William Shakespeare's Macbeth

William Shakespeare's Macbeth

“This dead butcher” is not an accurate description of Macbeth.

Macbeth did not give an impression of a “butcher” since he was

affected by the death of Duncan. He had contemplated on the positive

and negative points about killing Duncan before he committed the act

of treason. However his ambition to be king and Lady Macbeth’s

persuasiveness and mocking had overridden his sense and logic which

caused him to commit this crime. He was consumed by guilt and regret

the minute after he killed Duncan.

Macbeth had not intended to murder Duncan at all. He was described as

someone admirable and brave since the book stated he was called ‘brave

Macbeth’. He fought for King Duncan in the civil war and fought

gallantly and honourably on the battlefield. He was also a man who

would out his own life on the line since he had waded into the thick

of the battle until he took on Macdonald himself therefore Macbeth

being described as the ‘God of War’. ‘As sparrows eagles, or the hare

the lion’ describes how courageous Macbeth and Banquo were. These

reasons were why Macbeth was Duncan’s one of his favourites since he

called him ‘O valiant cousin, worthy gentlemen’. Duncan sees Macbeth

as a brave soldier and family man because of Macbeth’s attitude and

services to Duncan. However, being provoked to do an evil deed by the

prediction of the witches had caused him to commit high treason.

The prediction of Macbeth becoming the Thane of Cawdor had come true

and believing that himself will become king, spurred him on to do

something. His wanting for more than gratitude from Duncan won out

and his ambition for the ti...

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...rd of religion. He

had also ‘murdered sleep’ when he had murdered Duncan. Macbeth

believed he had done a horrible deed that he will not be able to sleep

when he said ‘Glamis hath murdered sleep, and therefore Cawdor/ Shall

sleep no more: Macbeth shall sleep no more’. He believed that he was

so consumed by guilt that nothing will make him pure and clean again.

Macbeth cannot be described as ‘the dead butcher’ since he had

contemplated on the fact that Duncan did not deserve to be murdered

for his ambition but had been pressurized and mocked by his wife to

the point where he had to kill Duncan. Also, he felt shame and guilt

during the act of murder and regret after he had committed the crime.

If Macbeth were a ‘butcher’ as Malcolm had called him, Macbeth should

not have felt any emotion during or after the murder.