Macbeth Killing Duncan Essay

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Responsibility for Planning to Kill Duncan in William Shakespeare's Macbeth

The witches, Macbeth or Lady Macbeth. In one way or another all of these characters are connected and responsible for King Duncan's murder. It takes each of the characters to play a part in his death and therefore if Macbeth had never met the witches then the whole affair could have been avoided.

Macbeth is a fictional tale, produced as a play, about good and evil, an insight to a murder's mind, the difference between illusions and reality and a tragedy. "Fair is foul, and foul is fair," meaning that not everything is as good and innocent as it seems and cannot be trusted. This play can take on many different themes, evil, …show more content…

During the time Shakespeare wrote Macbeth, witches and witchcraft were a sign of evil and many hundreds of people, mainly women, were convicted as witches and executed. So to have the witches arrive in the very first scene already has a dramatic effect because it was widely believed by the public that they were pure evil. Also, King James I wrote a book about witchcraft and it most certainly no coincidence that Shakespeare chose to write about witches in this play. This itself is enough to easily put the blame of King Duncan's murder upon their heads. But now in modern times it does not now have the same effect of driving fear into the audience and it might seem ridiculous to convict them of Duncan's murder.

"Ye fantastical" and yet there is an atmosphere of mystery and magic surrounding them, curiosity as to who they really are. "When shall we three meet again?" is the very first line of the play the "weird sisters" ask. Their intentions as to why they must meet again is vague, again adding to the mystery and fear. "There to meet Macbeth" says the third witch. The witches are planning something to do …show more content…

So what's to stop them from casting an evil spell upon a non-suspecting Macbeth? Plotting to destroy another's life. They've already admitted to sinister actions against the sailor and his wife during the beginning of Act 1, Scene 3. "He shall live a man forbid" the first witch speaks before revealing a "pilot's thumb". All because the sailor's wife refused to give the witch "chestnuts".

The witches are certainly responsible for the rekindling the idea in Macbeth's head that he could become King. They've successfully started a chain of events that would lead to Duncan's murder, because soon after they left Macbeth send a letter home to his wife, Lady Macbeth.

Lady Macbeth is a prefect example of how appearances can be deceiving. She seems innocent, kind and maybe a little naïve. Childlike. When she wants something, she gets it. After reading Macbeth's letter about the witches, Lady Macbeth gets excited about the good news of Macbeth's promotion to Thane of Cawdor. Too excited at the prospect of Macbeth becoming King.

She quickly thinks, planning King Duncan's murder, ambition

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