What is Macbeth's Drive in Committing Duncan's Murder

662 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Shakespeare and madness

What is Macbeth's Drive in Committing Duncan's Murder

In committing Duncan's murder how far is Macbeth driven by his own

ambition, how far is he dominated by his wife's ambition and how far

is he influenced by the witches.

In the beginning of the play it is obvious that Macbeth is a hero but

this is soon forgotten due to his wife and the encounter with the

three very weird witches.

At the very beginning of the play (Act 1 Scene1) it is clear that the

witches have something planned for Macbeth "There to meet with

Macbeth" Macbeth and his friend Banquo soon stumble across the witches

(act1 scene 3). The witches all start to hail Macbeth with his current

title "All hail Macbeth hail to thee Thane of Glamis". Then they start

to chanting and calling him the Thane of Cawdor and then "All hail

Macbeth that shall be King here after". This alone must intrigue

Macbeth as it's the dream of many people to become king. Macbeth is

interested to find out more about himself and his future as he says

"Stay you imperfect speakers tell me more". Macbeth is then slightly

curious of what the witches had said as many other people would be if

you was told that you were going to be king. Coincidently he is then

approached by one of the king's messengers and is told that he is the

new Thane of Cawdor and that the old Thane of Cawdor was treacherous.

Duncan at the side of Macbeth the new Thane seems to be happy for

Macbeth. This I feel is when Macbeths infatuation with the weird

witches begins.

Lady Macbeth receives a letter from her husband describing the weird

and wonderful event that occurred on his journey. Lady Macbeth is

excited at the news what she has just received and mentally she starts

to plan out her murder on Duncan to ensure that her husband is to be

King of Scotland, which would then make her Queen.

She then (in Soliloquy) describes her husband as not being man enough

Show More
Related

  • Why Macbeth Decided to Kill King Duncan

    380 Words  | 1 Pages

    At the start of Act 1, Scene 2 Macbeth is shown brave and loyal with

    Read More

  • Ambition in Macbeth

    1798 Words  | 4 Pages

    Shakespeare introduces the protagonist of the play as a valiant and a prominent character, even before the audience meets him. Macbeth’s fellow soldiers give us a view of his bravery and courageous manner. In order to prove his loyalty towards his king, Macbeth had won the appalling war against Norway, and became a hero:

    Read More

  • Macbeth's Killing of Duncan in William Shakespeare's Macbeth

    2237 Words  | 5 Pages

    fought for his country. He is seen as a hero at the start of the play

    Read More

  • Impact of Guilt on MacBeth

    790 Words  | 2 Pages

    She is already planning the murder of Duncan long before her husband’s return.

    Read More

  • Change of Macbeth in William Shakespeare's Macbeth

    1658 Words  | 4 Pages

    It is clear from the beginning of the play that Macbeth is a brave war

    Read More

  • Macbeth Literary Critic Essay

    803 Words  | 2 Pages

    Macbeth would not be the best first choice of literary character to use as an example of a hero. He is a hero in the beginning of the play and arguably a hero in the end, it is in the middle where his heroism falters. In Act One Macbeth is showered in compliments after defeating the Thane of Cawdor, he is noted as a “brave”, “valiant cousin, and “worthy gentleman” (1.2.17-26). He is of noble status and gains the title Thane of Cawdor for his victory over Macdonwald. Macbeth is a remarkable war hero.

    Read More

  • The Character of Macbeth in William Shakespeare's Play

    1470 Words  | 3 Pages

    The Character of Macbeth in William Shakespeare's Play At the beginning of the play Macbeth is seen as a courageous soldier

    Read More

  • Macbeth is not a Hero in William Shakespeare's Macbeth

    768 Words  | 2 Pages

    Macbeth is not a tragic hero because a man is responsible for his own actions and this is the case with Macbeth. By deceiving and murdering his friends, he proves he is not a hero. He lets himself be corrupted by the prophecies of the witches. This weakness demonstrates that he lacks the qualities to be a hero (Johnson 1).

    Read More

  • Shakespeare's Language and the Main Characters' Views About Love

    2215 Words  | 5 Pages

    At the start of the play, in Act 1 Scene 1, there is a theme of

    Read More

  • Can We Hold Macbeth Fully Responsible For The Evil Deeds In The Play?

    2344 Words  | 5 Pages

    In Act II, Scene II, Macbeth is patented as a hero, when he defeated Norway in a war for his country. O valiant cousin, worthy gentleman. Initially, the Elizabethan audience considered Macbeth as a respectable and well-liked character. We do however learn that appearances can be deceptive which corresponds with the main theme; 'Fair is foul, Foul is fair' which is referred to a lot throughout the play. This theme is first introduced in Act I, Scene I where the witches foretell the struggle between the forces of evil and good in which Macbeth is to be involved.

