Download Who is the most responsible for the murder of King Duncan in

Who is the most responsible for the murder of
King Duncan in Shakespeare‘s play Macbeth?
The assassination of King Duncan of Scotland is a pivotal event that takes place in the
Shakespearean play “Macbeth”, and all the consequent action stems from the bloody act at the
end of Act 2 Scene 1. There are several people in the drama who play a significant and essential
role, whether wittingly or unwittingly, in the murder of Duncan. Certain actions by these people
including the eponymous Macbeth himself, Lady Macbeth and the Witches also have an
important effect on the murder in Act 2 Scene 2, although the form and extent of their
responsibility in the assassination varies greatly from person to person. So therefore, the
following paragraphs will mainly discuss and evaluate who was most responsible (whether
directly or indirectly) for the murder of Duncan.
To begin, Macbeth plays a vital role in King Duncan’s murder in many respects, as is shown by
certain aspects of his personality and his actions. Firstly, it is essential to note that it is Macbeth
who ultimately commits the murder itself out of his own free will, which would make him the
most responsible for the King’s murder in ethical terms; this is clearly shown in Act 2 Scene 2
when he says “I have done the deed”, whilst carrying two bloodstained daggers. Furthermore,
there is clear evidence throughout the first act which conveys that he has a dark side to his
personality, which subsequently plays an irrevocable part in him murdering Duncan. He is
portrayed as a dubious and fickle character whose personality is not what it appears to be; this is
shown, for example, by phrases such as “Fair is foul, and foul is fair” in Act 1 Scene 1, which is
purposefully equivocal to convey the idea that appearances can be deceptive. He is also
conveyed, by Shakespeare, as bloodthirsty and vicious through the use of vivid language in
phrases such as, “Till he unseamed him…upon our battlements” which is spoken by the captain in
Act 1 Scene 2, when describing Macbeth’s triumph over the rebel Macdonwald. Furthermore,
Macbeth speaks in rhyming couplets occasionally, which immediately causes the audience to
associate him with the Witches (who also speak in rhyming couplets, most evidently in the first
scene of the play), such as “Come what come may, time and the hour runs through the roughest
day” in Act 1 Scene 3. These ‘evil’ and supernatural connotations result in Macbeth being
perceived as a merciless man through the negative tone induced, therefore placing more blame on
him for Duncan’s murder.
His ambition for power (which pushes him towards killing Duncan to seize the crown) is also
clearly shown by the fact that he is held in high regard by many. For example, Duncan chooses to
award Macbeth with the title of Thane of Cawdor (“with his former title greet Macbeth“) in Act 1
Scene 2, which conveys to the audience that his position in the contemporary social hierarchy in
Scotland was very high. Similarly, when Macbeth and Banquo first encounter the witches and
hear the prophecies concerning his rise to power in the third scene of the play, Banquo notes his
thirst for power and his curiosity, as shown by the phrase, “Look how my partner’s rapt”.
Macbeth himself demonstrates his own ambition by the language he uses in the soliloquy in Act 1
Scene 7, saying “Vaulting ambition which o’erleaps itself”. Moreover, Macbeth’s physical ‘lust’
for murder and imperialism is demonstrated in the soliloquy in Act 2 Scene 1 by using physical
and warlike imagery, such as “With Tarquin’s ravishing strides”, which further suggests that
Macbeth was most responsible for Duncan’s murder.
On the other hand, however, there are a few significant arguments against labelling Macbeth as
the most responsible for the King’s murder. He appears to possess a moral conscience which
often forces him to feel guilty about his actions and plans. The use of soliloquies by Shakespeare
is a very important and useful device on stage as it gives an opportunity for a character to clearly
convey his or her feelings and thoughts to the audience in the form of speech, without being
influenced by other characters or having to change his or her actions to achieve a particular effect.
