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Document 126
Document 126
Document 126
The two characters in Macbeth that may be characterized as villains are Macbeth and Lady
Macbeth.
Lady Macbeth is one of the two true villains in Macbeth. Macbeth Murdered Duncan because
the Three Witches told him he would be king and Lady Macbeth forcefully encourages Macbeth to
murder Duncan, which Macbeth gives in to. Lady Macbeth enters and tells her husband that the
king has dined and that he has been asking for Macbeth. Macbeth declares that he no longer
intends to kill Duncan. Lady Macbeth, outraged, calls him a coward and questions his manhood.
She says, “then you were a man” (1.7.49). He asks her what will happen if they fail; she
promises that as long as they are bold, they will be successful. Then she tells him her plan:
while Duncan sleeps, she will give his chamberlains wine to make them drunk, and then she and
Macbeth can slip in and murder Duncan. They will smear the blood of Duncan on the sleeping
chamberlains to cast the guilt upon them. Astonished at the brilliance and daring of her plan,
Macbeth tells his wife that her “undaunted mettle” makes him hope that she will only give birth
to male children (1.7.73). He then agrees to proceed with the murder. Lady Macbeth wants
Duncan killed so she can have more of what she wants so she convinces and uses Macbeth so she can
get her way. Lady Macbeth values having power over other human life. Lady Macbeth wanted to kill
King Duncan because with his death, brings her power, wealth and fame. Lady Mcbeth just wants to be
above everybody else in every regard so his death would make that happen. Lady Macbeth is motivated
to kill King Duncan by her ambition and her desire to become the queen of Scotland.
Macbeth is the second villain in Macbeth. The three witches tell Macbeth that there are
prophecies and he decides he wants to do something to make them come true. In the first act of
"Macbeth," Macbeth encounters a trio of witches, the "weird sisters." The y tell Macbeth he will be
"Thane of Glamis," "Thane of Cawdor" and "king hereafter." They further announce they will greet him
again "when the battle's lost and won." They then recite in unison, "fair is foul, and foul is fair." Later in
the play, Macbeth again meets the witches, who summon three ghostly apparitions, each of which
offers a prophecy involving Macbeth's future. Macbeth and Lady Macbeth both get the guards drunk
and murder the king with daggers. Macbeth encounters three witches and they tell Macbeth that he will
be "Thane of Glamis," "Thane of Cawdor" and "king hereafter." They say they will greet him again "once
the battle's lost and won”. Later in the play, Macbeth again meets the witches, who summon three
ghostly apparitions, each of which offers a prophecy involving Macbeth's future. The first apparition the
witches create is a disembodied head, wearing a helmet made of metal armor. This ghostly entity warns
Macbeth to "beware Macduff; Beware the thane of Fife." This prophecy says Macduff will eventually
return to Scotland and make an attempt to try to ruin Macbeth in some way. This prophecy
foreshadows Macbeth's death at the hands of Macduff. The second apparition is a bloody child, who
gives Macbeth the following prophecy: "For none of woman born shall harm Macbeth." This prophecy
comes to foreshadow Macbeth's death by Macduff. The final apparition the witches create is another
child, this one holding a branch instead. This apparition tells Macbeth he will not be vanquished until
"Great Birnam Wood to high Dunsinane Hill shall come against him." This foreshadows the attack on
Elsinore castle when troops use the branches of trees from Birnam Wood as camouflage until they sneak
into range and are close enough to mount their attack. These 3 prophecies lead to Macbeth’s acts in the
future.
This was why Macbeth and Lady Macbeth are the two villains in Macbeth. I think that there
could be more villains but these two were the first to come to mind.