Experiencing Betrayal in Macbeth: Turning Point in The Play

Act 2 scene 1 of Macbeth is an important turning point in the play, revealing the intricate web of emotions and motives driving Macbeth's actions. It is when he is driven by immense anger, coupled with the seeds of betrayal in Macbeth. The elements of evil and the supernatural are evident from the words that he utters. This is the most crucial part of the play as it is the height of tension or climax in the narrative, capturing the internal turmoil and external forces shaping Macbeth's choices. This scene serves as the decision point for Duncan’s death, a moment that will set in motion a chain of tragic events. The words of Macbeth reveal that he is cruel, pitiless yet ambitious, illustrating the complex interplay of his character traits. These lines are vital as they mark the juncture where Macbeth must confront his own morality and make the final decision that will lead to the fateful act of killing the king.

Macbeth's Inner Struggle of Ambition

This play is set in the times when king was regarded as the supreme power. An individual sent by god to implement order on earth. The kings were regarded highly in those times and killing Duncan would be a grave matter. Duncan was a fatherly figure and a kind hearted leader. In the current times, readers may not be able to perceive the importance of Duncan as his character is not of a stringent leader however a man who could not understand the betrayal of his companions. As Macbeth continues to finalize his plans of killing Duncan, he is also driven by his wife’s urge to get the crown by killing Duncan (BBC). While he is contemplating to achieve his ambition, Macbeth is waiting for his wife to ring the bell which means that she would havedrugged Duncan’s guard in order for the plan to materialize. While waiting for the bells to ring, he imagines that he is going to kill Duncan however he is also fearful inside that his footsteps would be detected by the earth and therefore, he does not want the earth or the stones to hear his advancements.

Macbeth’s verse, “whiles I threat, he lives” refers to his fear which is surrounding Macbeth to kill Duncan. The word threat refers to Macbeth’s own fear that encounters him as long as he has not killed Duncan. Macbeth also seems less confident and faltering at certain points as killing the king was considered to be a grave sin during those times. Had the position of the king not so superior, Macbeth would not have indulged into deep thoughts where he sees imaginary daggers. Macbeth also reveals his loss of courage to murder Duncan as he states, “words to the heat of deeds too cold breath gives” (BBC). At the end of his soliloquy his thoughts are distracted by the ringing of the bell and the hallucinations of Macbeth come to an end and he is of the opinion that the more he will talk about the deed, the more it will become difficult to achieve.

Moral Dilemma in Macbeth

Macbeth’s soliloquy is eminent to the play because it reveals his inner confrontation. The fact that the king had a high position in the society and since he was kind and gentle hearted, somewhere deep inside Macbeth knew that the deed he was going to perform would not taken as a casual murder (Online). While he waits for his wife to give him a signal, he hallucinates and tries to fight the elements of evil and ambition going inside his mind. His words reveal that he is not confident but due to his wife urging him and his own ambition driving him to perform the evil task, Macbeth sets forth deciding to kill Duncan and thus, his evil side and ambition taking over.

References

1. Online, Shaakespeare. Macbeth: Plot Summary (Acts 1 and 2). n.d. Online. 2 December 2019.
2. BBC. Form, structure and language. n.d. Online. 2 December 2019.