Macbeth’s decision to kill Duncan in Act 2 Scene 2 led to the formation of a conflict within him regarding his own actions. This created a lack of clarity and understanding of identity within himself, causing him to rely on fickle emotion to dictate and justify his thoughts and actions. The initial point of his deterioration was experienced by the audience in Macbeth’s soliloquy in Act 1 Scene 7, which highlighted his frustration and anxiety regarding his course of action. ‘If th’ assassination could trammel up the consequence and catch with his surcease, success, that but this blow might be the be-all and the end-all… He’s here in double trust: First, as I am his kinsman and his subject, strong both against the deed; then, as his host, who …show more content…
Together, dramatic and language techniques used by Shakespeare prove and justify the existence of an internal conflict throughout the play. The conflict gave way to capricious emotional influences that prompted his deterioration as he had consistent and strong within himself to rely on. There were two emotions that he relied on while he was internally conflicted; fear and ambition. Ambition was his original character strength as it was presumably the reason why he was able to achieve a coveted position in society and a strong reputation among many characters, including the king himself. However, throughout the play, his ambition became his weakness when he prioritized the achievement of the goals themselves rather than the means of achieving them. This consequentialist approach triggered an overflow of another emotion, fear. Within him there existed two psyches; the psyche that began the play and the psyche that held the intent behind his actions. One psyche felt fear, which triggered ambition, and the other felt ambition that triggered