The Problem Of Evil In Macbeth

3 Pages 806 Words

Decisions are sometimes hard to make, but they have to be made everyday. People often tend to put pressure on others to force them to make the wrong decisions. In Macbeth’s case, Lady Macbeth and the three witches are highly responsible for the evil acts done by Macbeth. By forcing him to make the wrong choices, Lady Macbeth and these three witches put Macbeth’s life and leadership at stake. In Macbeth, there is a sequence of events that begins with good news for Macbeth but ends in tragedy due to the evilness of Lady Macbeth and the witches.
The three witches start the chain of events that lead to the downfall of Macbeth. August Wilhelm Shlegel says, “…They (the witches) are ignoble instruments of hell” (959). William Hazlitt agrees with him by saying, “…The witches are instrumental in urging Macbeth to his fate for the mere love of mischief and from a disinterested delight in deformity and cruelty” (962). During the time in which Macbeth takes place, it was against the law to consult any evil or cursed spirit. If a person was caught consulting a spirit, that person could be killed. Therefore, it is hard to understand why Macbeth listens to these witches, knowing he could be executed if he is caught. Shlegel states, “The weird sisters surprise Macbeth in the moment of intoxication of victory when his love of glory has been gratified; they cheat his eyes by exhibiting to him as the work of fate” (959).
When Lady Macbeth finds out about the prophecy that states Macbeth will become king, she believes that she and Macbeth should kill King Duncan. However, Macbeth feels there is no reason to kill this man just to expedite the time in which he is
crowned king or to make certain he is crowned king. King Duncan is a friend, a good man, and a good king. Macbeth feels it is ludicrous to commit this heinous act of treachery. Macbeth says, "If chance will have me king, why, chance may crown me without my stir"(Shakespear...