Macbeth Argumentative Essay

Macbeth Argumentative Essay Question Number 1: Who or what is responsible for the murder of King Duncan? Macbeth's free will? The witches? Lady Macbeth? All three? Pick one and defend it by using evidence from the text. The need for power is so desirable to the point where it can kill a man. This is very apparent in the play by Shakespeare titled Macbeth. Macbeth’s need for becoming king started out slow, but then grew and became a need because of those around him. He had two big influences for his decision that eventually got himself killed. The witches are one of the reasons because they shared their prophecies with him. Lady Macbeth would be the second since she uses manipulation to get Macbeth to do whatever she wants him to do. Although the blame can be put upon the witches and Lady Macbeth, the blame would also fall on Macbeth himself. The play itself starts off with three witches. They bestow a prophecy upon Macbeth that he will be king. Before being told this piece of information, he had no known intentions of 1 wanting to be king. It seems like knowing this was the reason for why he wanted to actually fight to gain this title. Who doesn't want to be king? Having been told that there is a chance he could become king by killing King Duncan, would most likely cause him to at least thing about it. Macbeth said, “Stay, you imperfect speakers, tell me more/ By Sinel’s death I know I am thane of Glamis/ But how of Cawdor? The thane of Cawdor lives/ A prosperous gentleman, and to be king/ Stands not within the prospect of belief/ No more than to be Cawdor” (71-76). The idea of him becoming king was almost a joke. He never thought about it so being told that he was going to become king came as a shock to him. Even the idea of being thane of Cawdor was shocking. He wasn’t sure what they were telling him was true, but he wasn’t going to put much thought into it as of yet. Macbeth is filled with doubt and confusion. He feels like he's being pressured into becoming king not only because it's a "prophecy" but also because Lady Macbeth wants him to. She not only deprecate him by offending his masculinity but she also would rather do the deed herself. This goes back to how power is desirable. The need for power in this play is more or less how everything plays out. Lady Macbeth seems interested in wanting Macbeth to be king more than he does. Lady Macbeth stated, “Does unmake you. I have given suck, and know/ How tender ’tis to love the babe that milks me/ I would, while it was smiling in my face/ Have plucked my nipple from his boneless gums/ And dashed the brains out, had I so sworn as you/ Have done to this” (55-60). Lady Macbeth claims that she would rip her nipple out from a feeding child and bash his brains out if she has sworn she’d do so. This implies she has an overpowering urge that encourages her to be more masculine and much more powerful in what 2 she wants. The everyday typical woman is viewed as sweet and nurturing, but Lady Macbeth seems to be her own type of person. This play encourages free will, but there is a lot of persuading involved thus bringing up the true significance of the free will in this play. It’s ironic how the witches are the least present characters throughout the play, yet have such an important role in what happens with Macbeth. Acknowledging that there is a chance for him to be king was based off of being told he could be, being persuaded that he should, and actually doing the deed that would make him king. The fact that the witches shared their prophecy with Macbeth would immediately play out the story. If he had not known, he would not have wanted to be king. Now that Macbeth knows of this prophecy, so does Lady Macbeth. She isn’t as nice as you’d assume she’d be about the situation though. She stated, “When you durst do it, then you were a man” (49). Macbeth had said he was going to kill King Duncan but he got cold feet since killing a man, especially a king, isn’t an easy task. She told him that he dared he was going to do it and when he did then he would be a man. Your manhood being questioned by your wife would inspire you to do whatever is needed to prove yourself to them. This is what Macbeth felt he needed to do for himself and for his wife, and that is how Lady Macbeth got Macbeth to do exactly what she wanted him to. Macbeth is put in a difficult position when questioned by his wife and forced to do what was said to be destiny. In this moment we get a glimpse of what could be a supernatural phenomenon or just everything getting to his head. This is when we begin to question what is 3 happening to Macbeth. He wasn’t actually forced to do anything but it was highly suggested for him to kill King Duncan and so he will. Killing a man like I said before isn’t something that just any person can do. It’s also not Macbeth’s first kill, but it’s much more than just killing a person. This is all about becoming someone with higher power. Macbeth is in this for the power now, and once he does it there is no going back. Macbeth says, “Mine eyes are made the fools o' th' other senses/ Or else worth all the rest. I see thee still/ And on thy blade and dudgeon gouts of blood/ Which was not so before/ There’s no such thing/ It is the bloody business which informs/ Thus to mine eyes. Now o'er the one half-world/ Nature seems dead, and wicked dreams abuse/ The curtained sleep. Witchcraft celebrates/ Pale Hecate’s offerings” (45-53). He realizes that the dagger that he sees isn’t actually there, but he still lets it get to his head. He says the dagger is showing him to where the murder is going to take place but he has not committed the crime yet. It almost seems like his guilt was going to get the best of him when the bell that indicated that everyone was asleep rang, and that is when Macbeth chose to kill the king. Since he did do it himself it was also his own fault, but he couldn’t have done it without the influences of Lady Macbeth and the three witches. Some may disagree with the fact that Lady Macbeth and the Three Witches were the reason for the death of King Duncan. They weren’t the only ones but some may not agree. Some may think it was the pure power and greed of Macbeth himself. That he wanted to be king and therefore killed Duncan so that he finally could. Although this is true, he did kill King Duncan he didn’t really want to. He started to back out of the plan of killing him right before he was going to and Lady Macbeth influenced and manipulated him into thinking he should because then he 4 wouldn’t be an actual man. Men don’t like to have their manhood questioned, it’s all part of their self-built ego. Therefore when questioned they try to prove themselves with whatever means necessary. In conclusion, Lady Macbeth and the Three Witches held the responsibilities for the death of King Duncan. They aren’t the only ones to blame considering Macbeth was the one that actually did the deed. The Three Witches shared their prophecy that could have been kept secret and Lady Macbeth decided she would try to persuade Macbeth into killing for power. The need for power is so desirable, it can kill a man. 5