Macbeth
In one of Shakespeare’s greatest plays, Macbeth, he uses darkness, deceit and the supernatural to express the dishonesty and treachery of his story. On the level of human evil, Shakespeare’s tragedy is about Macbeth’s rise to power, including the murder of the Scottish king, Duncan. The eminent Macbeth himself murders King Duncan after meeting up with a trio of witches, who tell him that he will be king. After hearing this, he no longer remains loyal to Duncan, and him and his wife, Lady Macbeth, hatch a pernicious plan to kill him, and frame the guards outside of the king’s bedroom for the murder.
Lady Macbeth plays a major role in influencing her husband to take the path that he does. She is the cause of unleashing Macbeth’s true side of evil. Like her husband, her ambition for power leads her into an unnatural, paranormal realm of witchcraft, insomnia and madness. After the murder, Macbeth feels guilty for the crime that he and his wife committed, saying “for them the gracious Duncan have I murdered; put rancors in the vessel of my peace.” (286) Because Macbeth’s wife was going insane, she tried convincing him that he shouldn’t feel guilty for Duncan’s murder, even after King Duncan’s sons, Malcolm and Donalbain, were suspected of bribing the guards in killing their own father.
After Macbeth becomes king, in order to secure his throne, he must kill Banquo and his son, for the witches told him that Banquo’s descendents would have the throne after him. After setting up a trap to kill Banquo and his son, the son escapes. Adter Banquo’s death, Macbeth is left being plagued by his ghost. Since only Macbeth can see the ghost, he looks insane to everyone who watches him, so his wife tries to play it off as just a temporary illness that Macbeth has.
The Term Paper on Lady Macbeth Witches Duncan King
... to his wife and together they plot to murder Duncan. They kill Duncan while he is asleep in their house. Macbeth becomes king; the ... made the prediction that Banquo's son would be king. So Macbeth hires people to murder Banquo and his son Fleance. Banquo is killed ... was rightly defeated by Macduff, and one of Duncan's sons- Malcom became King. Macbeth was responsible for the tragedy that befell him.
Macbeth goes to see the witches again to learn his fate and they tell him to “beware Macduff; that he will not be defeated until Birnam wood moves to Dunsinane; and that Macbeth will not be killed by someone born of a woman.” (282) Macbeth takes all of these signs to mean that he is invincible.
In England, Malcolm, the rightful inheritor of the throne, and Macduff ban together to kill Macbeth. When Macbeth hears that he is wanted dead, he sends murderers to Macduff’s home to kill his wife and children.
When Macduff learns that his wife and child are dead, he grows furious and pursues looking for Macbeth to kill him. Macbeth is unafraid, until he learns that the troops have camouflaged themselves with wood from the Birnam forest and are moving toward Dunsinane, just as the witches said would be his fate. When Macbeth comes face to face with Macduff he learns that Macduff was removed from his mother’s womb, and was, thus, never born. Macduff kills Macbeth and Malcolm is returned to the throne and made all hi s Thanes and kinsmen earls.
In reiteration, I say that Shakespeare uses darkness and evil as a dominant theme because it captivates the audience and provides an intriguing setting for the play. Audiences of Shakespeare’s time were curious and fascinated in witchcraft and sorcery. The audiences was beguiled by the witches yet were astonished by Macbeth’s evil doings.
