Now you can see that Macbeth is both a victim and a villain.His wife, his power-thirsty ambition , his deteriorating mind, and the Witches lead him down a path of destruction and villanous ways. If Macbeth only chose to ignore the Witches prophecies and apparations, then perhaps he wouldn't have made the transformation from victim, to villain, to dead. The truth is, Macbeth did start out as a victim, but once he got a taste of power, he couldn't stop, he loved it, and would do anything to ensure he would always have it.
Now, just before Macbeth's downfall (his death), his wife begins to lose her mind and then she kills herself! Macbeth is obviously traumatized by this, and his spirit really gets crushed. He decides that he isn't going to have the things he has worked so hard to get, such a his friends and his glory. At this point, Macbeth has almost become a victim again, deciding that he will not succeed. However, he still holds onto some of his villanous traits, and does fight for his life when the time comes. In the end, Macbeth is killed by Macduff and his villanous reign comes to an end.
Another reason supporting Macbeth as a villain is that he decides he is going to send an army over to the Thane of Fife's (Macduff's) castle while he's away, to slaughter his wife, children and anything else unfortunate enough to be caught inside the castle walls. He does this because Macbeth suspects that he's an enemy, especially after seeing the 4 apparitions. So why did Macbeth send an army to kill everyone except Macduff? Because Macbeth is a cold hearted villain at this point, who cares about nothing more than his rise to the top.
Now that we have established that Macbeth is certainly a victim, lets discuss why Macbeth is also a villain!Well, although Macbeth's wife played a large role in manipulating him, ambition, and insanity led him to kill Duncan. Not only does he kill Duncan but he does other dispicable things that he can most certainly be held accountable for. For instance, he puts a hit out on Banquo and his young son Fleance! Banquo is Macbeth's best friend! Macbeth's ambition turns him into a dangerous villain. He is so convinced of the witches prophecies that he decides that Fleance is too much of a threat to have around, concerned that he is going to steal the throne from him! Fleance is an innocent little boy, and probably doesn't have any concern with the prophecies, much like his father. Although Macbeth's crime is fueled by his insanity, he could have taken other precautions to ensure that he keeps his place as king, rather than killing his best friend and attempting to kill his best friend's child. Macbeth has completed his transformtion into a cold hearted villain.
So, why else is Macbeth a victim in this situation? Well, Macbeth is very ambitious. His ambition leads him to kill the current king, and his cousin, although there are other factors driving him to complete this task, his ambition plays a large role. Since Macbeth can not control his ambition, to some extent, it's not his fault he did crazy things to get to the top. Another factor contributing to Macbeth's innocent victim side is that Macbeth is crazy. Plain and simple. He even admits to himself that he imagines a floating dagger! In today's world, that kind of person would be able to deal with that problem by taking medication.. or get locked up in an insane asylum. But poor Macbeth didn't have that option, and so he listened to his insane mind, and did unthinkable, horrible things. More arguments to come!
As you all know, the purpose of this blog is to explore the idea of whether Macbeth is a villain or a victim. Well, in my opinion, Macbeth is both. In the beginning of the play, a series of events leads me to believe that Macbeth is a victim. However, as the play goes on, Macbeth becomes a dangerous, power craving monster of his own ambition and therfore he becomes a villain. Throughout these blogs, I will dicuss my evidence on both sides, and I will convince you that Macbeth starts out as a victim but by the end of the play he has become a dangerous villain. Read on!
The first piece of evidence that leads me to believe that Macbeth is indeed a victim, is the Witches prophecies! Macbeth and his good friend, Banquo, encounter some Witches who tell him:
Macbeth is Thane of Glamis.
Macbeth is Thane of Cawdor.
Macbeth will be King.
Banquo's children will be Kings.
The 3rd prophecy leaves Macbeth wondering about how he could become king, and since the first two came true, maybe the third one could too! Macbeth is hesitant, however, because the only way to become King is to kill the current king, who happens to be Macbeth's cousin. Macbeth contemplates over killing Duncan, knowing that he is a beloved king and that all of Scotland would mourn his death, he is his cousin, and killing King Duncan in Macbeth's house makes him look suspicious. Well, poor Macbeth could have made the right decision if it weren't for his wife who is quite determined to become Queen. So, Lady Macbeth manipulated her husband into killing his cousin, and blackmailed some innocent chamberlains. This is where the deterioration of Macbeth's mind starts. So as you can see, Macbeth is completely a victim in this crime, a victim to his evil wife's villanous ways. More to come, Keep reading!
Macbeth starts out as an innocent victim, but by the end of the play he has become a dangerous villain.
Quotations.
