Macbeth Text Response

Macbeth is portrayed as being a loyal and noble man but when faced with a life-changing decision, his dark side begins to surface and greed takes over common sense. He appears to be quite gullible and is persuaded easily by his wife and the witches into becoming king and letting nothing get in the way.

After a Macbeth returns from a battle, he is seen to be “noble Macbeth” in the eyes of King Duncan. By the end of Act 1 Scene 3, all seems to be going smoothly in Scotland: battles have been rewarded and good fortune prophesised without Macbeth having to do much at all. “If chance will have me king, why chance may crown me without my stir”. But from the beginning, we are shown a great man that is stained with evil and when Duncan announces that Malcolm would be the next in line to the throne, Macbeth sees red, and now the idea of killing his way to the throne is imbedded in his mind. However unbeknown to everyone else, Macbeth is a ruthless warrior. Killing is his almost his second nature and in those times, blood was a common sight so it is not the goriness of the “deed” but the morality of it more so. Duncan is family and the King, which gives him all the more reason not to follow through with it. When his wife enters, hoping for him to go through with it, he delivers his decision: “We will proceed no further in this business”. But she sees this as a chance. Macbeth is respected by Duncan and many people now ‘believe’ he is a good person. She understands Macbeth well and knows of his sense of honour and that she fears will stand in the way of their desire for the throne.

By murdering Duncan and then the guards, Macbeth is willingly the cause of his own suffering, his ambition to rule Scotland causes him to commit terrible deeds that do not inspire pity. After the “deed was done” he feels nothing but guilt “Glamis hath murdered sleep, and therefore Cawdor shall sleep no more: Macbeth shall sleep no more” However, not long after, he plans for Banquo’s murder, this time without informing Lady Macbeth. This appears to be an act of protection, for both of them, and his violent behaviour, as evidenced by the murders, do not suggest sympathy should be given. Mostly, because he does not regret his actions, he may feel guilty about them and it may haunt him afterwards. But not once does he ask for forgiveness.