By MAYESO KAPALAMULA, MZUZU UNIVERSITY

THE INFLUENCE OF RELATIONSHIPS AND INTERACTIONS IN HUMAN

BEHAVIOUR: THE CASE OF MACBETH

Not only is the human behaviour influenced by heredity, it is also influenced by the
immediate environment. Relationships and interactions with friends and strangers make up a
great deal of contacts that can influence people’s actions. Some behaviours are like a volcano.
They stay dormant waiting for right conditions to erupt. Once they erupt, they are destructive
or devilish in nature as the person becomes a shadow of oneself in dormant mode. The
perfect example of such behaviour is portrayed by Macbeth in the play “Macbeth” by
William Shakespeare. He is a noble person and kind as stated by Duncan and Lady Macbeth
respectively. Together with his close friend, Banquo, they defended Scotland with their lives.
But all this changed as Macbeth becomes a villain, cruel, malevolent and evil to the extent of
arranging for the murder of his close friend. What happened to him to change? This writing
therefore, serves as a defence for Macbeth in spite all the evil deeds he commits by cross
examining circumstances leading to his evil deeds by exploiting the influence of relationships
and interactions in his life.

In the first place, the contact with the three witches. Macbeth, in the company of Banquo,
meets these witches on his way from the battlefield where he defended Scotland from
Norwegian invaders. As an army general and Thane of Glamis, he performs his duties
accordingly and does not have any ambitions of attaining a higher title, let alone becoming
the King. This is evident in his response to the witches’ claim that he is the Thane of Cawdor
and will be the future king: “The Thane of Cawdor lives a prosperous gentleman, and to be
king stands not within the prospect of belief, no more than to be Cawdor.” (Act I:III, lines 70
– 73). These sentiments mean that Macbeth was contented with his position as the Thane of
Glamis, which he inherited from his father, Finel. The witches evoke underlying desires in
Macbeth. He becomes ambitious that he wants to be the king since the prophecy of him
becoming the Thane of Cawdor comes to pass moments later after his encounter with the
witches. He says aside, “Glamis, and Thane of Cawdow: the greatest is behind.” (Act I:III,
lines 115). This ambition manifests again when Malcolm is elected Prince of Cumberland,
the title of the king’s successor, “The Prince of Cumberland: that is a step on which I must
fall down, or else o’erlap, for in my way it lies. Stars, hide your fires, let not light see my
black and deep desires,…” (Act I:IV, line 48 – 51). By this time, the witches have awakened
desires and ambitions in Macbeth and he will stop at nothing to attain the kingship. Before
the encounter with the witches, he was a shining star which at present wants it to stop shining
due to the ambitions he now has. His resolve is no longer as noble as he was. Even Hacate,
the queen of witches, puts blame on the witches for Macbeth’s actions. She considers their
interaction as poisonous. Angrily, Hecate questions the witches’ interaction with Macbeth,
“How did you dare to trade with Macbeth in riddles and affairs of death?” (Act III:V, lines 3
– 5). This means that Macbeth’s evil deeds are the result of his interaction with the three
witches who provoked dormant desire and jealous in him to the extent of thinking of killing
Duncan so that he becomes the king himself, as well as killing Banquo in order to make the
kingship safe since the witches prophesised Banquo’s descendant to be future kings.

Sometimes the gifts and kind of gratitude people show fuels desires and ambitions in people.
This is evident in the way Duncan, as the king, showed gratitude to Macbeth and Banquo for
bravely defending the kingdom from invaders. He rewards Macbeth’s loyalty with a title as
new Thane of Cawdor. Still, Duncan feels it is not a good enough reward and plans to visit
Inverness. Duncan’s words, “…more is thy due than more than all can pay.” (Act I:IV, line
21) cements Macbeth’s desire to attain more. Duncan is like certifying Macbeth to aspire for
more by suggesting that what he has given (Thane of Cawdor) to Macbeth is not a fitting title,
hence deserves something more glamorous like the kingship. That is why it is a setback to
Macbeth that it is Malcolm who is named the king’s successor not him. Duncan’s actions are
provocative as he rewards Banquo with a place in his heart, “Noble Banquo, that has no less
deserved, nor must be known no less to have done so, let me enfold thee and hold thee to my
heart.” (Act I:IV, lines 30 to 32). Thus, Duncan awards Banquo a special place in his heart
while awarding Macbeth materialistically. Hence, he furthers Macbeth’s desire for
possessions.

“... The love that follows us sometime is our trouble…” (Act I:VI, line 11). These words are
spoken by King Duncan on his visit to Inverness in the presence of Lady Macbeth, the
hostess. These words entail that people we love do influence our decisions. Duncan decided
to visit Inverness out of love he has for Macbeth. In the same vain, Macbeth decides to kill
Duncan in order to prove to Lady Macbeth that he does love her. Despite earlier claim that
Malcolm’s appointment is a block to his ascension to kingship, Macbeth decides against
killing Duncan by citing three reasons: firstly, Duncan is his relative and his king; Duncan is
the guest who deserves the host’s protection; and Duncan has been a great king and performs
his duties well. But Macbeth succumbs to the love he has for his wife. Lady Macbeth claims
that Macbeth’s love for her is as unreliable as his determination to become the king, “…
From this time, such I count thy love.” (Act I:VII, line 38). Knowing very well that Macbeth
is a kind person, “…yet do I fear thy nature, it is too full o’th’milk of human kindness” (Act
I:V, lines 14 – 15), Lady Macbeth uses provocation to convince Macbeth to kill Duncan out
of her own ambition of becoming the queen. At first, she questions Macbeth’s love for her,
and then questions his manliness: “…when you durst do it, then you were a man. And to be
more than what you were, you would be so much more than a man.” (Act I:VII, lines 49 –
50). In trying to prove his love and being a man enough, Macbeth ends up killing Duncan. It
is an evil deed influenced by Lady Macbeth which otherwise Macbeth would not have done
because he was a kind person.

