the things that can happen in the future so he asks the witches for help and they give him three apparitions. Macbeth wants to know what he can do by controlling the future and finding a way to help himself at the same time. One of the apparitions that the witches gave to Macbeth is that he can't be killed by a child born from a …show more content…
Macbeth was best friends with a soldier named Banquo who he fought side by side in war. “Thou hast it now: King, Cawdor, Glamis, all, As the weird women promised, and I fear Thou play’dst most foully for’t” (Shakespeare 3.1.1-3). Macbeth fears Banquo suspects for a crime which was Macbeth killing King Duncan. However, A third man joins the two whom Macbeth has already sent to kill Banquo and Fleance. The three assassins manage to kill Banquo Fleance escapes (Shakespeare 3.3.18). King Macbeth orders three murderers to kill Banquo and his son while thye were on their way to expose Macbeth. While Macbeth turned on not only his bestfriend he also turned on the town and that is why Banquo wanted to tell everyone the truth. The truth is that Macbeth turned on so many people and killed everyperson that was in his way including friends and
Macbeth is considered the most evil character in Shakespeare’s play, “Macbeth”, having nefarious traits of over-ambition and selfishness. Following the events of Act 1 Scene 3, the three witch sisters foresee Macbeth’s prophecies; he will become the Thane of Cawdor, and eventually become King of Scotland. Although he finds such statements to be nonsensical, he is then proven wrong as he finds out King Duncan bestows him as Thane of Cawdor. Macbeth states, “Why hath it given me earnest of success, Commencing in a truth?
Macbeth decides he needs to take action to keep his crown, “Given to the common enemy of man/ to make them kings, the seeds of Banquo kings/ Rather than so, come Fate into the list” (3. 1. 70-72). After seeing that all of his prophecies come true Macbeth thinks about Banquo and fears losing his crown. Macbeth hires murderers to go and kill Banquo and Fleance so that he remains king.
Then three witches approach Macbeth and his best friend Banquo. “All hail, Macbeth! hail to thee, thane of Glamis! , “ the first witch says to Macbeth who is the current thane of Glamis. “All hail, Macbeth! hail to thee, thane of Cawdor!,” “All hail, Macbeth! That shalt be king hereafter,” the second and third witches call him the Thane of Cawdor and King which are prophecies that came true later in the play.
Macbeth is trying to manipulate others to bury the past. Macbeth manipulates the murderers to carry out his wicked deeds in Killing Banquo and Fleance and accepts the same rhetoric that Lady Macbeth used him to murder by questioning their manhood to make them angry. “I am one, my liege, whom the vile blows and buffets of the world, hath so incensed that I am reckless what I do to spite the world”- Second Murderer (3.1.109-11). The murderers claimed to be men to Macbeth and expressed their rage at his anger, which Macbeth wanted to
( I.III)” Upon hearing the witches prophecy about Macbeth being king, his ambition kicked in and he began to think greedly. All that was left on Macbeth’s mind was the thought of murdering King Duncan to gain power. Macbeth wanted his name to be forever remembered and he felt saw Banquo’s prophecy as a threat to the throne. He ordered his murder, diregarding the consequences becuase macbeth thought of himself as unstoppable, and noone was going to stop his ambition.
With Macbeth being a general in the Scottish military, he had major influences on people and their daily lives. After the murder of King Duncan, Banquo’s suspicion of who committed the murders arose around a single suspect, Macbeth. Knowing that Banquo most likely knew the truth that Macbeth killed King Duncan, Macbeth went back to his evil ways with ease. Through his attendant, Macbeth summons three murderers. Shakespeare introduces the murders with stage direction “[Re-enter Attendant, with two Murderers]” (Shakespeare, 363), in which Macbeth he uses Banquo as bait in order to gain their graces and loyalty “That it was he in the times past which held you so under fortune, which you thought had been our innocent self: this I made good to you in our last conference, pass'd in probation with you, how you were borne in hand, how cross'd, the instruments, who wrought with them, and all things else that might, so half a soul and to a notion crazed, Say 'Thus did Banquo.'”
Unlike with the murder of Duncan, Macbeth lacks hesitation and says, "To act in safety. There is none but he Whose being I do fear; and under him My genius is rebuked, as it is said Mark Antony's was by Caesar" (3.1 85). Banquo's concern that the Three Witches' prophecy will come true causes him to question whether or not Macbeth murdered King Duncan. Due to Banquo's rising suspicions, Macbeth fears him above all others. Therefore, Macbeth hired assassins to kill Banquo and his son, Fleance.
Rather than so, come, fate, into the list, And champion me to th’ utterance!” (Shakespeare 1.1.69-72). Macbeth saw Banquo as a threat and that is why he wanted him killed that's why he hired three assassins to do the job for him. After killing Banquo, Macbeth's plan was successful for a while until he was caught. Macbeth tried to control the future by committing murder but he also kept seeking the witches because he believed in their
Macbeth orders the murder of Banquo and his son Fleance, simply because he believes that they pose a threat to his seat on the throne. Macbeth remembers the prophecy Banquo was told when he asked of his future which they responded “lesser than Macbeth and greater. Not so happy, yet much happier. Thou shall get kings though thou be none.” (I.III.68-70).
Macbeth was in desperate need to get Banquo killed because he thought his crown is as at stake because of him. Even though he hired two murderers he could not fully trust them so he hired his servant whom he could fully trust. He could easily identify Banquo
Macbeth’s decision to have Banquo killed is a strong moment in the play, as it marks the point at which shows how Macbeth fully embraces how ruthless and ambitious he is. In order to convince the murderers to do his bidding, Macbeth appeals to their sense of pride and desire for revenge. He reminds them of the bad that Banquo has done to them in the past, and tries to get them mad by suggesting that it was Banquo's fault for their difficulties. He then says his death is neccesary to gain more power over Banquo.
The assassins manage to kill Banquo but his son, Fleance, escapes. Macbeth begins hallucinating about Banquo’s ghost, driving him insane. He then visits the witches again and finds out they were against him the whole time. He had Macduff’s family killed while Macduff was away but people found out and they
Macbeth expresses how he fears no one but Banquo. As a result, he hires an assassin to kill Banquo and his son. Unfortunately for Macbeth, Banquo’s son
All hail, Macbeth! Hail to you, Thane of Cawdor! / All hail, Macbeth, that shalt be
Macbeth wanted Banquo dead because he did not want Banquo to be the one to say that he killed King Duncan. The author says, “He tries to defend his father when they are attacked but is not old enough or skilled enough. He just manages to escape with his own life” (General OneFile 1). When Banquo was killed, his son, Fleance, escaped before he was going to get killed. Macbeth sent the murderers to Fleance because he was with his father at that time.