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Macbeth Unchecked Quotes

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The natural drive and ambition in an individual can be a great strength. If it goes unchecked, however, it can cause people to do things they would never have originally done leading to bad consequences. In Wiliam Shakespeare's play, The Tragedy of Macbeth, there was a successful kingdom in Scotland; it had lucious land and mostly good people. King Duncan was a gracious leader. He loved reward and praising his loyal subjects. The main character, Macbeth, was a good Thane. Macbeth had all the qualities, he was loyal, a good leader, and a good soldier. Although he met all of these qualities he was selfish, wicked, strongly ambitious, and hungry for power. The thought of being king is great and the work to get there is hard. Unfortunately Macbeth’s …show more content…

After Macbeth relays what he has done by killing Baquo his best friend and someone nobel to him he states “I am blood stepped in so far that I should wade no more returning” (3.4.136-138). This quote demonstrates that Macbeth has killed too many people he cared about and is too far down the path of destruction to go back. In this scene Macbeh is using him already killing Duncan and Banquo as an excuse and justification to go kill people if it serves his political agenda. Thereafter, Macbeth grew a suspicion that Macduff, who is not loyal to him. To fix this Macbeth believes that he has to go kill Macduff as well as his entire family. He states, “The castle of Macduff I will surprise Seize upon Fife; give to the edge o' the sword His wife, his babes, and all unfortunate souls” (4.1.150-152). At this point Macbeth is out of control and is killing anybody he suspects, showing that he is clearly paranoid and delusional. Once Macduff finds out his family is killed he decides to finally kill

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1280 Words | 6 Pages

For instance, he commits multiple murders after he gets the title of King. The murder of his own friend Banquo, the attempted murder of Banquo's son Fleance, and the murder of Macduff's family all were committed to fueling his growing obsession with maintaining his status and power. Nearing the end of the play, his determination completely takes over him and leads to his downfall. The witches give Macbeth more insight near the end of the play, communicated through visions and apparitions. The apparitions tell macbeth: “Macbeth, Macbeth, Macbeth, beware Macduff; / Beware the Thane of Fife.

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651 Words | 3 Pages

The play entitled Macbeth by William Shakespeare portrays Macbeth, a loyal and brave thane to the king. When a prophecy reveals he will become king, Macbeth is overcome with ambition and greed. Convinced of this prophecy and the encouragement from his wife, he is able to kill the king and take the throne. Although Macbeth was able to obtain the throne, he was was overwhelmed by power and guilt leading to internal conflict, which suggests that success is not desirable through cheating and corruption and ultimately cost more than its actually worth, Macbeth`s reckless pursuit of killing and becoming the king is representative of the power he has and what he is able to do with the power he's gained; therefore. His relentless ambition for king reveals the guilt behind power.

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1294 Words | 6 Pages

Macbeth performs this act for two reasons, the first of which is to enact revenge towards Macduff, who has left to join an army who is against Macbeth’s regime. The second of which is to discourage anyone else who may want to desert him. He says in Act 4, Scene 1 that he will have the Macduff castle sized and his family killed to set an example for anyone, “That trace him in his line.” In a sense Macduff betrayed his own family by fleeing to seek help for Macbeth’s downfall. His family were the ones who were eventually punished for Macduff’s betrayal.

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862 Words | 4 Pages

At the beginning of the play, he is hailed as the brave warrior who fought with his friend Banquo and, due to his act of bravery, was given the title “thane of Cawdor!” (1.2.65-67). However, it does not take him long to show his most noticeable character trait, ambition, which leads him to murder King Duncan. His insatiable desire for power and a fierce determination to be king drives Macbeth to continue to deceptively plot against his friend and commit terrible acts of violence and betrayal. It causes him to spiral out of control quickly, and he goes from a reluctant murderer to a sinister and brutal killer.

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755 Words | 4 Pages

In act 4 scene 1 Macbeth orders for the murder of macduff's entire family. In act 4 scene 2 the murders take place, and in act 4 scene 3 macduff hears of his family's slaughter. It is then, when it dawns on the reader the true extent of Macbeth's cruelty. He thinks it fit to murder people who play no part in his war for power, simply because it will send a message to those who oppose him. His id allows him to commit such atrocities remorselessly because it has overpowered his ego and superego.

