The Guilt Of Killing King Duncan In William Shakespeare's Macbeth

   Shakespeare's "Macbeth" holds many hidden themes within its already exuberant plot.  The first of these surrounds the murder of Duncan and the role that both Lady Macbeth and Macbeth himself played.  However, the true guilt of the murder can fall on either character.  Although Macbeth physically committed the crime, it was Lady Macbeth that pushed him to his limits of rational thought and essentially made fun of him to lower his esteem.  With Macbeth's defenses down, it was an easy task for Lady Macbeth to influence Duncan's murder and make up an excuse as to why she could not do it herself.  The guilt of Duncan's murder can be placed firmly on the head on Lady Macbeth.

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Essay topic: Is Lady Macbeth more responsible than Macbeth for the murder of King Duncan? Is Lady Macbeth a more evil character than her husband and, if so, why?

Macbeth should be guilty for his action that he killed Duncan. Macbeth says, “I am settled, and bend up Each corporal agent to this terrible feat” (Shakespeare, 46). However, he should become a king anyway if the prophecy was right, but he made a bad choice and decided to kill Duncan. He

Macbeth decided go against his predetermined fate prophesized by the three weird sisters, and killed Duncan at his own free will due to his desire for power, and his impulsiveness to become King of Scotland.

But despite Macbeth’s desire to take the throne, he does not want to kill Duncan. What pushes Macbeth over the edge is Lady Macbeth. She tells Macbeth to follow his ambitions and kill Duncan. She says that murdering Duncan is not a sin, and that it is all worth it for the crown. These words from Lady Macbeth’s mouth are what made Macbeth decide to follow through and commit murder. “I am settled and bend up each corporal agent to this terrible feat.” (1.7.92-93). Macbeth will do the act, but he is very reluctant to do so. In conclusion, Macbeth’s ambitions and his loyalty towards Lady Macbeth are huge factors for why Macbeth was torn, and why he decided to kill Duncan.

Macbeth’s ambitious ways takes over his whole inner self throughout his time of first wanting to be king. Macbeth was thought to be a great leader and war hero before he was king. Macbeth was hatched an idea by three suspicious witches in whom he had never come in contact with before. They told him that he would one day become King of Scotland. After the witches disappeared, he got to think a lot about what they told him and pondered the words they spoke. Macbeth sends a letter to his wife about his feelings of what he had heard. When Macbeth returned back to his castle his wife wanted to lead him down a dark path and feed his ambition. Macbeth decides he wants to go after the crown after consulting his wife. "I have no spur to prick the sides of my intent, but only vaulting ambition, which o'erleaps itself, and falls on th'other...." (Act I, scene vii) This shows that Macbeth’s only reason to kill Duncan is for his ambition. Macbeth ends up killing Duncan. The way Macbeth killed Duncan made it a great crime scene. Macbeth still

Duncan is the most unlikely character to be killed because of his personality, but because he is the King of Scotland, Macbeth loathes him. In the play there is very interaction between Macbeth and Duncan, showing the little time in which Macbeth gets more power. Prior to the witches’ prophecies Macbeth is loyal to Duncan, and would never imagine killing him. After the one of the witches’ prophecies comes to be true, the thought of killing Duncan, Macbeth "yield[s] to that suggestion / whose horrid

Living in the twenty-first century, the things we read in our classrooms are always littered with controversy. From being “too real” or “not educational enough” outsiders always have a way of poking their noses into our literature. One author in particular is heavily criticized nowadays because scholars feel that we as students can’t “relate” to his plays. Yes, this is about the one and only William Shakespeare and why his play Macbeth is definitely relatable.

     Later on (Act 1 Scene 7) Macbeth started to have some serious doubts about the dreadful deed he was planning. He still very much wanted to be King, but his conscience was getting in the way of his "vaulting ambition". However, his wife managed to reassure him that all will be well, and he weakly submits. Nevertheless, it is absurd to suggest that Lady Macbeth was responsible for Macbeth’s decision to kill the King. If Macbeth had not wanted to kill the King, he wouldn’t have, regardless of any amount of bullying from his wife. He knows that he really wants to kill Duncan, it was his initial thought when he first encountered the witches. However, he didn’t like to think he was capable of such atrocities.

Macbeth tells a story of deceit, betrayal, and a man who, once pushed, would stop at nothing to get what he desired and keep it that way. The murder of King Duncan was not simply just because of Macbeth, as most people would usually believe since he was the one that went ahead with stabbing him. The blame should rightly fall on both Lady Macbeth and the Witches. There are multiple facts to support this statement.

What have I done? This is my entire fault. All of this would have never happened if I…If I did not force my husband to do something so monstrously evil. Now I’m tormented by this guilt, the guilt of killing not an enemy but a friend. I would never thought it would result in this, after he killed Duncan by manipulating him, his desire of power grows stronger and stronger. The killing of Duncan has done something to him; I turned him into a monster. I manipulated his mind to think the right thing to do was to kill Duncan to have his power, wealth and control over Scotland. I know he ordered murderers to kill Banquo, his friend, and Macduff’s family. He did not think this through and now everything is falling apart. I know what he did to Banquo

Macbeth did not feel like he had a reason to kill king Duncan because he welcomed him to his home and the king had done nothing wrong to him or his wife. Macbeth knew that it was wrong to kill a good king, lady. Macbeth called him a coward for not taking the opportunity to have wealth and the throne of the country. Lady Macbeth tells sir Macbeth that she will have king Duncan’s servants drunk before killing him, and then they would blame the servants for the murder. Lady Macbeth will ring a bell for Macbeth so that he will know that it is time for the

Macbeth is the new thane of Cawdor (I:ii 65-68) and in the act (I:iv) macbeth wants to kill Duncan. Macbeth was told by the witches he will one day become king. Lady Macbeth likes what she heard,but she thinks Macbeth is too nice. Everytime Macbeth changed his mind about doing bad things lady Macbeth questions his loyalty to her. Lady Macbeth would question his manhood, macbeth lost the thoughts on killing Duncan.

Macbeth must kill King Duncan so that he can be King. Macbeth feels pressured and afraid of the deed that he must commit as he considers the consequences of murdering King Duncan, “…But in these cases / We still have judgement here” (1.7.7-8). Lady Macbeth feeds mortal thoughts of killing to Macbeth (Favila 1) and overpowers him by challenging his manhood. This eventually leads him to commit the act of murder. Macbeth conflict with what is right and wrong and mortal thoughts definitely do haunt him, but it is