Introduction
Macbeth is a play, one of the most famous tragedies by William Shakespeare, presented for the first time in 1606. It is based on the true story of the Scottish king Macbeth and reveals an excessive lust for power. In the story, General Macbeth hears the prophecy of three witches that he is to receive the title of Thane and King. For merits in the battle, he gets the first title and then, with the help of his wife Lady Macbeth, dishonestly takes possession of the rest. Lady Macbeth developed the murder plan, but the most significant responsibility still rests with the general himself.
Guilt for the Murder
There is a point of view that it is the witches who are to blame for all events. They awaken in the future king a thirst for power, leading to tragic consequences. Witches are depicted as highly unusual characters. They wear beards, thunderstorms, and winds accompany their appearance, and their poetry is rhymed (Shakespeare, 1623/2005). The witches are the main engines of the plot, but their prophecies do not force Macbeth to do anything. He is the creator of his history.
Another character involved in the death of King Duncan is Lady Macbeth. After receiving her husband’s letter, it is in her head that a plan to seize the throne is brewing, and it is she who convinces Macbeth of its execution. She takes on most of the work, even tossing a bloody dagger to the servants. Her actions aim to obtain the intended power as soon as possible, and she uses various tricks to persuade her husband (Shakespeare, 1623/2005). She is presented as a strong, level-headed woman, capable of showing attentiveness and hospitality to Duncan and immediately plotting a royal coup in cold blood.
Lady Macbeth questions the masculinity of the future King Macbeth by trying to persuade him. Moreover, although her husband already had the idea of murder, without the help of Lady Macbeth, he would not have dared to do so. The responsibility of Macbeth’s wife for the deed should not be underestimated, but the last word was with Macbeth, and he had a chance to refuse this act. Macbeth and his wife have an evil conscience, but they find it difficult to stop there (Shakespeare, 1623/2005). The lust for power again prompts the new king to conspiracy and murder, in which Lady Macbeth avouches him.
After ascending the throne of Macbeth, the witches return to the plot again. Their new prophecies give new impetus to the story, further exacerbating the fall of Macbeth’s soul. At first, it may seem that the royal couple has no conscience, but Lady Macbeth begins to walk in her sleep, trying to wash the imaginary blood from her hands. It brings her, according to the king, to suicide, further darkening his thoughts. A series of tragic events lead to the death of Macbeth himself, as a result of which all the prophecies of the witches are fulfilled.
Conclusion
Thus, Macbeth himself becomes the most responsible for the murder of the king, even though both his wife and the witches influenced this decision. If there were no such traits as the lust for power and intolerance in the character of Macbeth, he would have stopped before tragic deeds. He does not value friendship, sacrifices honor for the sake of his own selfish goals. As a true king, he had to refuse to kill and convince Lady Macbeth to deprive her of such thoughts. As for the witches, despite their creepy image, they only served as the engines of the plot. Their prophecies exposed Macbeth and his wife as selfish and lechery individuals, revealing a lack of honor, respect, and nobility in them. A wise person would take the apparition of ascension to the throne as a benison and not as a call to impure action.
References
Shakespeare, W. (2005). Macbeth. R. Gibson (Eds.). Cambridge University Press. (Original work published 1623).