Shakespeare utilises several soliloquies in the first act of the play to bring across Macbeth’s true
feelings, and the majority of these can provide vital evidence for proving that he does indeed have
a conscience. For example, after meeting the Witches in Act 1 Scene 3, Macbeth is having a
moral debate with himself concerning the ethical values of murdering Duncan for the sake of
kingship, as shown by the phrase, “If good, why do I yield to that suggestion whose horrid image
doth unfix my hair“; further evidence comes from Macbeth’s soliloquy in Act 1 Scene 7, in which
he seeks justification for murdering the King and also feels guilty for planning to do so, which is
shown by phrases like, “And Pity, like a new-born babe”, where the use of similes inducing
imagery of innocence indicates that Macbeth is unwilling to kill such a noble and innocent man.
This ideology of Macbeth seeking justification for assassinating Duncan in his soliloquy in Scene
7 can be extended and further conveyed by the fact that he fears retribution from God and
punishment in his after-life, as is shown by the phrase, “The deep damnation of his taking-off”
and by the religious imagery utilised in the soliloquy to reflect this fear (“heaven’s cherubin”),
which gives Macbeth another reason for not murdering King Duncan. Also, he feels that he
should remain loyal to Duncan, which is shown by “He’s here in double trust: First, as I am his
kinsman and his subject…then, as his host”, and it is this loyalty Macbeth has towards the King
as a result of being both his subject and his host that prevents him from killing Duncan, which
clearly shows that he possesses a moral conscience.
In addition, the juxta-position of scenes is an interesting device used by Shakespeare on stage;
this is particularly effective with Act 1 Scene 7 and Act 2 Scene 1, as it confuses the audience of
Macbeth’s true personality and of his real role in Duncan’s murder. In the aforementioned Act 1
Scene 7, Macbeth expresses his guilt for planning to kill Duncan, but by the end of the scene and
in the beginning of Act 2 Scene 1, he appears to have completely resolved the matter and is,
therefore, shown on the verge of murdering the King, as is shown by the phrase, “I am settled;
and bend up each corporal agent to this terrible feat” in Scene 7. This is also shown by the use of
pugnacious and supernatural imagery and symbolism in his soliloquy in the following scene,
which is utilised to reflect Macbeth’s determination to murder Duncan: “Witchcraft celebrates
pale Hecat’s offerings”. Further justification for Macbeth’s actions may come from his motives,
as it could be perceived that it was only his primitive human instinct for power, possibly planted
there by the Witches, that drove him to seize the crown: “When I burned in desire to question
them further”, which is found in Macbeth’s letter to Lady Macbeth in Act 1 Scene 5.
Lady Macbeth also plays a highly significant role in the assassination of Duncan, especially in
terms of the way in which she attempts to drive Macbeth into murdering the King and
subsequently seizes the crown during his times of doubt. Essentially, therefore, she seems to be
driving force behind Macbeth to kill Duncan for the benefits of imperialism, and it could be
further argued that, as a result, she is the most responsible for the King’s murder. This is shown
by phrases such as “That I may pour my spirits in thine ear” in Act 1 Scene 5, where the use of
language and vocabulary suggests that Lady Macbeth will be motivating and aiding Macbeth in
his pursuit for and rise to power through her wisdom, cunning and ambition, which will be
essentially ‘supplied’ to him to account for his weaknesses. Her ambition for power is revealed in
the process, as she takes the dominant role and perseveres with all her efforts to aid Macbeth’s
rise to power, demonstrating her desire for the throne, therefore placing more responsibility on
her. Moreover, this ambition and desire substitutes for the rather more ‘feeble’ side of Macbeth’s
personality (referring back to his moral conscience and feelings of guilt.) Lady Macbeth feels that
her husband’s character is “too full o’the milk of human kindness” and she ‘chastises him with
the valour of her tongue’ in Scene 5. Furthermore, it is necessary to realise that it is Lady
Macbeth who had planned the murder itself, which is conveyed in Act 1 Scene 7 by “his two
chamberlains will I with wine and wassail so convince”. Evidence reveals that Lady Macbeth is
central to Duncan’s murder, particularly in terms of morality, since it could be perceived that
being involved in the planning of a murder is as unjust and as immoral as committing the murder
itself.
