Shakespear's Play Macbeth: Who killed Duncan - Essay Example

Who killed Duncan? Macbeth play is one of the Shakespeare’s works largely associated with murder. The main themesthat are brought to light by the author of the play include aspiration, greed, and murder. The proper use of characterization helps to support these main themes. This is more evident when Macbeth wore the blood of Duncan on his harms during the fateful night. As one of the main decisions surrounding the play, Shakespeare brings out many factors that influenced him to make his final decisions. The setting of the play is in Scotland, whereby during that time Duncan was the ultimate king. At the beginning of the play, Scotland people are in a war with the Norwegians. This paper will seek to present more clearly the idea of Duncan’s death, drawing evidence from the play’s main themes as the unique characterization. First, Macbeth is a great military hero. Associating himself with the three witches, Macbeth gets a prophecy that he will be the next King of Scotland. He takes this idea positively with greatness, which contributes to the sequence of events through out the entire play. The witches are somehow responsible for introducing all these ideas by ensuring Macbeth that he will be the Scotland’s king. The witches did this by saying “All hail Macbeth, hail to thee Thane of Cawdor” (Shakespeare and Braunmuller 108), and also when they say “All hail Macbeth that shalt be the king there after” (Shakespeare and Braunmuller 112). The witches as worship to Macbeth, they do plant a seed that grows, Causing Duncan’s death, and Macbeth’s destruction. During the Elizabethan time, the prophecies of witches were commonly acceptable as real. In the first Act, scene five of the play, the character of lady Macbeth comes out clealry. This depicts itself when she receives a letter from Macbeth; her first thought is to kill King David. “Hie thee hither, that I may pour my spirits into thine ear” (Shakespeare and Braunmuller 124).This means that she is eager to meet Macbeth so that she can talk to him about the King Duncan’s murder. However, Lady Macbeth worries about the Macbeth heart, which is full of human kindness. During this time, Lady Macbeth is putting her thought on definitely becoming a King and trying to feature out the greatness that this will bring. Although she is aware of the Macbeth’s weakness of human kindness, she knows well that after manipulation of her powers, this will bring a fabulous success. Her full determination to become a queen is evident when she refers to “the raven” who “himself is hoarse”. Because she knows that the audience will realize that she is planning to kill King Duncan, she requests the spirits to oppose her nature by saying, “unsex me here”, abandoning all her femininity (Shakespeare and Braunmuller 125). Lady Macbeth is arrogant, vicious and thinks less about the killing of King Duncan. This depicts the fact that she does not have any sense of what is morality, but instead she presents herself as immoral. She even thinks that it is a moral idea to commit murder and kill King Duncan when she says, “Wouldst thou have that which thou esteem’st the ornament of life, and live a coward in thine own esteem” (Shakespeare and Braunmuller 103). She tells Macbeth not to commit murder saying that it would be a horrible event according to him. Further, she advises that the act would to a large extend present him as a coward. She uses her manipulation techniques to make Macbeth look somehow weak. It is her hope that, Macbeth will respond to this matter by doing the opposite so that he can maintain his strength, and psychological. By doing this, her plans will be successful because Macbeth will succeed in carrying out her ruthless plans. After commitment of the murderous act, she remains very calm, and she later questions Macbeth to go back to the murder scenario. However, Macbeth gives a negative response causing her to act lonely. Lady Macbeth takes everything in her own hands without any fear and doubts. With the courage, she proceeds to the murder scene in order to back the dagger to the King’s house and even smears the grooms with the King Duncan’s blood. This portrays her composure, and that she is no longer weak. Macbeth looks so worried after the return of Lady Macbeth from the murder scene. She portrays this through her reaction towards the door knocking when she asks, “Whence is that knocking. How is not with me, when every noise appalls me?” (Shakespeare and Braunmuller 108). The death of King Duncan affects her so much and makes her go temporarily insane, “me thought I heard a voice cry ‘Sleep no more! Macbeth does murder sleep” (108). This shows the purpose of sleeping, and lack of Macbeth in the leading of King Duncan’s murder. Lady Macbeth on the other hand, remains composed the day after the murder of King Duncan. Lady Macbeth understands that the weakness affecting Macbeth will soon gain influence. Her anxiety depicts when she claims that her husband should remain less hearted and merry. However, her