Macbeth’s Descent into Evil
Uploaded by sas108 on Sep 10, 2006
Macbeth’s Descent into Evil
In the tragedy of Shakespeare’s Macbeth, the main character, Macbeth, starts out as an honorable nobleman and a heroic swordsman who descends into pure evil because of his lust for power. We see this lust for power and control becomes stronger and stronger even as he is King. He makes three fatal mistakes throughout the play: he allows himself to succumb to the witches’ temptations, he allows himself to be manipulated by Lady Macbeth, his wife, and he also ignores his conscience. If it were not for these critical errors, Macbeth would not have become the tyrant he did.
The initial mistake of Macbeth is adhering to the witches and what they prophesied. The temptation and desire of becoming King forces the unfortunate nobleman to commit the sinful act of regicide. Macbeth originally does not think much of what the witches had foretold, but when the first prophecy comes true, and he does become Thane of Cowdor. Macbeth and his friend Banquo question whether all prophecies are true. Banquo even asks can these unholy and malevolent beings speak the truth, because it is unlikely for witches to be doing good rather than evil. Later on Banquo even give Macbeth a warning, he says:
“oftentimes, to win us to our harm,
The instruments of darkness tell us truths,
Win us with honest trifles, to betray’s
In deepest consequence.”
indicating that frequently agents of evil tell us something that is true; first to gain our trust and then mislead us in matters of most importance. At this time Macbeth has not completely trust himself within the prophecies of the witches. However, he is already thinking of how he could attain the crown even so he is still loyal and honorable so this “horrid image” that he is having, of killing King Duncan and usurping the crown, petrifies him.
As the play unfolds Macbeth turns nearly pure evil, he seeks out the witches again, for he is in need of their aid. Once again, they warn him of something that is to be, that Macduff is a threat, regaining his faith in them Macbeth is quick to trust them again, and repeats his initial mistake. The witches apparition tell him that his castle is safe until Birnam wood comes to Dunsinane, but it is a physical impossibility for a forest to move, and that
“none of woman born shall harm Macbeth”.
implying that he...