Macbeth's Responsible For His Death
by Chelsea Hall
Who or What is to Blame?
The witches can be easily be dismissed from causing Macbeth's overconfidence, for what they messed with, they fixed. This is shown in act three, where Hecate criticizes the witches, "How did you dare to trade and traffic with Macbeth in riddles and affairs of death... But make amends now... thither he will come to know his destiny... Your charms and everything beside." (3,5, 3-19)
In this scene Hecate the three witches "boss" yells at them for talking to Macbeth but by the scene they have a plan to fix his destiny. This proves that it was always Macbeth's destiny to die of his own overconfidence. Therefore the witches didn't change anything. Another point would be that the witches never told Macbeth to kill Duncan if anything they said the opposite. "All hail Macbeth, that shalt be king hereafter! " (1.3. 56-57) which means Macbeth will be king. Macbeth could have realized this meant that he did in fact not have to kill Duncan for something else would. It was his own selfishness which made him think of such a thing.
As for Lady Macbeth, she only tore him down. She didn't boost his confidence, in fact she said, "Art thou afeard to be the same in thine own act and valor as thou art in desire? would'st thou have that which thou esteem'st the ornament of life and live a coward and thy own esteem letting 'I dare not' wait upon 'I would' like the poor cat I' adage? (1.7. 46-50) Therefore she is not at all responsible, as she destroyed his confidence instead of empowering him. He never reasoned through his actions, for he literally vowed not to. This stubborn impulsiveness and self-scrutiny dooms Macbeth in the end.
Foil
Dynamic Character- Macbeth
to a character who has lost his mind. This is seen multiple times throughout the play but one example is when he vows to act only on impulse, "From this moment the very firstlings of my heart shall be the firstlings of my hand." (4.1.68-170).
Irony
A Sonnet About Macbeth
Macbeth and His Death
we all have a little madness in us;
it needs a push to be reality.
Now I shall firm my nerves and shall not fuss.
"It will have blood, they say: blood will have blood."
I am my problem, demon and prison,
to wash away your deeds will do no good,
but only I can be my solution.
Security is man's worst enemy
moreover none are more secure than I.
Trees they have, while I just air: my army,
yet I so secure will not fret or cry.
Tis' this which shall cause my fatal downfall;
nothing strange nor else, but this above all.
Macbeth and His Demons
The ship is slowly sinking
They think I'm crazy but they don't know the feeling
They're all around me, Circling like vultures
They wanna break me and wash away my colors
Wash away my colors
Take me high and I'll sing
Oh you make everything okay (okay, okay)
We are one in the same
Oh you take all of the pain away (away, away)
Save me if I become My demons
I cannot stop this sickness taking over
It takes control and drags me into nowhere
I need your help, I can't fight this forever
I know you're watching, I can feel you out there
Take me high and I'll sing
Oh you make everything okay (okay, okay)
We are one in the same
Oh you take all of the pain away (away, away)
Save me if I become My demons
Take me over the walls below
Fly forever Don't let me go
I need a savior to heal my pain
When I become my worst enemy The enemy
Take me high and I'll sing
Oh you make everything okay (okay, okay)
We are one in the same
Oh you take all of the pain away (away, away)
Save me if I become My demons
Take me high and I'll sing
Oh you make everything okay (okay, okay)
We are one in the same
Oh you take all of the pain away (away, away)
Save me if I become
My demons
its time to kill Duncan
sounds like something Macbeth would say
they are circling the kingdom, the soldiers
the soldiers want to stop him and make him normal again (mentally)
Macbeth talking to Lady Macbeth
save me if I become my demons (his stubbornness kills him)
Lady Macbeth- can't stop her mental sickness
it takes control & drags her into her subconscious mind through her dreams(therefore nowhere)
she needs Macbeth, she can't get through this on her own anymore
she is going insane
Lady Macbeth talking to Macbeth
save me if I become my demons (she kills herself)
Macbeth- help me out of this "prison" and into safety
I will fight forever if I can/have to
he needs someone to save him
when he becomes too impulsive to save himself
repeat chorus as Macbeth