..... Macbeth: "Cannot be ill, cannot be good: if ill, Why hath it given me earnest of success, Commencing in a truth? I am thane of Cawdor: If good, why do I yield to that suggestion Whose horrid image doth unfix my hair And make my seated heart knock at my ribs, Against the use of nature? Present fears Are less than horrible imaginings: My thought, whose murder yet is but fantastical, Shakes so my single state of man that function Is smother'd in surmise, and nothing is But what is not." -Macbeth is thinking about the prophecies and wondering if they're good or bad. ..... Macbeth: "The Prince of Cumberland! that is a step On which I must fall down, or else o'erleap, For in my way it lies. Stars, hide your fires; Let not light see my black and deep desires: The eye wink at the hand; yet let that be, Which the eye fears, when it is done, to see."
-Macbeth is jealous of the newly named Prince of Cumbrland, the next in line to the throne. He is contemplating wether he should become king or not. ..... Lady Macbeth: "The raven himself is hoarse That croaks the fatal entrance of Duncan Under my battlements. Come, you spirits That tend on mortal thoughts, unsex me here, And fill me from the crown to the toe top-full Of direst cruelty! make thick my blood; Stop up the access and passage to remorse, That no compunctious visitings of nature Shake my fell purpose, nor keep peace between The effect and it! Come to my woman's breasts, And take my milk for gall, you murdering ministers, Wherever in your sightless substances You wait on nature's mischief! Come, thick night, And pall thee in the dunnest smoke of hell, That my keen knife see not the wound it makes, Nor heaven peep through the blanket of the dark, To cry 'Hold, hold!'
-Lady Macbeth has decided that she wil become Queen of Scotland, no matter what. She asks the spirits to unsex her, give her the strong qualities of a man so she can have the ability to kill Duncan despite her cowardly husband. ..... Lady Macbeth: " O, never Shall sun that morrow see! Your face, my thane, is as a book where men May read strange matters. To beguile the time, Look like the time; bear welcome in your eye, Your hand, your tongue: look like the innocent flower, But be the serpent under't. He that's coming Must be provided for: and you shall put This night's great business into my dispatch; Which shall to all our nights and days to come Give solely sovereign sway and masterdom."
-Lady Macbeth is telling Macbeth that she is in charge of this matter and that all he has to do is look innocent and not give away what they're about to do. ..... Macbeth in response to above quote: "We will speak further."
-Macbeth is still not convinced he should kill Duncan, and isn't ready to confirm the final plans ..... Macbeth: "If it were done when 'tis done, then 'twere well It were done quickly: if the 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 here, But here, upon this bank and shoal of time, We'ld jump the life to come. But in these cases We still have judgment here; that we but teach Bloody instructions, which, being taught, return To plague the inventor: this even-handed justice Commends the ingredients of our poison'd chalice To our own lips. 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 should against his murderer shut the door, Not bear the knife myself. Besides, this Duncan Hath borne his faculties so meek, hath been So clear in his great office, that his virtues Will plead like angels, trumpet-tongued, against The deep damnation of his taking-off; And pity, like a naked new-born babe, Striding the blast, or heaven's cherubim, horsed Upon the sightless couriers of the air, Shall blow the horrid deed in every eye, That tears shall drown the wind. I have no spur To prick the sides of my intent, but only Vaulting ambition, which o'erleaps itself And falls on the other."
-This is Macbeth's first soliloquy. In this quote, Macbeth is cotemplating all the reasons he should not kill his cousin. Duncan is a beloved king, and all of scotland would mourn his death, Killing Duncan in Macbeth's home looks very suspicious, Macbeth is Duncan's subject, Duncan isMacbeth's cousin afterall, and killing someone will certainley send Macbeth to hell. ..... Macbeth: "We will proceed no further in this business: He hath honour'd me of late; and I have bought Golden opinions from all sorts of people, Which would be worn now in their newest gloss, Not cast aside so soon."
-Macbeth is talking to Lady Macbeth. He has considered all aspects of killing Duncan and has decided that he will not kill his cousin to become king! Duncan has been good to Macbeth and he doesn't want to betray him. ..... Lady Macbeth: "Was the hope drunk Wherein you dress'd yourself? hath it slept since? And wakes it now, to look so green and pale At what it did so freely? From this time Such I account thy love. Art thou afeard To be the same in thine own act and valour As thou art in desire? Wouldst thou have that Which thou esteem'st the ornament of life, And live a coward in thine own esteem, Letting 'I dare not' wait upon 'I would,' Like the poor cat i' the adage?"
-Lady Macbeth convinces Macbeth to do the deed, making him feel like a quilty coward. .....
Lady Macbeth: "We fail! But screw your courage to the sticking-place, And we'll not fail. When Duncan is asleep-- Whereto the rather shall his day's hard journey Soundly invite him--his two chamberlains Will I with wine and wassail so convince That memory, the warder of the brain, Shall be a fume, and the receipt of reason A limbeck only: when in swinish sleep Their drenched natures lie as in a death, What cannot you and I perform upon The unguarded Duncan? what not put upon His spongy officers, who shall bear the guilt Of our great quell?" -Lady Macbeth is