Macbeth’s contact with the three witches consequently angers Hecate who wants to destroy
him. She commands the witches to create a strong charm that will eventually make Macbeth a
self-destructive person, “…and that distilled by magic sleights, shall raise such artificial
sprites as by the strength of their illusion shall draw him own to his confusion. He shall spurn
fate, scorn death, and bear his hopes ‘bove wisdom, grace, and fear. And you all know,
security is mortals’ chiefest enemy.” (Act III:V, lines 26 – 33). The charm is prepared and
used on Macbeth. It is used to summon apparitions which one of them is a warning about
Macduff: “… beware Macduff,” (Act IV:I, line 70). Since the charm is about making
Macbeth overconfident and unreasonable, he recognises that the witches have only confirmed
his earlier suspicions on Macduff, hence, satisfying his ego as to have had good instincts.
This prompted his decision to kill the whole of Macduff’s family members once he learnt
from Lennox that Macduff has fled to England. Had it been that Hacate did not command the
witches to prepare a strong charm that will affect Macbeth’s wisdom and affirmation of
Macduff as a threat to his kingship, Macbeth would not have killed Macduff’s family
members as a way of getting to him. The members were innocent as per claimed by Lady
Macduff when a Messenger comes to tell her to run with all her children as her life was in
imminent danger: “Whither should I fly? I have done no harm.” (Act IV:II). Any wise and
gracious person would not kill innocent family members unless they are under a spell like it
is with Macbeth.

Every loss of life is tragic whether on the battlefield or by murder. Young Siward, who is
mourned by his father and fellow soldiers is killed by Macbeth. There was nothing that
Macbeth could have done than defending himself from an enemy who was determined to
destroy him: “Thou liest, abhorred tyrant, with my sword I’ll prove the lie thou speak’st.”
(Act V:VII, line 11). Macbeth does not want to fight him but he charges on. This forces
Macbeth to commit an evil deed which he did not want to.

At times, the loss of loved ones brings out the dark side of the believed. They can end up
being in the dark more especially when the deceased person happens to be the light that has
been lighting a certain path of success. The death of Lady Macbeth on the eve of the battle
left Macbeth devastated and hopeless as she was an architect of this path, “She should have
died hereafter;… out, out, brief candle, life’s but a walking shadow, a poor player… it is a
tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury signifying nothing.” (Act V:V, lines 20 – 26).
Lady Macbeth has been a pillar and a guide in Macbeth’s life. Her demise affected Macbeth
so much that he insults his servant, “Liar and slave?...If though speak’st false, upon the next
tree shall thou hang alive till famine cling thee” (Act V:V, line 36). The servant had come to
deliver unprecedented news at a time Macbeth is grieving the death of his wife. He insults the
Messenger and threatens to tie him against the tree until he dies of hunger. Definitely
Macbeth would not have insulted the Messenger had he been in right state of mind. The
timing of the message was not right, let alone the possibility of trees moving towards
Macbeth’s direction was ridiculous. Trees cannot move. The witches made it clear that he
will only be defeated when Birnam wood moves towards Dunsinane castle. Thus, Macbeth is
still under the witches’ spell and his wife has committed suicide, at the same time, the whole
nation has turned against him. Those who still remained on his side did that out of fear not
loyalty that is why they deserted him. Macbeth ended up insulting the Messenger due to
pressure he is subjected on and the spell placed upon him. Otherwise, Macbeth would not
have insulted the messenger.

In conclusion, interactions and relationships can bring out the best or the worst of a person.
The influence can be intentional or unintentional. Lady Macbeth as a wife to Macbeth,
intentionally influence his husband to carry out an evil deed. Had it been that Macbeth had
married a lady who supported his resolve not to kill Duncan, then Macbeth would still have
been a kind person. He would not have turned a cold-hearted man who kills Duncan in his
sleep, and kills Macduff’s innocent family. Macbeth’s interaction with the witches brought
out the dormant evil side of his character. He is made to be ambitious and placed under a
spell. Had he not met the witches, he would still have been contented as the Thane of Glamis,
as well as being a loyal soldier to his king whom he would defend always. Instead, he is the
one who kills the king in order for him to be the king. He even kills his closest friend,
Banquo, in an attempt to make the kingship safe since the witches prophesised that Banquo’s
descendants will be kings not Macbeth’s. Definitely, Macbeth would not have killed Banquo
had he not met the witches. Duncan, unintentionally made Macbeth to be materialistic by
awarding him with a title whereas Banquo with an eternal gratitude. The award makes him to
consider himself a candidate for kingship. Clearly, these relationships and interactions have
influenced Macbeth to commit different evil deeds which he would otherwise not committed.
In this regard, Macbeth is a victim of association.