Examples Of Evil In Macbeth

Evil, harmful or tending to harm; No one is perfect when you were in your teens you probably yelled at your parents or maybe threw a temper tantrum, this most likely brought harm to your parents, but they will still love you. Macbeth is a play based in Scotland mid 11th century, about a character named Macbeth. During the play you watch as Macbeth rises to power, Thane of Glamis, Thane of Cawdor, and finally King, after murdering the previous King, Duncan. Throughout the play Macbeth becomes more and more selfish, avaricious, and evil. In Macbeth, by William Shakespeare, the true evil lies dormant in everyone only to be awakened by something of greater evil, and can be depicted in many ways.

Everyone has evil inside of them, including the main

characters of a story. In the beginning of the play Macbeth is seen as a good character who is even promoted to Thane of Cawdor, and the Thane of Glamis, “Yet do I fear thy nature; It is too full o’ th’ milk of human kindness” (I.v.16-17). Throughout the book Macbeth is the Villain who usurped his way to power; however, it states here that Lady Macbeth doubts that Macbeth would be able to seize power. In this instance Macbeth’s evil is still dormant, waiting to be awakened by Lady Macbeth.
Evil shows itself when something corrupted pulls it out, like revenge when a friend is murdered, or maybe even one’s family. Towards the end of the book, before Malcolm, Ross, and Macduff lead a full assault on Macbeth’s castle, Macduff learns that his family has been killed. Macduff is expressing his rage and hate towards Macbeth:
He has no children. All my pretty ones? Did you say “all”? O hell-kite! All? What, all my pretty chickens and their dam At one fell swoop? … Be this the whetstone of your sword. Let grief Convert to anger. Blunt not the heart; enrage it (IV.iii.255-269).
After hearing news from Ross, and Malcolm, the anger inside of Macduff has increased in spite of Macbeth’s actions.

Ross, and Malcolm then convince him to use his anger to strike revenge upon Macbeth. Not only is Macduff’s vengeful thought being awakened through Macbeth’s heinous action that killed Macduff’s family, but Malcolm, and Ross are encouraging it, and luring it out.

Evil can come in many forms; for instance, malicious actions towards another person, to one’s self, or against a society. During act two after Macbeth kills Duncan, Macbeth is walking away from the crime scene carrying the daggers that he used to kill Duncan. He then finds Lady Macbeth and confronts her with:

Methought I heard a voice cry ‘Sleep no more! Macbeth does murder sleep’ --the innocent sleep, Sleep that knits up the raveled sleave of care … Still it cried ‘Sleep no more!’ to all the house. ‘Glamis hath murdered sleep, and therefore Cawdor Shall sleep no more. Macbeth shall sleep no more’ (II.ii.47-57).

Macbeth is talking with Lady Macbeth about a voice which told him he can no longer sleep, because he has murdered sleep. When Macbeth murdered Duncan the corruption inside of him awakened, and portrayed itself as a voice inside of Macbeth’s head telling him that he could no longer

sleep.
The play Macbeth is based around the presence of evil in everyone, throughout the story the evil is portrayed in various ways once it has been awakened by something with a greater wickedness. In the beginning Macbeth’s viciousness was still dormant; however, once his evil was awakened he became an abominable tyrant. If one’s family was killed the immediate thought of that person would be to gain revenge; however revenge is a moral wrong, Malcolm even went as far as to say that he would kill Macbeth’s children if he had any, even though the children would not be at fault. Evil is everywhere, and in everyone, what matters is how to control that evil inside, and to not give in and awaken it.