... slaughterous thoughts,/Cannot once start me."" Macbeth, a few lines later, is also aware of his forthcoming demise: "Life's 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 fury,/Signifying nothing."" Macbeth knows that his "play,"" or his life, is nearing its end ... Because Macbeth is the mastermind of the multiple other murders that occur in the play after Duncan's murder, he is responsible for his downfall, but he refuses to accept his responsibility because he does not want ...

• Word Count: 1270
• Approx Pages: 5
• Grade Level: Undergraduate