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411 Words | 2 Pages

His wife, his babes, and all unfortunate souls / That trace him in his line” (Shakespeare IV.i.171-174). In saying he will kill all who trace Macduff in his line, Macbeth essentially says that not only will he slay Macduff’s innocent wife and children, he will slay any and all who bear the name Macduff. He perfectly demonstrates here his fear, and how he is willing to go to great lengths simply to silence it. Never does he stop to process his fears, or to turn them into something greater as we later see Macduff do, he simply tries to do anything and everything within his power to silence the fear within

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715 Words | 3 Pages

But I guess jokes on Macbeth, Macduff wasn’t even there and in turn this act just fills Macduff with rage and even more resolve to kill Macbeth, the one who killed the people he loved, Macduff then remarks to … that “O, I could play the woman with mine eyes and braggart with my tongue! But, gentle heavens, cut short all intermissions! Front to front Bring thou this fiend of Scotland and myself. Within my sword’s length set him. If he scape, heaven forgive him to.”

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623 Words | 3 Pages

He is known for being an avenging hero and not a revenge kind of guy. Macduff and Macbeth are alike when Macbeth finally finishes off the rest of Macduff’s family. At that moment, Macduff takes it personally and to revenge instead of avenge. Macduff is in a way, Macbeth himself. They both won’t stop killing until, what they think, will be peace and the bloodshed with stop.

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1727 Words | 7 Pages

He does not want to kill Macduff because he has already killed his whole family. This causes Macduff to have more reason in wanting to kill Macbeth. It would have been avoided for Macbeth to run into Macduff if he have not approached him first, since he no longer needs interaction with blood of thine already. Erin Connelly furthers the discussion on the conflict between Macbeth and Macduff by stating, “manliness is a conditional characteristic, consistently defined in opposition to other attributes” (Connelly 111). Macbeth being boastful about murdering all of Macduff’s family is camouflaging his true fears towards his pathway to the throne.

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747 Words | 3 Pages

As Macduff sought out men to fight for the throne, he spoke of Macbeth’s treachery as follows: “Each new morn/ new widows howl, new orphans cry” (IV.iii.4-5). Macduff obviously thought terrible things of Macbeth, and blamed him for killing many men and causing grief throughout his kingdom. This makes Macbeth a tyrant and murderer, and having a tyrannical ruler like that causes fear in a nation’s people. This is shown before Macbeth went out to battle as he orders, “Send out more horses. Skirr the country round.

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1047 Words | 5 Pages

In act four of Shakespeare's "Macbeth" Macbeth murders most of a noble man's family out of impulse and paranoia. He suspected said nobleman of plotting against him, and much like the murder of his friend Banquo, he killed him before he got the chance. But this murder is not like the ones before it, this one is much more sinister. The man Macbeth suspected, Maduff, was suspect because he refused to show up to any events that Macbeth attended, and when Macbeth went to ask the witches they warned him Macduff was to be cautioned. This time Macbeth decides right away that Macduff must go.

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682 Words | 3 Pages

Macbeth is the Shakespearean play that features the triumphant uprise and the inevitable downfall of its main character. In this play, Macbeth’s downfall can be considered to be the loss of his moral integrity and this is achieved by ambition, despite this, Lady Macbeth and the witches work through his ambition, furthering to assist his inevitable ruin. Ambition alone is the most significant factor that led to Macbeth’s downfall. The witches are only able to influence his actions through Macbeth’s pre-existing and the three witches see that Macbeth has ambition and uses it to control his action. Ambition alone is displayed throughout the play to be the most significant cause for Macbeth’s downfall.

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430 Words | 2 Pages

Once he acquired his seat as king banquo was a threat to him and needed to be gone. He mentions how his seat as king is worthless if not safe shortly before having him killed. Macbeth needed to kill Macduff's family so said “His wife, babies, and all unfortunate souls

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821 Words | 4 Pages

In act II, scene III, Macduff unfortunately is the one to discover the body of King Duncan, and clearly grieves heavily for the loss. This permanent separation from his king gives him the emotional courage to seek out who committed this treachery, and bring justice. Initially, he claims that he has two possible suspects: Malcolm and Donalbain; but there is evidence to suggest that he actually has an early suspicion of Macbeth. Macduff is the ONLY person who questions Macbeth’s statement that he slayed the guards. This reveals that his separation from his King gave him the emotional courage to create a personal obligation for justice, and a conviction to identify the murderer - which is why he would instantly start questioning suspicious behavior, such as Macbeth 's execution of the guards.

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964 Words | 4 Pages

The fact that Macbeth spends no time contemplating the decision to kill Macduff shows his character arc, as previously he spent a whole scene debating if he should kill Duncan. Shakespeare highlights Macbeth's ease to kill to make readers realize how ruthless Macbeth has become throughout the course of the novel, as well as how he is starting to kill when there is no logical reason to. This idea overall disputes Lady Macbeth’s belief of Macbeth being innocent and filled with goodwill. Another example of Macbeth being a vicious individual is when Macbeth learns that Macduff has fled to England. This causes him to command the “Seize upon Fife, give to th’ edge o’ th’ sword,/ [Macduff’s] wife, his babes, and all unfortunate souls/

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