Evelution of Evil
...sires. Pressure such as this coming from one's wife is difficult to ignore. The pressure doesn't stop there either. Lady Macbeth goes on to question Macbeth's manhood saying "When you durst do it, then you were a man; and to be more than what you were, you would be so much more the man" (1.7.56-58). Lady Macbeth's role as the dominant spouse in her marriage is one she carries through the duration of the play. She places Macbeth on his path of betrayal and for her own benefit does everything in her power to keep him on it. Once Macbeth is in his desired place of power as king, paranoia takes over. He feels there are those he must kill in order to protect his position as king, even if that means killing close friends. After convincing two murderers to kill Banquo, Macbeth states, "It is concluded. Banquo, thy soul's flight, if it find heaven, must find it tonight" (3.1.157-158). Before Macbeth killed Duncan, Banquo was Macbeth's best friend. To get to the mental state in which one feels they must kill their best friend is a journey only a seriously troubled mind can make. However, that is the state of Macbeth's mind after killing Duncan. As the play progresses and his killing continues Macbeth's state of mind travels even further away from the normal. At a banquet held at his castle Macbeth begins to hallucinate. While imagining seeing Banquet's ghost, Macbeth says to the ghost, "Prithee see there! behold! look! lo! How say you? Why, what care I? If thou canst nod, speak too" (3.4.85-87). These hallucinations are a result of the struggle between Macbeth's conscience and his realization of his acts of evil and betrayal. This path of evil Macbeth has embarked upon has led him to insanity. Unfortunately the path doesn't end there. More dangerous than his acts of malice is Macbeth's ability to become comfortable with such acts and not hesitate in carrying them out. Despite the fact that the three witches inform Macbeth that no one borne of a women will harm him, Macbeth decides that Macduff needs to be murdered. He says to himself of Macduff, "What need I fear of thee? But yet I'll make assurance double sure and take a bond of fate. Thou shalt not live!" (4.1.93-95). Here Macbeth feels completely comfortable with having Macduff killed even if according to the witches prophecy it is pointless. However earlier in the play he thought quite a bit more about and had definite purpose for each murder. Not only is his comfort with killing a dangerous asset but also is his lack in hesitation. After hearing that Macduff has fled to England Macbeth vows, "From this moment the very firstlings of my heart shall be the firstlings of my hand. And even now, to crown my thoughts with acts, be it thought and done" (4.1.168-172). It is a very dangerous man who feels comfortable with killing and wont hesitate to do so. Macbeth is now without a motive to kill, except to just be evil, meaning those around him are not safe as long as he is living. Unlike many of Shakespeare's other plays there is a point in this play whe...