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Macbeth: Environmental Pressures Vs Instincts

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Jada Jones Mrs. Billings Honors English 10B May 5, 2023 Macbeth: Environmental Pressures vs Innate Instincts In Shakespeare’s Macbeth, many of the characters are portrayed as evil, especially Macbeth, but rather than this being his innate instinct, he becomes immoral because of the pressures put on him by the Witches, Lady Macbeth, and the position of power he gains. Some may argue that Macbeth is inherently foul and that the pressure surrounding him doesn’t have as much of an effect on his actions as his instincts. However, people are products of their environments. They are shaped to act differently in various kinds of situations. While there were many different things and people pressuring Macbeth, the Witches, Lady Macbeth, and his power …show more content…

Macbeth feels that the Witches “placed a fruitless crown [on his head]/And put a barren scepter in [his] grip” (3.1, 66-67). He feels like he has to do this because of the position of power he is in. He mentions how he has to keep killing because it is easier to keep going down this path: “I am in blood/Stepped in so far that, should I wade no more,/Returning were as tedious as go o’er” (3.4, 168-170). This alludes to the fact that in order to maintain his position of power he feels pressured to continue killing so that he doesn’t lose his power or kingship. This is a prime example of societal pressures along with the coercion of his wife and the …show more content…

Macbeth had no clear reason for doing this besides hurting Macduff. This makes Macbeth seem innate evil, however, at this point, Macbeth was already insane from guilt and stress. Macbeth starts hallucinating after he decides on killing Duncan. He questions whether the dagger he is seeing is real or if it is “of the mind, a false creation/Proceeding from the heat oppresséd brain” (2.1, 50-51). By saying that his brain is overheated, it shows that he cannot think straight and he is in a state of confusion. He also hallucinates Banquo’s ghost after ordering for him to be killed and is unable to tell whether or not it was real. This shows that he is haunted by guilt and unable to think clearly due to being forced into killing by his position of power and the people around

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