    Read More

  • Murder in Shakespeare's Macbeth

    588 Words  | 2 Pages

    Macbeth is a true Shakespearian tragedy, in which mast murders take place, in order for one man and women to take the throne and become king and queen. It starts with Duncan’s murder, which is done because Macbeth did not want to see Duncan’s son next in line for the throne and the only way to prevent that was by eliminating Duncan. The nest murder was that of Banquo. Banquo is a friend of Macbeth and his murder is un-predictable. Macbeth may have feared that if he did not kill Banquo, Banquo would kill him in order to gain a position power seeing that the witch’s just informed both Macbeth and Banquo that Macbeth will be the next King of Scotland and Banquo will never have the chance to hold the throne. Once Banquo is out of the way, Macbeth turns his attention to his real target, King MaCduff. Although at first hesitant about killing MaCduff, Macbeth chooses to murder MaCduff, a man who Macbeth himself said was a good man and a fine leader. The last murder is of MaCduff’s family. Macbeth can not take any chances and must kill any associated with the former king (King MaCduff). The murder of MaCduff’s wife and son is the most vicious crime of them all because for one we see the killing on stage and number two a child is murdered, the most vicious and horrific thing one can show. Macbeth murders for personal gain and has no regrets or else he would not have continued his mass slaughtering. Macbeth is responsible for these murders because he commits them himself, without any assistance, he kills everyone out of necessity, and because all these acts were done out of free will.

    Read More

  • Explain Why Macbeth Should Not Kill Duncan

    132 Words  | 1 Pages

    Macbeth is in a tough spot wondering if he should or should not kill King Duncan. I personally think that Macbeth should not kill Duncan. Although there are some advantages to killing Duncan it might hurt him in the long run. If Macbeth kills Duncan than he will become the king. He will be on top of the food chain and control everything and everyone. If he doesn’t kill the king then he will not become the king right now. If he would just have some patience then maybe someday his dream of coming king will come true. “Fair is foul, and foul is fair” (1, 1, 12). I agree with Emma Larson in this statement because I think it has something to do with what happens to be right or

    Read More

  • macbeth: symbolism

    957 Words  | 2 Pages

    In Shakespeares “Macbeth”, Macbeth is an anti hero. He is very ambitious and courageous. However, he is also a moral coward, this is Macbeths fatal flaw, which in the end leads to his doom. Shakespeare defines Macbeth as a hero very clearly. His valor in defense of Scotland is significant in the opening scene. However, he is very ambitious to be king. At the beginning of the play, he was loyal to the king. While he did imagine the murder his mind rejects it and said, "Why, if chance will have me king, why, chance may crown me," (1.3.12-13). Yet his ambition increasingly defeated his good nature.

    Read More

  • macbeth

    832 Words  | 2 Pages

    A Shakespearean tragic hero may be defined as “an exceptional being of high degree” who contributes to his own degeneration and illustrates a personality flaw. The character of Shakespeare’s Macbeth is in all ways the perfect example of a tragic hero. His greatness and bravery in battle for his country ultimately leads him to be a great thane and eventually a powerful king, making his actions have a significant impact on a country. Macbeth’s ambition on becoming a king leads to an obsession to remain in his current position. His ambition comes to a point where he falls to the temptation of evil which leads to Macbeth’s inevitable downfall. At the beginning of the play, Macbeth is portrayed as a brave man whose performance in Scotland’s battle is celebrated.

    Read More

  • Macbeth: Heuristic Response

    1712 Words  | 4 Pages

    At the beginning of Shakespeare’s play, Macbeth is described as a hero very clearly. He becomes very ambitious to be king and was very loyal to the king in the opening scenes. This is shown in the quote “If chance will have me king, why, chance may crown me, Without my stir”. His ambition to be king dissolved his good nature and morality. When Duncan arrives at Inverness, Macbeth controlled his ambition for the time being and thought very firmly on the plotting of Duncan’s murder. A quote by Lady Macbeth stated “My hands are of your color; but I shame to wear a heart so white”. When Lady Macbeth called him a coward, before you knew it, the murder was taking place. After the successful murder of Duncan, Macbeth entered a life of evil. Ambition was also clearly stated when he thought of killing his friend Banquo to protect the kingship. The witches’ predictions sent Macbeth into his own world where he could not be deterred from becoming king.

    Read More

More about What is Macbeth's Drive in Committing Duncan's Murder

Open Document