Theme Of Self Destruction In Macbeth

(INSERT TITLE HERE) William Shakespeare’s seventeenth-century tragedy, “The Tragedy of Macbeth,” explicates the seemingly innocuous function of self-preservation and the way it dictates a gallant war-hero’s response towards both internal and external demands- Macbeth utilizes his primitive impulse of self-preservation as a way to respond to the demons he is confronted by; his inappropriate utilization of self-preservation prompts the untimely collapse of Macbeth’s physical, psychological and philosophical ruination. Subsequently, Macbeth’s noble disposition transposes into one that is ignoble; he follows the path of deceit, blood and enmity with those who placed their trust upon him. Additionally, Macbeth finds himself unable to respond to external and internal demands with pragmatic alternatives, but instead succumbs to this primordial impulse in an attempt to defy the demands he faces from both himself and society. Macbeth exacerbates the magnitude of the demands incumbent upon him by repeatedly adding coal to a burning

Macbeth finds himself conflicted; he is reluctant to kill King Duncan, sovereign of Scotland, but is coerced by Lady Macbeth to commit the heinous act of treason. She disparages his masculinity and dismisses him as a “coward” for not pursuing his vaulting ambition of becoming the king of Scotland. Consequently, Macbeth carries out the crime in a grotesque fashion by stabbing Duncan multiple times. Subsequently, Macbeth is enthroned to be the next King of Scotland. Enthralled by his own impulse of self-preservation, Macbeth continues to utilize his new-found ability to deal with internal and external demands that he is confronted by. As a result of Macbeth’s fervent anxiety, he stipulates the murder of Banquo in an attempt to repress the emotions of anxiety that plague his mind; moreover, his yearning for the liberation of his anxiety-ridden mind triggers the downfall of Macbeth’s moral compass that transcends his