ipl-logo

Examples Of Culpability In Macbeth

545 Words3 Pages

Culpability is the responsibility for a fault or blame. The idea of culpability is explored in the tragedy Macbeth, by William Shakespeare. Outside forces are responsible for the tragedy. Outside forces are proven to be culpable when Lady Macbeth forces Macbeth to kill King Duncan, when the witches give the prophecy that Banquo’s sons will be kings, and when the witches use apparitions to give Macbeth confidence. Lady Macbeth is culpable for the tragic events because she attacks Macbeth’s masculinity to coerce him to kill King Duncan. After receiving the witches’ prophecies, Macbeth states, “If chance will have me king, why, chance may/crown me/ Without my stir” (1.4.157-159). Macbeth decides that he will allow fate to crown him king. Therefore, he will not try to obtain the crown through his own actions. Subsequently, Lady Macbeth states, Wouldst thou have that Which thou esteem’st the ornament of life And live a coward in thine own esteem, Letting “I dare not” wait upon “I would…” (1.7. 45-48)? Lady Macbeth attacks his manliness by calling Macbeth a coward for not fighting for the crown. She uses this tactic to force him to kill his cousin, King Duncan. Macbeth decides to obtain the crown through killing King Duncan because of Lady Macbeth’s …show more content…

Macbeth states, “They hailed him father to a line of kings,/ Upon my head they placed a fruitless crown/ And a barren scepter in my grip...”(3.1.65-67). Macbeth understands that he will have no heir to his throne. The witches’ prophecy for Banquo’s descendants generates feelings of jealousy in Macbeth. Macbeth believes that he has a useless crown and empty scepter because of the witches’ prediction. The prediction also leads to his notion that he killed King Duncan for Banquo’s sons. As a result, the witches’ prophecy compels Macbeth to hire murderers to kill Banquo and

Show More
Related
1464 Words | 6 Pages

“Lesser than Macbeth, and greater / Not so happy, yet much happier / Thou shalt get kings, though thou be none.” (1.3.65-68) These words captivate Macbeth as they are said by the witches to Banquo as Banquo stands baffled by the words escaping the witch's mouths. This quote, once unriddled, talks about Banquo and the crowning of his adolescents.

Read More
941 Words | 4 Pages

He tries everything he can to rid himself of the witches' forecasts. He dispatches assassins to kill Banquo and his son as soon as he recalls the prophecy that Banquo will be greater than him. When the three witches reveal their final prophecies, he feels safe. Macbeth's murder of the king exemplifies his attempt to

Read More
533 Words | 3 Pages

After that, Duncan’s son flees on the fear that he’ll be next and Macbeth is crowned king. But then he starts to worry, that his friend Banquo might put the pieces together, and know for sure that Macbeth is the true killer. Macbeth being uneasy, decides to kill his best friend Banquo and Banquo’s son Fleance. That way, no-one will know of the witches and the next king inline is killed as well. Macbeth sees it as two birds with one stone, and he hires a band of killers to ambush Banquo while he’s attending Macbeth’s feast.

Read More
1181 Words | 5 Pages

Following the witches’ prophecy, proclaiming that Macbeth shall be king, Macbeth is under the impression that “If chance will have [him] king, why, chance may crown [him] / Without [his] stir” (Macbeth, 1.3.145-146). Meanwhile, Lady Macbeth is adamant “That [she] may pour [her] spirits in [Macbeth’s] ear / And chastise with the valor of [her] tongue / All that impedes [him] from the golden round” (Macbeth, 1.5.25-27). Although Macbeth wants to be king, he hesitates to take action and earn it. Lady Macbeth is aware of her husband’s inability to pursue his ambition; she is also aware that, with her persuasion, Macbeth will give in to his ambition and abandon the morals that hold him back.

Read More
1297 Words | 6 Pages

Thinking before acting leads to greater wisdom and better outcomes while acting before thinking yields regret. In Shakespeare's Macbeth, many characters are murdered as a method of solving existing problems. Throughout the play, it is noticeable that these deaths can all be related back to two malevolent beings. These characters in their horrific minds are to blame for the deaths of innocent people. Macbeth, in his willingness to commit severe crimes for personal benefit, and the witches, in their desire to toy with Macbeth through their ambiguous prophecies, are equally responsible for nearly all the murders in the play.

Read More
580 Words | 3 Pages

Macbeth needs to follow through with this plan because Fleance and Banquo could get in the way of Macbeth becoming King. The three witches had also foretold Banquo’s descendants to become king. Macbeth sends men to follow through with this plan. They succeed to kill Banquo, but Fleance escapes. After being responsible for the deaths of two people, Duncan and Banquo, Macbeth is in a state where he feels the need to keep murdering people that could possibly get in his way of becoming king.

