Who Is To Blame In Macbeth

Words: 429
Pages: 2

However when King Duncan stayed at Macbeth’s palace, Lady Macbeth encouraged her husband to murder Duncan to finally acquire Duncan’s powerful status. Although it was Macbeth’s ambition that fueled him to commit the action and caused him suffering it was Lady Macbeth who urged Macbeth to perform it. As expressed in scene 5 15-16 Lady Macbeth states “Glamis thou art, and Cawdor, and shalt be
What thou art promis'd. Yet do I fear thy nature?
It is too full o' th' milk of human kindness To catch the nearest way.” In this scene Lady Macbeth fears that her husband lacks the courage to seize the Scottish crown in the most efficient manner. "The nearest way," as she perceives it, is to murder King Duncan. She hatches this plot that had coincidentally occurred to Macbeth as well. When he writes home that three witches have prophesied that he shall be crowned "thane" of Cawdor, and later on ascend the throne the first half of the prophecy has
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As a whole, Macbeth’s fate revolves around conflicting matters such as the murderer of Duncan, the evidence of the murderer and the aftermath. Most people have felt guilty before, it’s a normal thing. But when we choose to ignore our feelings of guilt we destroy our consciences. In his play, Shakespeare incorporates his interpretation of guilt into images. Blood and water are two of the symbols in Macbeth that enact as the effects of guilt. The blood symbolizes the remembrance of Macbeth as well as Lady Macbeths premeditated actions. Similar thoughts can be said about water and what it may represent to both Macbeth and Lady Macbeth. This can coincide with Lady Macbeth's statement to Macbeth - "go get some water / And wash this filthy witness" from his hands (2.2.60-61). Then again after the murders Macbeth replies that even "Great Neptune's ocean" could not wash away his stain of guilt