Macbeth Philosophical Questions

1. Macbeth's apparent motivations for considering the murder of King Duncan soon after

becoming Thane of Cawdor include ambition, the witches' prophecy, and his desire for

power and monarchy. Although Macbeth is attracted by the notion of becoming king at

this point in Act 1, he still has a conscience that struggles with the idea of regicide.

Through his internal strife and moral deliberation, Macbeth retains a conscience in Act 1.

He is astonished and taken aback when he first hears the witches' prophecy that he would

be king, but he does not instantly go to the concept of murder. His immediate attitude is

one of astonishment and confusion, rather than acceptance of the concept of regulatory

activities. This hesitancy indicates that his conscience is active and that he is

contemplating the morality of such a horrific deed. Furthermore, when Macbeth

considers killing King Duncan, he considers the ramifications and potential

consequences. Duncan is a noble monarch, beloved by his subjects, and executing him

would be a betrayal of faith and loyalty. Macbeth refers to Duncan as "a king of virtues,"

which reveals his internal conflict and recognition of the moral ramifications.

2. Lady Macbeth's overwhelming desire to kill King Duncan stems from a combination of

her own ambition, her belief in the witches prophecies, and her understanding of

Macbeth's temperament. She sees an opportunity to capture power and realize their

dreams, and she is willing to go to any extent to make it happen. Lady Macbeth is

motivated first and foremost by ambition. She desires power and position, and she sees

Macbeth becoming king as a method to realize her own ambitions. She desires the title

and responsibilities that come with becoming a queen. When she exclaims, "Glamis thou
 Macbeth Philosophical Questions

art, and Cawdor, and shalt be / What thou art promised" (Act 1, Scene 5), her ambition is

clear. She is desperate to persuade Macbeth to take the necessary steps to secure the

throne. Lady Macbeth also believes deeply in the witches' prophecy. When she learns of

the witches' prediction that Macbeth would become king, she becomes adamant about

making it a reality. She takes the predictions as heavenly confirmation of their fate, and

she encourages Macbeth to take control of fate. "Hie thee hither, / That I may pour my

spirits in thine ear / And chastise with the valour of my tongue / All that hinders thee

from the golden round," she says in Act 1, Scene 5. Lady Macbeth's belief in the

predictions fuels her determination to overcome all hurdles in their path, even King

Duncan. Furthermore, Lady Macbeth believes that Macbeth is too timid and kind-hearted

to claim the throne on his own. She believes he lacks the ruthlessness and

single-mindedness required to take the necessary steps to realize their objective. Lady

Macbeth believes it is her responsibility to prod Macbeth into action, and she imposes her

power by challenging his manhood and exploiting his sense of honour. "When you dared

to do it, you were a man," she adds (Act 1, Scene 7). Lady Macbeth's ambition to propel

Macbeth forward originates from her comprehension of his character and her desire to

mould him into the ruler she imagines.

 Macbeth Philosophical Questions

3. Macbeth and Lady Macbeth are a combination of overly ambitious, insane, and

malevolent characters. Macbeth is portrayed at the start of the play as a brave and valiant

warrior, highly admired by his peers and loyal to the monarch. However, his meeting with

the witches instills in him a tenacious ambition. Macbeth is consumed by ambition,

which clouds his judgement and leads him down a path of moral degradation. Lady

Macbeth is instrumental in feeding Macbeth's ambition, manipulating him into

committing regicide in order to gain the kingdom for himself. Both Macbeth and Lady

Macbeth begin to show signs of madness as a result of their ambition. Macbeth has

hallucinations and hears voices: "Is this a dagger I see before me"? These psychotic

episodes worsen as remorse and worry torment him, forcing him to commit even more

crimes in order to keep his position. Lady Macbeth succumbs to her guilt as well,

sleepwalking and constantly seeking to cleanse herself of the blood on her hands,

indicating her delicate mental state. Throughout the play, their deeds reveal their decline

into evil. Macbeth's initial murder of King Duncan sets in motion a series of violent

crimes, including the murder of his ally Banquo and the innocent Macduff family. Lady

Macbeth is complicit in the planning and cover-up of these murders, although not directly

involved in them. Macbeth and Lady Macbeth create a terrible team, their arrogance and

unbridled passion for power driving them to do heinous actions without remorse. In their

merciless desire for power, they manipulate and deceive others, including their allies.

Their propensity to forego morality, loyalty, and even their humanity distinguishes them

as really terrible characters. Ultimately, Macbeth and Lady Macbeth exemplify a mix of

ambition, madness, and evil. As their ambition spirals out of control, their characters

undergo dramatic transformations, pushing them into lunacy and immorality. Their deeds
 Macbeth Philosophical Questions

demonstrate a complete disregard for ethics and a willingness to do unthinkable things in

order to attain what they want. Their characters' grief stems from their inability to find

salvation or escape from the consequences of their crimes.

4. The iconic "Out, damned spot" moment from Lady Macbeth's famous soliloquy sheds

light on her worsening mental state. Her obsession with trying to clean up the imagined

bloodstains on her hands is a reflection of her intense sadness and shame for her part in

the killings she and her husband, Macbeth, planned. In the beginning, Lady Macbeth

displays a powerful and cunning personality, pressuring Macbeth to commit regicide in

order to satisfy their lofty goals. She is tormented by her guilt when the effects of their

deeds play out, though. She experiences sleepwalking and hallucinations where she

reenacts the incident and makes compulsive attempts to wash away the imagined blood as

a result of the guilt. One may argue that the overwhelming remorse Lady Macbeth

experiences is what drives her insane. Her complicity in King Duncan's murder and the

ensuing wave of bloodshed is what has she feeling guilty. As she struggles with the

gravity of their actions and their moral ramifications, her phrases in the soliloquy convey

her pain. She expresses surprise at both the scope of her husband's acts and the amount of

bloodshed, and she wonders about her own sanity. It can be argued that Macbeth still has

some conscience in the play despite his plunge into darkness and moral degradation.

Macbeth experiences a significant metamorphosis throughout the play as he pursues his

ambitious and merciless goal for power. Initially, Macbeth is portrayed as a devoted and

honourable soldier, but after meeting the witches and hearing their prophecy, a seed of

ambition is planted in his heart. He is progressively overwhelmed by his desire for power
 Macbeth Philosophical Questions

and the extent he will go to in order to obtain it as the play goes on. By killing King

Duncan, he commits regicide, and his other deeds, such as ordering the assassination of

Banquo and Macduff's family, show that he is eager to get rid of anyone who poses a

challenge to his authority. Nevertheless, despite his horrific deeds, Macbeth occasionally

demonstrates regret and guilt. After killing Duncan, he experiences extreme guilt and

hallucinations, seeing a bloodstain as a representation of his guilt. This shows that,

although being highly burdened, his conscience is still awake.