Read More
935 Words | 4 Pages

The Fearful Lady Macbeth A person’s emotional response to a situation depicts their next course of action. One powerful emotion is fear. The Oxford Dictionary defines fear as an unpleasant emotion, caused by the threat of danger, pain or harm. In Shakespeare’s Macbeth fear is a prominent theme as it follows Macbeth’s and Lady Macbeth’s rise to power and their ultimate demise.

Read More
1015 Words | 5 Pages

When the Witches' prophecy states Banquoes son will become king one day, Macbeth quickly acts and remarks, "I am settled, and bend up / Each corporal agent to this terrible feat" (3.1.92-93). Macbeth decides to have Banquo and his son Fleance killed, despite his initial reluctance to harm his friend. Macbeth's determination remains evident in his language as he declares his resolve to carry out the "terrible feat," and in his interactions with the murderers he hires. Clearly, Macbeth's determination to maintain his hold on power overrides his moral qualms and personal relationships. Macbeth's actions as a King seem to only promote and help himself which becomes known when he states, "I'll make assurance double sure, / And take a bond of fate: thou shalt not live; / That I may tell pale-hearted fear it lies, / And sleep in spite of thunder" (3.4.90-93).

Read More
162 Words | 1 Pages

In this case I believe the witches are guilty, and responsible for Macbeth’s actions. During the debate the opposing team believed Macbeth was responsible for his own actions. The opposing team stated, “Macbeth talked about murdering Duncan, and it was his choice of action. (1.3.44)” They expressed that Macbeth came up with the idea to murder Duncan and it was his own fault.

Read More
1094 Words | 5 Pages

After achieving the title of the King of Scotland, Macbeth wants to secure his position as the king and desires to inherit the Scottish throne to his ancestors. His aim was showed in “To be thus is nothing, /But to be safely thus” (III, i, 52-3). This quote reveals that Macbeth not only wanted to become the king but also wants to secure his position as the King of Scotland for the welfare of his upcoming generation. This reveals Macbeth’s is implying the witches’ prophecies; as long Banquo’s sons live, Macbeth’s throne would not be able to inherit down to his ancestors. As the play progresses, Macbeth’s hires murderers to kill Banquo and his son, Fleance, as represented through, “Banquo, thy soul’s flight, /If

Read More
692 Words | 3 Pages

In the play Macbeth, Lady Macbeth is more responsible for the deaths that occur in the play. Lady Macbeth accomplished this by infringing Macbeth’s comfort level, which made him uncomfortable and give into her desires. The four reasons why Lady Macbeth is responsible is she summons evil demons to fill her body with evil, her death pushes Macbeth over the edge, she has the gender power over Macbeth, and she drives Macbeth to become power hungry. During the course of the play most of Lady Macbeth’s actions cause a direct reaction from Macbeth. If Lady Macbeth had not exhorted Macbeth into murdering King Duncan, then he would have remained a sane man and decided against killing Duncan.

Read More
343 Words | 2 Pages

On the journey home Macbeth and Banquo encounter the weird sisters and receive the predictions. News that Macbeth will become king creates an inner conflict for him. He starts to think what actions he needs to do so the predictions become true. He should be thrilled to hear this news, but instead he is thinking of how to remove King Duncan from throne. This prediction seems fair, but it is

Read More
953 Words | 4 Pages

Often times, people go through rises and downfalls in their lives that they themselves are responsible for. In Shakespeare’s play Macbeth, both main characters, Lady Macbeth and Macbeth, himself, are responsible for the downfall of Macbeth. Lady Macbeth is responsible for the tragedy because she convinces and manipulates Macbeth into doing the deed. However, Shakespeare accomplishes in showing that Macbeth is more responsible for his own downfall than Lady Macbeth because he listens to the witches and follows his ambition rather than his conscience. To begin, Lady Macbeth is responsible for the tragedy because she convinces and manipulates Macbeth into doing the deed by insulting him when he changes his mind.

Read More
819 Words | 4 Pages

The witch had said “[a]ll hail, Macbeth, that shalt be king hereafter”(I.3.50). This line meaning if Macbeth kills Duncan he will be crowned king after. Even though this was the prophecy Macbeth was still not convinced to play a part in doing this tetroius act. Although when Lady Macbeth found out about this prophecy causing her husband to be king meaning she will also be queen, she unhesitantly was positive they would go through with it. Later on in the play Lady Macbeth finds out Duncan will be staying the night with her and her husband.

Read More
1613 Words | 7 Pages

Personal greed is “an excessive desire to acquire or possess more than what one needs or deserves, especially with respect to material wealth…” which Claudius analyzes in Hamlet and Macbeth depicts in the tragedy Macbeth. Throughout both tragedies Claudius and Macbeth strive only for greed and obtaining what they don’t have. Their methods to achieving more are through becoming a tyrant over all who threaten them. A tyrannical ruler is one who cannot be content with what they possess and use unjust rules to maintain their power. Throughout Hamlet and Macbeth, two characters, Claudius and Macbeth, become consumed with their own personal which, results in their own demise.

Read More

More about Examples Of Culpability In Macbeth

Related Topics

Open Document