Anuj Garlapati

ENG1D8B
Mr. OBrien
December 7,2015
Macbeth Essay
People are always influenced by others, but some people only do what others tell them to
do. Pure pressure can lead people to commit horrible crimes, but people should take
responsibility for their decisions. In, William Shakespeares play Macbeth the witches visions
influenced Macbeth, but did not force him to kill anyone. Macbeth made many poor decisions
that lead his character to ruin. Macbeth chose to murder King Duncan and began to lose his
mind; then he chose to kill Banquo and started seeing ghosts; finally, he chose to have Macduffs
wife and children killed and then he stopped caring about his own wife.
Macbeth chose to kill Duncan, his cousin and consequently began losing his mind.
Although his wife influenced his decision to kill Duncan she did not force him. In Macbeths
own words, I have no spur / To prick the sides of my intent, but only / Vaulting ambition, which
o'erleaps itself / And falls on th' other(I.VII.25-28). Clearly, Macbeth understands that his own
decisions are responsible rather than his wife. The aftermath of this cruel decision corrupted
Macbeths mind."Stars, hide your fires, /Let not light see my black and deep desires;" (I.V.5051). Immediately Macbeths knows that his mind is been corrupted with dark ambition. No
Matter how much you want something you should never go too far over the moral consequences
to achieve your goal. Macbeth is a good man, but he does not think for himself so this is why
Macbeth changes to bad man. Even though Macbeth does not realize the crime he has
committed, he soon becomes insane and is not able to distinguish the difference between what is
good and what is bad.
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After conceding one crime, Macbeth does not stop and he soon choses to kill Banquo so he
can happily sustain his throne. Macbeth is not just willing to kill Banquo he is also willing to kill
his son, Fleance, this proves that Macbeth is crazy and does not know want to stop. Before
killing Banquo Macbeth chants the following lines,"O full of scorpions is my mind, dear wife...
thou knowst that Banquo and his Fleance lives."(III.II,38-39). Macbeth does not want to take any
chances to lose his throne because if he lost his throne there would be no point in killing Duncan
in the first place, which would have lead Macbeth into a better path. Lady Macbeth knows that
his husband is mentally ill after the deaths of Banquo and Duncan so when he arrives at the
banquet. Macbeth starts to see a ghost of Banquo which leads him to chanting rubbish in front of
everyone at the table. Lady Macbeth protects Macbeth by saying that her husband has a problem
since he was a kid and if you keep on looking at him it will grow worse. This proves that Lady
Macbeth does not want to get caught and she scared of what her husband will do. The witches
are also very cruel to lead Macbeth into a bad path by telling him false information about his
destiny. The witches say three apparitions which leads to Macbeths downfall. The three
apparitions are Beware Macduff; Beware the Thane of Fife, "None of women born Shall harm
Macbeth, and"be lion-mettled, proud, and take no care who chafes, who frets until Great
Birnam wood to high Dunsinane Hill /Shall come against him [Macbeth]" (IV.1.73-98). Macbeth
knows that with these apparitions he is invisible and does not fear anyone, but he these
apparitions are actually false. With already committing two cruel crimes, Macbeth is on a
rampage and will kill anything in his way.
After the death of Duncan and Banquo, Macbeth does not care what he has actually done
so then he wants to kill Macduffs family because Macduff is in his way. This is basically a
warning to Macduff. From this moment ,The very firstlings of my heart shall be The firstlings

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of my hand(IV.I.152-154). This proves that Macbeth wants Macduff to see his family being
murdered. At this point of the play, Macbeth realizes that an England army is coming to attack
his castle. This is also when Lady Macbeth suicides because she cannot stand the guilt of what
she and her husband has done. When Macbeth here that her wife has died he says the following
lines, She should have died hereafter; There would have been a time for such a word.
Tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow, Creeps in this petty pace from day to day To the last
syllable of recorded time, And all our yesterdays have lighted fools, The way to dusty death. Out,
out, brief candle! Life's but a walking shadow, a poor player, That struts and frets his hour upon
the stage, And then is heard no more: it is a tale Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury,
Signifying nothing(V.V.17-28). This shows that Macbeth really does not care about the tragic
death of his wife since he knows that an army is coming for him. Throughout the battle of
Macduff and Macbeth, Macduff tells Macbeth that i was born untimely ripped from my mothers
womb and then Macbeth does not believe him. This is what Macduffs says ,And let the angel
whom thou still hast served Tell thee, Macduff was from his mothers womb Untimely
ripped(I.VIII.13-15). At this point of time Macbeth knows that the witches prophecy that they
told him was fake. After Macduff beheads Macbeth Scotland is back to normal as the new king is
Malcolm.

Macbeths future was not the way he expected it to be because he believed what the witches
told him, This is why he committed all the crimes he did. Now matter who is telling how your
future is going to be, do not listen to them since you can shape your future how you want it to be.
In this case Macbeth shaped his future the wrong way by listening to someone else. Like

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Mahatma Gandhi said. The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of
others. Therefore, always believe in yourself, rather someone telling what to believe.

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