Lady Macbeth’s soliloquies reveal her hostile and virulent nature; in Act 1 Scene 5, the use of
negative language and physical imagery induces a tone of fear and evil, a reflection of Lady
Macbeth’s personality. For example, “And take my milk for gall”, “Make thick my blood”, “And
fill me…of direst cruelty”, where the use of superlative produces a greater impact on the
audience, and “sightless substances”, where the use of alliteration increases the force and impact
of the words and catches the audience’s attention, all convey her negative personality. This
essentially removes and undermines the elements distinguishing her womanhood, and instead
replacing them with more masculine characteristics. An audience is led to believe that Lady
Macbeth is, therefore, the most responsible for the murder of Duncan, as it is implied that she has
the capability to murder and that she would have even been willing to kill the King, had it been
necessary. This idea is further communicated by the lack of remorse she conveys following
Duncan’s death in Act 2 Scene 2 (“A foolish thought, to say a sorry sight”) in response to
Macbeth trying to overcome his burden of guilt, which is clearly demonstrated when he says
“This is a sorry sight”, whilst looking at his bloodstained hands.
A recurrent theme of deceit, especially of deceptive appearances, is explored by Shakespeare
throughout the play, and is partly used to portray Lady Macbeth in several ways; firstly, the use
of symbolism in the metaphor, “look like the innocent flower, but be the serpent under’t” (Act 1
Scene 5) is a reflection of her deceit and falsehood; she also utilises this metaphor and the
subsequent symbolic message it carries to persuade her doubtful husband to hide his cowardice
and malevolence behind a false exterior. Secondly, the way in which she changes her demeanour
completely in the following scene when King Duncan arrives at their castle, and she begins to act
in a sycophantic manner being courteous towards him, as is shown, for example, by the phrase
“To make their audit at your highness’ pleasure”, in order to keep her real motives hidden also
achieves this effect. This suggests that Lady Macbeth is responsible for leading Duncan into a
false sense of security, which would ultimately help Macbeth murder Duncan without arousing
much suspicion. Furthermore, her persuasive ability is clearly demonstrated in Act 1 Scene 7,
where she is forced to convince Macbeth to continue with the task at hand during a time in which
he wavers from killing Duncan once again due to his conscience and the possible consequences
of committing such an act of treason; she achieves this masterfully mainly via the use of
rhetorical questions which, in effect, question Macbeth’s manhood: “Letting ‘I dare not’ wait
upon ‘I would’, like the poor cat i’the adage?”. Here, bestial imagery is used by Lady Macbeth to
degrade Macbeth, which he subsequently employs when he later persuades the murderer to kill
Banquo. In addition, her success in persuading him is further conveyed by his reaction towards
the end of the scene, by the fact that he suddenly decides to go on and murder Duncan, which is
shown again by “I am settled”; this is another significant reason for labelling Lady Macbeth as
the most responsible for the assassination of King Duncan.
The Witches had also played an important and undeniable role in the murder of Duncan, even if it
was in an indirect manner. They, in essence, plant the ‘seeds of treachery’ in Macbeth’s mind,
firing his ambition and desire for power when he first meets them. Announcing the prophecies in
Act 1 Scene 3 (“Hail to thee, Thane of Glamis…Hail to thee, Thane of Cawdor…that shalt be
king hereafter”) consequently leads to Macbeth considering and taking the necessary actions to
fulfil them, having been convinced of them after he is named Thane of Cawdor. This can be
inferred from Macbeth’s immediate reaction of curiosity to these prophecies (“But how of
Cawdor?”), and by the fact that he is already having a moral debate in his mind whether or not he
should pursue the throne towards the end of the scene: “This supernatural soliciting cannot be ill,
cannot be good”. Therefore, this means that the Witches might be considered as the most
responsible for the murder of Duncan, as they are the ones who planted this ideology of murder
and imperialism in Macbeth’s mind in the first place.
