Macbeth

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1. 
   luannw Teacher
   High School - 11th Grade

   One moral crisis, and probably the most notable, is the killing of Duncan.  From the moment Macbeth is told that he is now the Thane of Cawdor in Act 1, sc. 3, he begins to contemplate being king.  He wavers from wanting to kill Duncan to deciding not to do it back to doing it.  Lady Macbeth attacks his masculinity when he says they will "proceed no further in this business" in Act 1, sc. 7.  Macbeth's reaction to that attack is to go ahead with the murder of Duncan.  Immediately after the murder is Macbeth's next moral crisis in Act 2, sc. 2.  He is immediately struck with guilt.  He says he heard voices say, "Macbeth shall sleep no more."  He says he tried, but was unable to say, "Amen."  The guilt drips off Macbeth like the blood that drips from the daggers. Another moral crisis occurs at the end of the play in Act 5, sc. 8, when Macbeth meets up with Macduff in battle.  This time, Macbeth, still believing himself invincible, tries to take the high road and he tells Macduff that he doesn't want to fight him because he's killed enough of Macduff's family already and he cannot be killed by any man born of woman.  Macduff of course give him the news that he, Macduff, was born by Caesarian birth.

   Sources:

   http://www.enotes.com/macbeth

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   Posted by luannw on Sunday June 1, 2008 at 3:48 PM
   
   

2. 
   pmiranda2857 Teacher
   High School - 11th Grade

   In Act III, Scene I, Banquo warns Macbeth of the consequences of putting too much faith in the witches prophecy, he says:

   "Thou hast it now: King, Cawdor, Glamis,
   all,
   As the weird women promis'd; and, I fear,
   Thou play'dst most foully for't; yet it was said
   It should not stand in thy posterity,
   But that myself should be the root and father
   Of many kings. If there come truth from them,—
   As upon thee, Macbeth, their speeches shine,—
   Why, by the verities on thee made good,
   May they not be my oracles as well,
   And set me up in hope? But, hush! no more."

   Banquo chooses the higher moral ground and decides against thinking any further about the prophecy because he sees the temptation in it.

   After Banquo's murder, Macbeth has enormous guilt, he begins to see the ghost of Banquo at his party, and begins to realize that he is now deeply involved in dangerous murderous treachery and feels surrounded by his actions. He is suffocating emotionally from the moral strain. In Act III, Scene IV, he says

   "By the worst means, the worst. For mine own
   good
   All causes shall give way: I am in blood
   Stepp'd in so far, that, should I wade no more,
   Returning were as tedious as go o'er.
   Strange things I have- in head that will to hand,
   Which must be acted ere they may be scann'd."

   Sources:

   http://www.absoluteshakespeare.com/plays/macbeth

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   Posted by pmiranda2857 on Sunday June 1, 2008 at 5:28 PM