Macbeth Essay

Macbeth Essay

In 1913, The Balkan Wars began. One of the most famous leaders in this war called Wilhelm II. He provokes Austria-Hungary to fight with Serbia. He was just like the people who provoke other people to do the things they had never thought before. In the play, Macbeth, by William Shakespeare, Macbeth changes from a loyal soldier to a vicious murderer because of Lady Macbeth who provokes him and finally arouses the evil and guilt inside of him. Although Macbeth kills many people because he wants the power, Lady Macbeth provokes him at first and lets him have determination to kill his friends or the people he used to trust. Therefore, Macbeth is just like a chess piece in Lady Macbeth’s hands. Lady Macbeth provokes him to do the guilty things, so Lady Macbeth is the real guilty person.

Before Lady Macbeth appears, Macbeth used to be a loyal person who trusted fate. After Ross and Angus told Macbeth he would become the Thane of Cawdor, Macbeth said to himself: “ If fate wants me to be the king, perhaps fate will just make it happen and I won’t have to do anything” (23). Clearly, it shows Macbeth trusted fate, and he decided not to murder the King. This sentence also claims that Macbeth is a man who can control himself and have his own idea what is right. At first Lady Macbeth tried to provoke him to murder the king, but Macbeth was still trying to protect King Duncan. In his soliloquy before Lady Macbeth talks to him, he says: “ I should always protect him… not trying to murder him.” (41) This sentence claims Macbeth’s loyalty to King Duncan, and also tells readers that if Lady Macbeth does not try to provoke him, he will never murder King Duncan. Macbeth also knows what a real man is at first. When Lady Macbeth tells Macbeth he is not a real man, he says: “I dare to do only what is proper for a man to do. He who dares to do more is not a man at all.”(43) Therefore, Macbeth still knew how to be a real man when Lady Macbeth provokes him. Macbeth was still in control at that time. However, after Lady Macbeth provokes Macbeth again and again, he finally loses his control and changes to an evil murderer.

Macbeth finally becomes a murderer because Lady Macbeth provokes him in an extreme way. When Macbeth thinks he is not a man if he murders King Duncan, Lady Macbeth tells him: “If you weren’t a man, then what kind of animal were you when you first told me you wanted to do this?” (43) Clearly, Lady Macbeth wants to let Macbeth feel shame if he does not do this crime. Lady Macbeth takes advantage of Macbeth’s weakness and irresolution, and then she let Macbeth believe a real man should be cruel and do everything he wants without thinking of the result. After Macbeth kills the king and tries to stop doing guilty things, Lady Macbeth says: “ My hands are as red as yours, but I would be ashamed if my heart were as pale and weak.” (61) The subtext of this sentence is that Lady Macbeth wants to say she thinks Macbeth is very weak and does not act like a man at all. This time, Lady Macbeth lets Macbeth feel he is even weaker than a woman. Lady Macbeth is just like an evil demon inside of Macbeth and always tries to use cunning sentences to arouse Macbeth’s cruelty. Finally, Lady Macbeth teaches Macbeth how to not feel shame after doing a crime. She says: “ A little water will wash away the evidence of our guilt. It’s so simple.” (61) Therefore, Lady Macbeth lets Macbeth know it is very simple to be a murderer, and she also lets Macbeth stop thinking about the crime. Lady Macbeth uses these lines to encourage him and let him adapt to do guilty things.

      In the end, Lady Macbeth, the real guilty person, becomes crazy and commits suicide because of the cruel things she did before, and Macbeth finally transforms because of Lady Macbeth’s provocation. Macbeth was a good person before he murdered the king, but wanting to keep his power made him kill Banquo. When Macbeth sees Banquo’s ghost, Lady Macbeth realizes she led Macbeth to be a murderer and she feels guilty. When the gentlewoman takes Lady Macbeth to see the Doctor, Lady Macbeth says: “I still have blood on my hand. All the perfumes of Arbia couldn’t make my little hand smell better.” (183) “Blood on my hand” tells us Lady Macbeth feels guilt for the thing that Macbeth did to Banquo, but this time the guilt cannot be washed away.

      All in all, Lady Macbeth used many extreme ways to let Macbeth think he should not feel shame and guilt when he is doing crimes. However, in this world, many wars began because of provokes, such as The Balkan Wars. The person who provokes other is just like the demon inside of the other people. They are usually the leader of a the war or a crime, so the person who provokes the other is the guiltiest person.