The evil demeanour and persona of the Witches also implicate them in Duncan’s murder; perhaps
they planned this political turmoil all along. In order to reflect this, Shakespeare uses pathetic
fallacy (thunder and lighting produce a negative tone to evoke a feeling of cruelty and fear) and
negative bestial imagery using animals usually associated with witchcraft, such as “GreyMalkin”, in Act 1 Scene 1. Furthermore, the social significance of the play itself in the 17th
century certainly has a profound effect on this argument as King James I, who was ruler at the
time, was the patron of Shakespeare’s theatre group; due to the fact that James was fascinated
with witchcraft and its evils, the introduction of the Witches in “Macbeth” by Shakespeare would
have naturally been used to placate James, therefore placing more responsibility on the Witches
for the murder of Duncan. In addition, a 17th century audience would have also had a similar
ideology that the Witches were indeed most responsible on account of their malevolent
characteristics. However, the Witches did not have a direct involvement in the murder itself as
they may have only caused it by simply planting the thought in Macbeth’s mind and as a result,
reducing the amount of responsibility placed on them for Duncan’s death in ethical terms. A
further argument against placing the majority of the blame for the assassination of the King on the
Witches is that they could have just sparked off a desire for power which had secretly presided in
Macbeth all along.
The shortcomings of Duncan’s aptitude as the ruler of Scotland, despite his nobility and
‘innocence’, as shown by the heavenly imagery Macbeth uses in his soliloquy in Act 1 Scene 7,
such as through the phrase “his virtues will plead like angels” in reference to the King, would
have also played an important part in his own murder. This is primarily because Macbeth
perceives him to be a weak and unstable leader, and therefore would have incited him to kill and
subsequently depose Duncan; this perception can be clearly demonstrated by the phrase “this
Duncan hath borne his faculties so weak”, again in Macbeth’s soliloquy in Scene 7. Duncan’s
naivety and his unfortunate ability to establish a blind trust in his subjects plays a significant role
in his death; this is the case with the case with the Thane of Cawdor, who ultimately betrayed him
and as a result, was executed: “He was a gentleman on whom I built an absolute trust”, which is
spoken by Duncan in Act 1 Scene 2. Shakespeare utilises dramatic irony to further bring across
this aspect of Duncan’s personality to the audience. In Act 1 Scene 6, he says “This castle hath a
pleasant seat”, which in fact refers to where Duncan will eventually be assassinated. Furthermore,
Duncan crowns his eldest son, Malcolm, the Prince of Cumberland in Act 1 Scene 4 (“Our eldest,
Malcolm, whom we name hereafter the Prince of Cumberland”) instead of Macbeth, which would
have given him more reason to kill Duncan; this is shown by the treacherous and vengeful
feelings Macbeth expresses shortly after in his soliloquy, which are conveyed via phrases like
“Let light not see my black and dark desires”. However, Duncan can be justified for taking this
action because he would have been expected to crown his eldest son due to the period in which
this play is set.
In conclusion, the evidence supplied throughout the play “Macbeth” and the literary devices and
stagecraft utilised by Shakespeare suggests to a great extent that Lady Macbeth is most
responsible for the assassination of King Duncan. However, it is still paramount to understand
that the other characters explored also play an essential and irrevocable role in the murder as well.
There are many significant reasons for reaching this conclusion; to begin, Lady Macbeth’s
draconian and malicious character (as demonstrated to the audience through the use of negative
imagery in her soliloquies: “And take my milk for gall”) clearly imply that she is capable of
planning or even committing murder as the language utilised essentially undermine the elements
defining her womanhood. She also planned the murder itself, which is shown in Act 1 Scene 7,
and managed to lure Duncan into a false sense of security through her deceit, as reflected by the
prevalent theme of “deceptive appearances” found in the play in order to allow Macbeth to
murder him without arousing too much suspicion. Finally, Lady Macbeth proves to be the driving
force behind Macbeth in his pursuit for power partly through her persuasive ability, especially
when his hesitancy, brought about by the burden of his moral conscience, appears to be
preventing him from murdering Duncan (for example, in Act 1 Scene 7.) Her own ambition for
the benefits of imperialism is consequently revealed in the process, which, amongst other reasons,
labels her as the most responsible for Duncan’s death, especially in terms of morality.