Role Of Insanity In Macbeth

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As Benjamin Disraeli once said, “Man is not the creature of circumstances; circumstances are the creatures of men. We are free agents, and man is more powerful than matter.” Although Macbeth’s insanity eventually led to his decease, it was his murderous intentions that brought him to insanity. Macbeth’s deeds could not be blamed upon the deception of the witches nor on his imperious wife but only on himself.
Macbeth was introduced as the thane of Glamis, but in Act I, Scene III, his life shifted for the worst. As he and Banquo approached a heath, they came upon three witches. The three grotesque women proceeded to fill Macbeth’s mind with evil as they predicted to him:
FIRST WITCH. All hail, Macbeth! Hail to thee, thane of Glamis!
SECOND …show more content…

All hail, Macbeth, that shall be king hereafter!
(1, 3, 48-50)
Macbeth was truly a compassionate, brave and trustworthy man as he held only the title of thane of Glamis; however, soon after his encounter with the witches he gained the title of thane of Cawdor. With his new title in tow, the man that had once been a hero became power-hungry and greedy. Nevertheless, once he saw one of his three prophecies become true, he wrote to his devoted wife to inform her of the good news. It was at that point when the two began to conspire for power.
Regardless of Macbeth’s destiny to become king, the witches had also declared to him and Banquo another life-altering prophecy. The terrible three had announced to Banquo:
FIRST WITCH. Lesser than Macbeth, and greater.
SECOND WITCH. Not so happy, yet much …show more content…

Thanks to his newfound power and wealth, Macbeth hired three murderers so that he could keep his hands clean. In that, Macbeth became an accomplice to the murder of his old friend, and noble soldier Banquo. The king’s three assassins tracked down their prey, Banquo, under the pretense that he was their enemy and the root of all of their problems. Although they succeeded in Banquo’s murder, his son Fleance was able to escape into the night.
However, with Banquo out of the picture, Macbeth’s conscience was only weighed down more with guilt. The ghost of Banquo haunted Macbeth to the point that his last thread of sanity snapped. When news of Macduff fleeing to England reached Macbeth, he sent his three murderers Macduff’s home to murder his wife and child. While the blood may not have literally been on Macbeth’s hands, he was covered in it in his mind.
Once word of the demented king of Scotland reached Malcolm, one of Duncan’s sons, he and Macduff made plans to overthrow Macbeth. When Macbeth learned of the traitors, he boasted his confidence to servants and generals. The witches had filled his head with nonsense once more, including the belief that no man of woman born could kill him. While he spent his time gloating, his wife passed away, yet he held no remorse for Lady Macbeth’s death. The atrocious man moved forward into battle where his madness led him to his ultimate demise at the hand of

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