To what extent can Lady Macbeth be responsible for the sequence of murders?
Uploaded by strokesroc on Nov 15, 2004
Lady Macbeth, who definitely contributed to the death of Duncan and the series of murders afterwards, can only be responsible for them to a small extent. This is due to two major factors that were also the sources of the sequence of murders. The Three Weird Sisters who from the start with their prophecies planted the thoughts in Macbeth’s head about murdering Duncan was one of these factors. The other person that was of course responsible for the murders was Macbeth himself. Macbeth could not let go of what he had been told by the witches and his ambition to be King eventually led him to commit the murders.
The Three Weird Sisters with their prophecies for Macbeth was one of the factors responsible for the sequence of committed murders. Featured at the beginning of the play, the Witches met with Macbeth and Banquo and told the two men their fortune.
‘All hail MacBeth, hail to thee, Thane of Glamis/ All hail MacBeth, hail to thee, Thane of Cawdor! All hail MacBeth, that shalt be king hereafter.’(Act 1 Scene 3) At first, Macbeth seemed to hardly believe the Witches because he hadn’t yet been informed of his Cawdor title but when told that he had been made the Thane of Cawdor Macbeth began to wander about killing Duncan. At that time, Macbeth was still the noble and brave soldier and the thought of murdering Duncan frightened him. ‘Why do I yield to the suggestion whose horrid image doth unfix my hair and make my seated heart knock at my ribs against the use of nature?’(Act 1 Scene 3) This quote suggested how the idea of being King of Scotland appealed to Macbeth but also showed how the idea of murdering the current King frightened Macbeth. The third prophecy clearly triggered the horrific murder image in Macbeth’s mind which eventually led him to commit the murder.
The Witches’ prophecy for Banquo was a factor that led him to his death. ‘Lesser than Macbeth, and greater/ Not so happy, yet much happier/ Thou shalt get kings, though thou be none.’(Act 1 Scene 3) Banquo’s descendents shall be Kings but he will not be. When Macbeth became the King, this prophecy became a potential threat to him and so led onto the murder of Banquo.
The death of Macduff’s family was also the result of the Witches’ evil doings. When Macbeth made his first and final...