Theme Of Death In Macbeth

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To kill or not to kill, that is the question. In Macbeth, the title character has an inner conflict where he must decide if he should kill the king or not. Macbeth’s speech in Act I, Scene VII recites this emotional tug-of-war. This passage is a crucial turning point for Macbeth. In these lines Macbeth pinpoints the consequences and benefits of the assassination, and his decision will affect the entirety of his life and the message his play will leave. Firstly, to understand the significance of Macbeth’s struggle, the reader must define what the angel on his right is telling him versus the devil on his left. In the beginning of the play the reader is introduced to a strong, loyal Macbeth who had just recently slain a traitor of Scotland in…show more content…
In this play, the idea of free will is manipulated and really put into question. It is never revealed if the witches had any sort of legitimate power on purpose. The reader now questions whether or not the entire situation was avoidable or not. Was Macbeth always going to kill Duncan? Did the prospect of becoming king entice him so greatly he lost rational thought? Or was it the Weird Sisters’ prophecies that forced Macbeth into fulfilling them himself? These questions relate to the theme of free will vs fate. Was Macbeth destined to fall or did he bring it upon himself? This is a central question in Macbeth. Additionally, Shakespeare wanted readers to know that, just like Macbeth, everyone has to make tough decisions and face the consequences for bad ones. Macbeth cries, “Will all great Neptune’s ocean wash this blood / Clean from my hand? No, this my hand will rather / The multitudinous seas incarnadine” (2.2.76-79). Macbeth will forever live in shame of the murder he has committed, and Shakespeare want absolutely everyone that sees or reads this play to know that. There is a constant reminder that Macbeth murdered sleep when he killed the resting Duncan. For the rest of Macbeth’s life he cannot sleep because of the one choice he made to kill the king. In this way, Shakespeare warned his audience to think before they act, or else it could haunt you

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