After receiving his prophecy from the witches, Macbeth turns to his wife for advice. Lady Macbeth is the catalyst for his fall from glory. She receives a letter from Macbeth, which explains that he feels conflicted on how to react to his prophecy. Knowing that he wants it to be reality, she says to herself, “Glamis thou art, and Cawdor, and shalt be/ What thou art promised” (I.v.14-15). In her mind, Macbeth should pursue the prophecy, as part had already come true. Even from this early point in the plot, it is evident that Lady Macbeth will continue to encourage her husband to do everything it takes to become and stay the king. Upon Macbeth’s return, his ambivalence is still present. In an effort to convince him to go through with the plan, Lady Macbeth asks, “What cannot you and I perform upon/ th’unguarded Duncan, what not put upon/ his spongy officers, who shall bear the guilt/ of our great quell?” (I.vii.69-72). By intoxicating the guards, Lady Macbeth claims that they will become the scapegoats for the …show more content…
Ultimately, it is their prophecies that cause Macbeth’s determination. The original is praise to Macbeth, the witches saying, “All hail, Macbeth! hail to thee, thane of Glamis!/ All hail, Macbeth, hail to thee, thane of Cawdor!/ All hail, Macbeth, thou shalt be king hereafter!” (I.iii.50-52). This prophecy forces Macbeth to realize that he can become more than just the thane of Glamis, leading to the multiple murders that he is responsible for. In addition, the trio informs Banquo that his sons and descendants will be kings, which eventually causes Macbeth to order Banquo’s assassination. By the time he has written the letter, Macbeth already believed in the prophecies, as he writes, “They met me in the day of success: and I have/ learned by the perfectest report, they have more in/ them than mortal knowledge”