The Murder of King Duncan in Macbeth - 1082 Words

In the play Macbeth we can argue that there are three possible choices for who is most responsible for the murder of King Duncan. The first choice is the witches. In the whole of the play they seem to embody evil and make a morally corrupt atmosphere. In Elizabethan times they were regarded as evil so these prophecies would be thought to be evil. Macbeth first meets them after the battle against the Norway and they predict that he will be Thane of Cawdor and then King. At first he can not believe this but when he finds out he is Thane of Cawdor he and Banquo are surprised. Banquo says, Can the devil speak true? in surprise. This shows us they did not expect the witches to be telling the truth. After this Macbeth seems to be†¦show more content†¦It is the ambition in his mind that is crucial. He knows that Duncan is a good man and has never done any wrong to him. He owes him gratitude for the honours he has given him. He says that Duncan is, Here in double trust; first, as I am his kinsman and subject, strong both against deed; then, as his host, who should against his murderer shut the door, not bear the knife myself This stresses that he should not kill Duncan as he is relying upon Macbeth. Macbeth is his kinsman, one of the elite and one of his generals. He is his subject, and should not murder his ruler if he has done nothing wrong. He is also the host and should prevent someone murdering him and not do it himself. He also says He hath honour d me of late which is saying he has received the title of Thane of Cawdor. He says that he should enjoy all the praise he receives and not throw it away. All this shows us that Macbeth is simply too intelligent to be a puppet being used, he is aware of all the consequences and wants to be king. Also, he could have backed out at any point. There are many opportunities when he allows Lady Macbeth to push him around. When he first meets her he could have said to her that he was not prepared to take extreme measures or right until the end he could have backed out. So I think that Macbeth was the most responsible for the murder of King Duncan. He committed it and letShow MoreRelatedLady Macbeth as the Real Driving Force Behind the Murder of King Duncan988 Words   |  4 PagesLady Macbeth as the Real Driving Force Behind the Murder of King Duncan Even though Macbeth is actually the murderer of King Duncan, It appears that he commits this murder reluctantly and should not be blamed for the murder or bear the full responsibility of the murder. The three witches and Lady Macbeth actually played significant roles in cajoling Macbeth into committing the murder and could be argued that Lady Macbeth is the real drivingRead MoreMacbeth Text Response-This Deed, the Murder of King Duncan, Has Unanticipated Consequences for Both Macbeth and Lady Macbeth. 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