Fear And Fear In Macbeth

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Over and over we see a substantial fault in human nature that, driven by fear, pushes people to extreme measures in order to protect their power and more importantly their own life. Forced to the very edge of their sanity, by fear, Macbeth and Lady Macbeth must constantly watch over their shoulders and worry that their forcefully taken seats of power will be snatched out from beneath them. Along with this fear, Macbeth and Lady Macbeth’s greed, motivation, and insecurity subsequently results in their need to kill anyone and everyone that poses any hint of a threat to their power.
Macbeth’s greed for power combined with his fear of loosing that power and his place on the thrown, leads to his overwhelming need to control every event and circumstance that he is placed in. Demonstrated early in this story Macbeth begins to feel a sort of entitlement to having a place on the thrown of Scotland after the foreshadowing of his future by the witches. “Stars, hide your fires, let not light see my black and deep desires. The eye wink at the hand, yet let that be which the eye fears when it done to see” 1.4.52-55. Macbeth discusses the fear that his thoughts of killing King Duncan will be found out by those around him which would be grounds for his killing. This display of fear is quite different than that of the aggressive “kill at all costs” fear Macbeth demonstrates after the killing of Duncan. This dramatic change in fear takes place following the killing of Duncan when he begins to justify the killings saying, “Who could refrain, that had a heart to love, and in that heart Courage to make's love known” 2.3.96-99. Driven solely by his fear and determination to be king, Macbeth deepens the already enormous hole he has dug himself into....

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...or her actions as well as becoming increasingly tormented by her and her husband’s sinful deeds. Lady Macbeth was a very interesting and intricate character that had incredible tenacity and stamina, though it was sadly not enough to overcome the immeasurable amount of guilt and shame that she held in her conscience.
Macbeth’s subsequent fear creates a constant compulsion to watch his back so that no one will take his position of power. This evolving greed, motivation, and insecurity leads to his and Lady Macbeth’s killing spree, which in turn takes the lives of anyone and everyone who posses a threat to their power. These actions have tremendous repercussions on them whether it be their inability to sleep or in their personal relationship. In order to protect their power, humans, in many cases will go to the greatest length no matter what the consequences may be.

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