Banquo and Macbeth meet three witches after defending Scotland against a rebellion. These witches represent evil and they are messengers of the devil. They are one of the factors that affect Macbeth and cause him to enter into a life of evil. They had fought nobly and were very excited. They could not believe their eyes and ask if they had ‘eaten from the insane root’ and were having hallucinations. The witches prophesize that Macbeth, Thane of Fife will soon earn the title, Thane of Cawdor and after that become king of Scotland. Macbeth is ‘wrapt’ in thought about this.
At first he wonders if this oracle has any merit. But the true thought of it makes him wonder and starts his early thoughts of conspiracy. He expresses these thoughts to his wife, Lady Macbeth, in a letter. Macbeth rides in a hurry to get home on his horse to talk to Lady Macbeth about her thoughts on the matter. She is totally convinced that Macbeth should kill the king and take his thrown. However Malcolm, the King’s son, has already been crowned Prince of Cumberland. Macbeth sees this and drops most thoughts of conspiracy.
Lady Macbeth sees this and convinces herself to convince him to commit this crime. She uses a bombardment of arguments to do this against Macbeth. She questions his man hood, and talks about what she would do if she were in his position. Ruthlessly describing scenes of a hardened heart, Lady Macbeth becomes the major factor on Macbeth’s decision. She takes the biggest rip in the fabric of Macbeth’s conscience. Macbeth commits the crime and enters his life of evil and begins his rule of Scotland after a short piece of realization of what he has done. Malcolm and Donalbain flee to other countries.
The Essay on Comparing And Contrasting Macbeth And Lady Macbeth
In the play Macbeth by William Shakespeare, Macbeth and Lady Macbeth are depicted very differently and simply wanting kingship are among the few similarities. It is also interesting how the differences between Macbeth and Lady Macbeth are caused by other differences in their traits, starting chain reactions of contrariety. Macbeth and Lady Macbeth both posses greedy and ambitious attributes. So ...
He murders all that oppose him. He thinks Banquo knows too much, being that he was with him when the witches deliver the oracle and send his henchmen to murder Banquo and his son, Fleance. Banquo is murdered but Fleance escapes. Macbeth is not worried because only the harmless worm has gotten away (Fleance) and the large venomous serpent is dead (Banquo).
He does this under the ignorance of Lady Macbeth. She does not know that he has stepped into the river of blood, the life of evil and that he is as independent as he is.
Macduff has fled to England to gather an army and to get Malcolm to come back to what is actually his. Macbeth, unknowing of this, sends his henchmen to Macduff’s castle to kill Macduff. The henchmen find only Macduff’s servants and his wife a boy. They are slain without mercy. Macduff hears this in England and with some convincing of Malcolm he rallies and army and goes to avenge Duncan’s death. Macbeth has committed 100% to evil.
He has devoted his life to being evil. Macbeth hears this and goes to the witches for an answer from the supernatural. They tell him he is safe until Birnam Wood approaches and he cannot be slain by a man that has been born of a woman. He concludes in false pride and trust that he is invincible. Lady Macbeth kills herself in the sight of the inevitable battle. However the advancing army has disguised themselves as tree and Birnam Wood does approach. Macduff, untimely ripped from his mother’s womb, slays Macbeth.
Macbeth and his torn conscience fall to that of the good hearted. Macbeth made hasty decisions. His one fatal flaw, his hubris, was his weak will. He did not have the power to fight all these influences that presented themselves to him, each of these influences slowly ripping and tearing at Macbeth. He rips and commits his life to corruption and walks the full river of blood..