instant and direct thoughts make her appear harsh and cruel, although this is not real. Lady Macbeth later decides to clean her conscience of the evil spirits for her not to give up in her events. Lady Macbeth feels more energetic about the occasion, and her abilities proven by her attention concerning the murder of King Duncan. Her good conscious comes out when Lady Macbeth says, “Had he not resembled my father as he slept, I had done’t” (Shakespeare and Braunmuller 178). However, although many people claim that Lady Macbeth and the three witches played a major role in encouraging Macbeth to kill King Duncan this is merely false. These three witches only informed Macbeth that she would become the next King. The three witches did not mention anything concerning murder. Since Macbeth thought about the act of murder, this shows that he was now thinking about taking the throne. Although many believe that, the witches played a role of increasing Macbeth’s plans and ambitious of committing the ruthless event, they did not force him to murder King Duncan. Banquo also received some news from the three witches saying that his children would become kings yet this good news did not force him to commit murder. If it were true that the witches influenced Macbeth to kill King Duncan, the same also would happen with Banquo who will end up killing not even King Duncan but also everyone who is not on his side. Lady Macbeth influence Macbeth’s deeds by questioning about his courage although he made suggestions about the murder and thus Macbeth was the one to do all the responsibilities alone. Immediately after the death of King Duncan, the two draws apart from each other. Macbeth no longer conveys his secrets to his wife or let her help in any of his ambition and plans. This is one of main characteristics of a Hero. He must do all his planning alone and take his responsibilities on his own actions. This is true with Macbeth. For one to be a hero, he should responsible for his own deeds. Macbeth realizes all this when he involves in a fight with Macduff, believing that he will definitely receive defeat. Through out the entire play Macbeth makes choices of his own and no one can force him do anything (Shakespeare and Braunmuller 118). Although the other actors could encourage him or give him some ideas, he ultimately does his own actions. Finally, by considering who is responsible for the murder of King Duncan, this essay considers some of the characters who were physically involved in the murder or not. Macbeth who is the main protagonist he is obvious the murderer because he is the one who physically involved in the murder. In Act 1 scene 2, 19 the general view of Macbeth termed as positive because he is a brave warrior fighting to become the country’s next King. In addition, we learn about Macbeth’s ambition when he receives the witches’ prophecy, people expect him to either neglect it or welcome the idea. Instead of celebrating these predictions, he looks frightened, which make Banquo to ask him why did he seem to fear/Things that sound so fair, Act one, Scene 3. This is because he thinks that the witches might be reading about his plan to kill King Duncan in his mind. Lady Macbeth herself realizes that the prophecy may influence him involve himself in doing unusual thing and tells him, “Thou wouldst be great/ Art, not without ambition” (Shakespeare and Braunmuller 163). He even thinks about the murder of King Duncan when he says, “Vaulting ambition” (Shakespeare and Braunmuller 103). Macbeth declares to be courageous and promises to do the right thing. His lady Macbeth play tart in killing King Duncan when she discourages Macbeth to stop being fearful and a coward and he actually accepts her arguments instead standing by his ambitions. In Act, one Macbeth is a conscience man who uses this conscience until he commits the murder action. He ironically thinks that killing King Duncan is an immoral act and definitely plans for the murder. He sometime even decides not to undertake the sin, “we will proceed no further in this business”, (Shakespeare and Braunmuller 71) but his wife encourages him to commit murder. In conclusion, by carefully considering who is really behind the death of King Duncan, lady Macbeth played the larger and the most instrumental part. As the play unfolds, it become evident that Macbeth was behind the killing King Duncan. Ultimately, the death of King Duncan is a clear depiction of how greed rules the heart of many people. Truly, this is a cruel act, and letting such ambition take control of one’s destiny is an issue that raises alarm. Evidently, it would be improper to involve witches with the killing of Kin Duncan. Just has he wished, the three simply prophesized to Macbeth about becoming the King, but did not force him to kill Duncan. Due to the influence Macbeth got from his wife, and his ambition, he remains the one behind the death of King Duncan. Work Cited Shakespeare, William, and Braunmuller, A R. Macbeth. New York: Cambridge University Press, 1997. Print. Read More