The Importance Of Moral Values In Macbeth

A shortcut to success may sound intriguing, but a “false face must hide what the false heart doth know” (1.7.82), meaning that a mask must hide a guilty face therefore, hiding an ugly heart. In the play Macbeth written by William Shakespeare, Macbeth, a Scottish noble, received a prophecy from three witches saying that he will become king. But, when convinced by his wife, he gained the crown sooner than expected by killing King Duncan. As the play progresses, Macbeth is visited by guilt and remorse that later rob him of his beliefs. In the tragedy, Macbeth’s development conveys that living dishonorably in order to achieve one’s ambitions ultimately is not worth the expense of losing moral values. In the beginning of the play, Macbeth began with morals set for himself that originally restrained him from dishonoring the king. Before

Macbeth had a feeling of deep regret and felt as if he didn’t have the right to say ‘Amen. “I could not say ‘Amen’?/ When they did say ‘God bless you’” (2.2.37). Amen is said after a prayer, which is a solemn request for help or expression of thanks addressed to God by definition. Since Macbeth didn’t have the integrity to say such a holy word, it can only mean he felt as if he was unworthy and would be disrespecting God. Macbeth is then seen to have a feeling of remorse after the murder when he realized his wrong-doings, “I am afraid to think what I have done./ Look on’t again I dare not” (2.2.66-67). Macbeth clarifies that he is already in regret about killing Duncan for he is shocked by what he was capable of. A small transition is being witnessed since he is ‘daring’ not to look back on the past and foreshadows how he is going to refuse to feel guilt again. By committing murder in order to gain the crown, Macbeth starts to lose the value of what his morals meant to