Macbeth Motivation Analysis

“If good, why do I yield to that suggestion[killing Duncan]/Whose horrid image doth unify my hair” (I, III, 144-145). This quote indicates that the force of ambition is so strong within Macbeth that even he himself cannot understand why it is making him think of killing Duncan. Likewise, Macbeth’s ambition to become king is further emphasized after Duncan names his son Malcolm as his successor. Here, Macbeth says that he will have to “oerleap,/For in my way it [Malcolm] it lies” (I, III, 55-57).

Internally, there were conflicts between his personality and his ambition. Externally, the witches and Lady Macbeth led to his contemplation of murdering Duncan. An internal conflict that raged within Macbeth occurred after he murdered Duncan. He was so distorted and guilty-stricken that he began to hear voices and felt he could not be forgiven. For example, before Macbeth kills Duncan he feels scared but after killing the king he feels guilty.

King Duncan’s sons Malcom and Donalbain foresee the danger that Macbeth poses on their lives and they flee to England where they train an army to attack Macbeth at Dunsinane. When Macduff receives news that Macbeth has ordered for his family to be killed he is enraged with

However, it is all according to the prophecy, so it holds as fair. What would be a fair act to bring in the heir to the throne transitions from a positive connotation to one that is foul, and therefore a paradox blooms with these events. Malcolm, son of King Duncan, later reveals that he wants to kill Macbeth because of the many that he has killed in his path to claim the throne.

He invited Banquo to a banquet with his son. Macbeth feared that Banquo was going kill him because of what he suspected. Macbeth sent three murderers to kill Banquo and his son. Banquo died while his son escaped, Now Macbeth feared the witches’ prophecies of Banquo 's descendants would turn out bad for him. Macbeth now felt guilty because he saw the ghost of Banquo.

In the beginning of the play, the witches set forth the tragic actions to follow by using equivocation on Macbeth. These wicked beings manage to accomplish tempting Macbeth, drawing out his desire for kingship, engineering the death of Duncan. Firstly, the author shows this through Banquo’s caution to Macbeth for considering the plausibility of the Witches’ equivocal prophecies using tropology and rhetoric. Sensing Macbeth’s growing obsession with the prophecies , he compares the witches to “instruments of darkness [who] tell us truths/ Win us with

It is said that Shakespeare may have changed this one aspect of Banquo’s character in order to please King James, who was considered at the time to be the real descendant of real Banquo. It is also interpreted that the role of Banquo is presented in the contrast of that of Macbeth’s because Banquo resists evil where Macbeth embraces it. The play is about how Macbeth murders Duncan, King if Scotland, to be the king himself after when he listens to the prophecies of the three witches. He is also supported by his wife, Lady Macbeth, in doing so.

Banquo suspects Macbeth of cheating to become king and reminds Macbeth that his own son’s will become king someday when he says, “Thou hast it now: king, Cawdor, Glamis, all, as the weird women promised, and I fear thou played’st most foully for ’t. Yet it was said it should not stand in thy posterity, But that myself should be the root and father of many kings” (Mac.3.1.1-6). Directly after that conversation, Macbeth hires murderers to kill Banquo. This is another murder that Macbeth never would have done if the witches were not to give Macbeth his

I think that William Shakespeare is showing us that Macbeth has been tied to a prophecy and it is now time for them all to be fulfilled. In the beginning, we are told about Macbeth become “king hereafter”, we know that he does become king when he murders king Duncan and says that the “deed is done”. This shows how Macbeth’s mind became a well of damage when he begins hallucinating and saying, “Is this a dagger which I see before me”. I believe that these thoughts are what lead him to kill Duncan, and they act as images that the witches would supernaturally place into Macbeth’s mind. Macbeth did help us test whether or not we could truly trust the witches’ predictions sending out murderers to murder Banquo and his son Fleance, the witches show that they will not release their grip on Macbeth when one of the murderers says “Fleance, is ‘scaped.

Macbeth’s character changes greatly throughout the play, from a respected thane to a king who people want dead. Macbeth gives in to his ‘vaulting ambition’ and, encouraged by the witches and Lady Macbeth, he murders King Duncan for the power. The guilt from this greatly affects him, he thinks he should carry on this path as he is almost at the

Finally, the vision of a bloody dagger that emerged right before the murder emboldened Macbeth to kill King Duncan. Prior to murdering Duncan, Macbeth was hesitant about following through with his wife 's merciless task. He doubted that he was able to murder one of his most loyal friends, until he saw the vision. On page 43, Act II, scene I, Macbeth sees the apparition: "Is this a dagger that I see before me with its handle turned to my hand?" Macbeth contemplates whether it is a figure of his imagination prompted on by his already guilty conscience, or a supernatural encounter that is compelling him to do the deed.

Macbeth is saying how he either needs to accept the fact that Malcom is prince or he needs to do something to change it. He believes that he will have to murder people to change Malcom’s status. Macbeth also chooses to follow the evil witches.

Macbeth, written by William Shakespeare, is a play that mainly focuses on one common theme of insanity. Macbeth gradually becomes plagued by intense guilt as his desire for power drives him to attain his goals by any means necessary, including committing murder. He kills Duncan in cold blood in order to become King, has Banquo killed by three murderers because he wishes to maintain his position as King, and finally, he has Macduff’s family slaughtered. Each of these occurrences takes place because of Macbeth’s will to be King, or they are a result of his guilt. Nonetheless, they are all completed of his free will, which is what causes him to deteriorate mentally.

This soliloquy shows us that Macbeth’s ambition is the only thing motivating him to carry out the regicide. He recognises that violent crimes are wrong and is concerned about the consequences of his actions unlike Lady Macbeth. He doesn’t want to betray the king’s trust, and knows people will be devastated at the loss of their humble leader. He discloses that he is afraid that the 'horrid deed ' shall 'return to plaque th 'inventor ', suggesting that his greatest fear is the consequences of killing his king and getting caught yet he admits that he has 'vaulting ambition '. We also see that his wife 's powerful persuasion is clear as he changes from clearly stating with a simple sentence, 'We will proceed no further in this business ' to 'I am settled and bend up ... to this terrible feat '.

The power of suggestion and the power of prophecy have a significant role in influencing the decisions one makes. This can be seen in the play, Macbeth, and in today’s contemporary society. Within the play, the evil third witch states the prophecy, “All hail, Macbeth, the future king!” to Macbeth, himself (I.iii.51). This absurd statement made by the malicious witches seems ridiculous to believe.