Macbeth, by William Shakespeare

William Shakespeare’s Macbeth is the play which tells the story of a soldier and the disastrous path which he took in pursuit of the throne. Macbeth was a victim of forces beyond his control; they are the witches and Lady Macbeth. The witches create a stimulus for Macbeth to become destructive in his pursuit for the throne. However Macbeth was only persuaded and ready to kill after being influenced by Lady Macbeth. Therefore we can assume that it was Lady Macbeth that transformed Macbeth into a megalomaniac.

The witches were the force that initiated Macbeth’s possibility to murder Duncan for the throne, which led to the destruction that followed thereafter. When the witches welcome Macbeth they call him by three names, “hail thee, Thane of Cawdor”, “hail thee, Thane of Glamis” and, “”thou shall be king thereafter.” By calling Macbeth by these names the witches aimed for Macbeth to pursue these titles, the role of king in particular as he was not to receive it by chance. “Malcolm, son of Duncan, King of Scotland,” if not for the murders Macbeth would have not gained the kingship as Malcolm was heir. By the witches suggesting that Macbeth would become king they are liable for creating the possibility for Macbeth to choose to commit the disasters that followed. If Macbeth would have not heard the witches’ prophecies it would be reasonable to assume that he would not have murdered for the throne, hence he was a victim of a supernatural force.

After meeting with the witches Macbeth was a moral man and refused to subject himself to the “evil inclination.” “Stars, hide your fires, let not light see my black and deep desires.” Macbeth had the dark desire to become king, but he knew what was good and bad at this point in the play and r...

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... to kill Duncan transformed Macbeth into a ruthless assassin which is evident after Macbeth’s independent killings.

Macbeth was subject to a supernatural force, the witches control over Macbeth causes him to commit all of the murders by giving Macbeth a reason to gain and secure the royal status. The witches’ incentive was flouted by a moral Macbeth at the beginning of the play. But when he was faced with Lady Macbeth’s persuasion to murder Duncan in pursuit of the throne he follows her plans. After Duncan’s murder Macbeth needs no further persuading by Lady Macbeth to commit the subsequent killings of Banquo and Macduff’s family as she managed to convince him to commit murderous actions despite Macbeth's moral nature. Therefore we can assume that Lady Macbeth is to blame for changing Macbeth’s moral mind into that of murderers, which led to a disastrous outcome.