It is undeniable that Macbeth is a murderer. He personally carries out the cowardly assassination of Duncan when he is a guest sleeping in his castle: “I have done the deed, did’st thou not hear a noise?” He also plans, organises and participates in the killing of his best friend Banquo and also is unsuccessful in attempting to murder his son Fleance: “we have lost best half of our affair.” Macbeth also spitefully arranges the murder of Macduff’s wife and children. It is only reassured that Macduff is no danger to him by the witches that Macbeth decides not to kill him: “Then live Macduff, wha

Lady Macbeth knows that King Duncan must be killed for Macbeth to become king, Lady Macbeth feels too feminine to be implicated in this regicide so asks the evil spirits to fill her with ruthlessness and hate but to still have the contraceptive powers to influence a human being like Macbeth. "Come, you spirits that tend on moral thoughts, unsex me here And fill me, from the crown to the toe, Top-full of direst cruelty. Make thick my blood." (Lady Macbeth- Act 1 scene V).

Macbeth is driven by the powerful contradictions with his character. He does enjoy doing evil and suffers greatly as a result. It is apparent that his wife’s ambitions for him is stronger than his conscience in the first instance as he does carry out the murder of Duncan. However, he quickly regrets the assassination and expresses shame: “To know my deed, twere best not to know myself wake Duncan with thy knocking! I would thou couldst”. He is also tormented by the murder of Banquo and is terrified by the visions of his ghost: “If trembling I inhabit then, protest me the baby if a girl. Hence horrible shadow unreal mockery hence”!

We cannot therefore say that Macbeth is more than a butcher who murders in cold-blood. He is tormented by his deeds, and he is never to enjoy the

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