Macbeth Evil Quotes

"No man chooses evil because it is evil; he only mistakes it for happiness, the good he seeks." In this quote, said by Mary Wollstonecraft, she explains that evil is a result of man’s own desire. His intention is not for evil, but for himself and his own happiness. Allowing his own ambition to consume him causes him to lose sight of his morals in order to accomplish his goals. In Macbeth, Macbeth’s selfish actions to obtain power teach us that self interest can cloud judgements when making important decisions because people tend to think about only themselves, and not the impact their actions may have on others.

First, Macbeth killing Duncan, who has only ever supported him, shows that Macbeth will hurt others for his own benefit. After receiving

the prophecy from the witches, Macbeth is skeptical. He is not sure of the validity of the claims that they make, and does not plan to do anything in order to make them happen. Then, the Thane of Cawdor is revealed to be a traitor, and Macbeth is given his title. This gives Macbeth reason to believe that the prophecy may be true, and leads Macbeth to actively attempt to become King. Duncan had only ever praised Macbeth for his heroics in war, and Macbeth was still willing to harm him in order to get what he wanted, and now considered attainable. Macbeth says, “Stars hide your fires/ let not light see my black and deep desires" (I.iv.50-51), to convey that he intends to kill the king, and does not want anyone to know of his intentions. He is aware of the seriousness of the situation, and knows that
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what he is doing is wrong, yet he is completely consumed in his own desires, so he does not care that he is straying from his own moral compass. His actions will hurt the king, the kingdom, and himself. His first act of evil leads him down a path that cannot be reversed, and his actions become less and less humane as the play continues.
Second, Macbeth’s plan to kill Banquo and Fleance show how paranoid he is for his own safety, and the lengths he will go to protect himself.

After Duncan’s death, Macbeth feels that Banquo is suspicious of him because he knows about the prophecy. With the goal of eliminating a possible threat, Macbeth hires two murderers to kill Banquo and his son Fleance. Macbeth convinces the murderers that he is not only their enemy but, “so is he mine; and in such bloody distance/ that every minute of his being thrusts/ against my near’st of life,” (III.i.119-121). Here Macbeth explains that Banquo is also his enemy, and that every minute Banquo is alive, is a threat to his own life. While Banquo may be suspicious, this is far from the truth. Banquo is Macbeth’s closest friend, and his willingness to kill him without hesitation shows how much he has changed. He is willing to harm not only his best friend, but also Banquo’s innocent son who may pose a threat in the distant future. Macbeth’s instinct for self-preservation outweighs his morals, and his extreme caution leads to the downfall of others. In doing so, he digs himself into an even deeper hole, and is surrounding himself in secrets in order to protect himself. This takes a toll on Macbeth mentally, because he fears that everyone is his enemy, and that he can only trust

himself.
Lastly, Macbeth’s lack of emotion when he hears of Lady Macbeth’s death shows that he cares only for himself and his own success. When Macbeth hears of her death, he is in the middle of preparing for war and claims that “she should have died hereafter./ There would have been a
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time for such a word,” (V.v.17-18).

Macbeth thinks that if she had died at a more convenient time, he would have been able to mourn her death. Because he is so consumed with himself and winning the war, he claims that he has to focus on the matter at hand, and does not have time for this. When he hears of her death, he is completely emotionless and shows no signs of sadness. This is the ultimate act of self involvement from Macbeth, because it shows that Macbeth lacks basic human emotion unless it concerns himself. Earlier in the play, the death of Lady Macbeth would have crushed Macbeth. Without her help, he would not have accomplished all that he did, and he repays her with absolutely nothing. At this point, the only thing on Macbeth’s mind is power, and it has completely consumed him, causing him to sever all ties with anyone he cares about. Each evil action he has committed has been with his own selfish desires in mind. With each crime, he loses sight of his morals and allows his own ambition to control

him.
Macbeth’s selfish actions throughout the play show that the prophecy affected him in a way that caused him to stray from his morals to achieve his goals. His own desires caused him to commit actions that were only to benefit himself, and often at the expense of others. Killing Duncan showed that Macbeth would do anything for power, and killing Banquo showed that he would take extreme measures to protect himself. His lack of response when his wife dies shows that Macbeth’s self involvement has caused him to care for nothing but himself. Like Macbeth, those who become more concerned with themselves than other things of importance often lose themselves, and those that they care about in the process. They are willing to sacrifice relationships, morals, and much more in order to achieve what they desire, but this often results in their own downfall. As Mouloud Benzadi said, “true happiness cannot be achieved through wealth, fame or action, but through love, modesty and self satisfaction.”