Many children are constantly trying to find new ways to entertain themselves. One might suggest that rollerblading as fast as possible and jumping off a deck would be a great possibility for pleasure. Well, this has happened in the past, and the results have mostly been broken bones. Ultimately its the choice of the youngster whether to jump or not: the will of the being is the decisive factor.
Every action has an equal and opposite reaction(Sir Isaac Newtons third law of Physics). In the tragedy play Macbeth by William Shakespeare, the main character Macbeth goes through many fluctuations regarding his feelings, his relationships, and his outlook towards life. Macbeths individually chosen actions were the cause for his alteration as a character. Macbeth yearned to be the most powerful and this ambition drove him to the assassination of his king.
He had many self-debates, prior to the murder, whether to unleash his expedition of violence(Act II Scene iii line 126) upon the king. Often Macbeth told himself to let not light see [his] black and deep desires(Act I Scene iv line 58), for they were beginning to truly cloud his mind. The temptation ended up being too immense to deny for Macbeth; if the assassination/ Could trammel up the consequence, and catch, / With his surcease, success(Act I Scene vii line 2) then Macbeth would have what he so desired.
Macbeth knew that he was [King Duncans] kinsman and his subject, / Strong both against the deed: then, as his host, / Who should against his murderer shut the door, / Not bear the knife [himself](Act I Scene vii line 13). Yet as the time grew near for which the murder was to take place, Macbeth did not fail in pursuing his plan. With the murder of Duncan and a strong possibility of the crowning of Macbeth, Macbeth enters a state of distress. The aftermath to the assassination proved to influence Macbeth into feeling a large amount of guilt and remorse for being a traitor.
Originally Macbeth was a man who would do everything / Safe toward [King Duncans] love and honor(Act I Scene iv line 29) and seemed full so valiant(Act I Scene iv line 61), was now pleading a guilty conscience to autonomous powers asking to Scarf up the tender eye of pitiful day(Act III Scene ii line 52). Macbeth thought that with power would accompany happiness, but the contrary occurred; Macbeth became entirely swept by guilt that he was afraid to think what [he had] done(Act II Scene ii line 66).
Macbeth, speaking in retrospect, analyses that to gain our peace, have sent to peace, / Than on the torture of the mind to lie / In restless ecstasy. (Act III Scene ii line 22). With Macbeths new control and authority also brought an extremely paranoid and radical position which defended what was now his. To Macbeth, Banquo seemed to be a threat, and thus he thought who wear our health but sickly in his life, / which in his death were perfect(Act III Scene i line 115). Although Banquo believes that [Macbeth] playdst most foully fort(Act III Scene i line 3), he doesnt threaten Macbeth in any way.
Macbeth thinks otherwise and believes Banquo has royalty of nature/ Reigns that which would be feared(Act III Scene i line 54). It is that Banquo was such a moral man that he was viewed as a peril. Theres one true event that pushed Macbeth into such a state of apprehensive suspicion and pushed him to result to murder Banquo; when Banquo told Macbeth he would be late for his banquet. The murder was the event provoked a subtle degeneration of his grasp on reality. Following the death of Banquo is an extreme change in the relationships between Macbeth and his acquaintances.
Ensuing the death brought Banquos ghost as a guest to the banquets head table, the guests were stunned at the reaction of Macbeth to the ghost; for everyone else could not see the spirit of Banquo. The horrified ramblings of Macbeth asking to let the earth hide / Banquo(Act III Scene iv line 113) made the guests question their new king. Such a highness [which] is not so well(Act III Scene iv line 65) might not be fit for kingship and the responsibility which accompanies it.
A strange infirmity(Act III Scene iv line 104) was upon their all mighty king and it was now apparent that this would lower their assurance of having a reliable king. The further that Macbeth progressed through the play, the further minute actions made by him affected him on a more personal level. An accomplice was needed for Macbeth so that the deed would go more securely, and so Macbeth introduced his plans to his wife. Lady Macbeth truly supported Macbeths proposed plans and wouldst thou holily; wouldst not play false. (Act I Scene v line 20).
She pursued the plan of killing king Duncan with Macbeth and gave the out most enthusiasm. Following the murder was a large amount of remorse expressed by Lady Macbeth for being a co-conspirator; this remorse quickly turned into sorriest fancies(Act III Scene ii line 11) during the night. It was obvious that Lady Macbeth believed that none can call [her] power to account(Act V Scene i line 35), and even so the guilt that she expressed through her sleep walking eventually had to be expressed through a more radical means; suicide.
The death of the only person Macbeth still trusted made his goal of happiness even further from reality. Lady Macbeths suicide made Macbeth unable to look upon life with the same passion as before. Macbeth was originally a very eager character and had an ambition towards his success and his contentment; now his perspective was one of boredom and repetition: To-morrow, and to-morrow, and to-morrow, Creeps in this petty pace from day to day, To the last syllable of recorded time; And all our yesterdays have lighted fools The way to dusty death.
Out, out, brief candle! Lifes but a walking shadow, a poor player That struts and frets his hour upon the stage And then is heard no more: it is a tale Told by an idiot, full of sound and furry, Signifying nothing. (Act V Scene v line 21). Lady Macbeth was truly essential to Macbeth providing security and aid when needed. The days of thinking that each step [towards his goals] is one which [he] must fall down, or else oer-leap(Act I Scene iv line 55), were now days of acceptance of failure; Macbeth now had nothing to fall back on.
The choice of killing King Duncan and associating Lady Macbeth with it would prove to be the beginning to Macbeths hunger for supremacy and the complete and total end to it; including the fulfillment that surrounds it. The depolarization of Macbeths character is a direct result of the measures he took throughout the play to attempt to assure himself personal gain. Macbeth is one of the few characters in the play that is truly in control of his outcome: King Duncans murder, Banquos death and promoting Lady Macbeths involvement were all not essential to Macbeths existence.
Much like a child not considering the consequences of his foolish yet entertaining actions, Macbeth imprudently sought to try and gain fortune without considering the results of his unjust methods of doing so. We are to admit no more causes of natural things, than such as are both true and sufficient to explain their appearances(Sir Isaac Newtons Mathematical Principles of Natural Philosophy, trans. A. Motte (London, 1729). ).