Role Of Punishment In Macbeth

He Deserved It

Throughout the play “MacBeth”, his wild actions bring upon him a punishment that it more than well deserved. MacBeth is responsible for the death of King Duncan, his best friend Banquo and the murder of MacDuff’s entire family. All of these events led to an appropriate retribution for MacBeth.

In order for MacBeth to become King, his wife told him that when the King visits their castle he must kill him. Before MacBeth kills King Duncan he doubts himself. Lady MacBeth challenges him and his manhood when she says “And live a coward in thine own esteem, letting ‘I dare not’ wait upon ‘I would’ like the poor cat in the adage” (page 29). She compares MacBeth to a cat which is willing to eat fish without getting its paws wet. MacBeth wants to become king without getting his own hands bloody. Later in the scene Lady MacBeth said, “Nor time, nor place then did adhere” (page 29). This suggests that MacBeth had planned to kill the King even before witch’s gave him their prophecies. When the King went to sleep

MacBeth spoke of a floating dagger which led him to King Duncan’s sleeping body. MacBeth valued power above all and in order to fulfill the first prophecy he had to kill King Duncan. After word of the King’s death had spread, MacBeth was King and he needed to take care of the second prophecy which said Banquo’s sons would become King.
MacBeth sends murderers to kill his best friend – Banquo, and Banquo’s son, Fleance.

MacBeth says, “I could with bareforced power sweep him from my sight.” (page 56). He says that without hesitation, even though Banquo is his best friend. This shows that MacBeth is ruthless, he kills his best friend to keep his power. MacBeth’s act was selfish, Banquo and Fleance are innocent, they didn’t do anything, his desire of power makes MacBeth kill them. The evil side of Macbeth has revealed since he becomes the king. MacBeth becomes coldblooded. He wants to kill Banquo and Fleance to make the second prophecy impossible. In the speech he said to the murderers, MacBeth admitted that “only for them, and mine eternal jewel given to the common enemy of man…” (page 55). He is greedy, “mine eternal jewel” shows the greediness of MacBeth. Though Fleance escaped from the murderers, he was out of the picture and now MacBeth’s most immediate threat was

MacDuff.
Murdering MacDuff’s family was the moment in the play when MacBeth had crossed whatever line still remained. It was an inhumane act that MacDuff over the edge. MacBeth learned that MacDuff had fled to England to team up with Malcolm to bring down MacBeth. After learning of this he decides to attack MacDuff’s castle and kill everyone inside. He follows through with this plan and kills MacDuff’s entire family including his young son. This brutal scene in the epitome of MacBeth’s rage and anger in his quest for power. At this point he couldn’t continue to be King because a King was supposed to have the trust of his people and all MacBeth had was the fear of his people.
Throughout the play, MacBeth was ruthless. His wild actions escalated over time. He killed with his own hands, he hired others to kill and finally he travelled a fair distance to murder an entire family. After he had murdered MacDuff’s family it was only logical that the appropriate retribution for MacBeth was for him to be beheaded by MacDuff to end his short, violent reign of power.