The tragedy of Macbeth, written by William Shakespeare, is a great work of literature that teaches about moral principles and goodness and evil in people. Throughout the entire play, Macbeth and his wife are faced with extreme guilt over sins against their fellow man, as well as against God. At first, Macbeth was a good-natured man; but the influence of his wife and his own personal greed to become a greater person changed him into a person who most people viewed as a rebel against basic moral principles.
Macbeth shows how our sins and negative social behavior can eventually lead to extreme guilt as well as hate and vengeance from others. Macbeth pays no attention to the good things that can be done for others, but instead, gets caught up in his own personal greediness for a higher, more respectable position in the social class. Duncan and Banquo are the two people that Macbeth must kill before assuring his positions as king. The witches" prophecies, which predict Banquo's future as being greater than Macbeth's, cause him to fear "none but he" (3.1.54). Macbeth must then kill both he and his son, Fleance, to assure his own spot as king of Scotland. Macbeth pays no attention to morals when there is something he wants to achieve, and in this case his goal is to become a respected authority.
With Lady Macbeth as the main driving power behind Macbeth's own will to become king, he commits some terrible crimes that are the exact opposite of moral. The death of Duncan is a major turning point in the emotions of Macbeth and his wife. After Macbeth has "done the deed" (2.2.14), he is so guilt-ridden of his crime that he cannot even utter the word "Amen" (2.2.28) after a prayer. The main consequence of their horrible crimes is their extreme guilt and sorrow. Lady Macbeth "should have died hereafter" (5.5.17) from her extreme guilt over the killing of Duncan and Banquo. Her personal guilt caused her to fall to her last resort, commit the unspeakable, and take her own life so that she would not have to feel so horrible.
