Lady Macbeth And Macduff's Family

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Throughout the play Shakespeare highlights the good and evil traits that reside in people and shows that there is a hero and villain to every story, but in this story Macbeth who starts out as the hero soon becomes the villain. Macbeth is not entirely responsible for the death of King Duncan and the influence of the witches and Lady Macbeth can also be blamed. But Macbeth is to blame for the death of Banquo and Macduff’s family. At the start of the play Macbeth is seen as a soldier and a good person who is loyal to his king. When Macbeth meets the three witches who predict his future, he then writes to Lady Macbeth to tell her of the witch’s predictions. Lady Macbeth was the first to start the planning of Duncan’s death after hearing the…show more content…
Macbeth was objecting the plan to kill King Duncan but Lady Macbeth challenged his manhood and effectively persuaded him to kill the king that night. During the Elizabethan era, family life for men was one of power. Men were expected to support the family and improve the positions of all members in the family through the support from wealthier people. Hence Macbeth felt as though he had to prove his masculinity to his wife through becoming…show more content…
Macbeth was now completely corrupted by power and ambition. He feared losing his kingship because he thought that Banquo had suspected his involvement in King Duncan’s death, so he ordered his men to kill Banquo when he was leaving Macbeth’s place that night. Macbeth then visits the witches who conjure up an image of a head, which tells him to beware of Macduff. He also finds out that Macduff had fled to England. This then leads Macbeth ordering Macduff’s castle to be seized and Macduff’s family to be slaughtered. Although Macduff is no longer in the castle, anyone who was in the castle was killed, including Lady Macduff and her child. Macbeth was now completely corrupted by power and ambition, and he feared losing his kingship. This lead to the deaths of Banquo and Macduff’s family, which falls entirely in the hands of Macbeth, as Macbeth didn’t want any suspects who may have identified his involvement in King Duncan’s death. As demonstrated Lady Macbeth had nothing to do with the murders of Banquo and the Macduff family. But Lady Macbeth feels guilt from the crimes she helped her husband commit and soon goes mad and commits suicide. As Lady Macbeth was an influence in King Duncan’s murder, some would consider that justice was served with her death, though is it really justice if she hasn’t been put through trial and appropriate

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