Integrity In Macbeth

In William Shakespeare’s play, Macbeth, there is a slow and gradual decline of the main character's integrity throughout most of the play. In Act 1 of William Shakespeare's play, Macbeth, the main character Macbeth was a loyal subject to the king, would even die for him, but the three witches came and placed the thought of him possibly becoming king. Macbeth says “ Two truths are told as happy prologues to the swelling act of the imperial theme. (to ROSS and ANGUS) I thank you, gentlemen. (aside) This supernatural soliciting Cannot be ill, cannot be good. If ill, Why hath it given me earnest of success, commencing in a truth? I am thane of Cawdor. If good, why do I yield to that suggestion Whose horrid image doth unfix my hair and make my seated
For example Lady Macbeth says “Who was it that thus cried? Why, worthy thane, you do unbend your noble strength to think so brainsickly things. Go get some water, and wash this filthy witness from your hand. Why did you bring these daggers from the place? They must lie there: go carry them, and smear the sleepy grooms with blood.”(Scene 2. Act 2, Page 27). Macbeth was essentially telling her husband to man up, and to go wash his hands of the king's blood, she equated forgiving herself to killing a man, to washing her hands. Lady Macbeth continues to try and convince her husband that what she had done was right, but in the end Macbeth says. “Had I but died an hour before this chance, I had lived a blessed time; for from this instant there’s nothing serious in mortality: All is but toys. Renown and grace is dead, the wine of life is drawn, and the mere lees is left this vault to brag of.”(Act 2, Scene 2, Page 31). In the quote Macbeth is talking about how he’s regretted killing the king, and that if he died before he had the chance, he would be up there with the angels, and now his chances of dying and going to heaven are pretty slim. However, Macbeth integrity continues to deteriorate through the rest of the
Macbeth finally speaks with the witches after searching for them, and he hears the news that boosts him with confidence. “Be bloody, bold, and resolute! Laugh to scorn the pow’r of man, for none of woman born shall harm Macbeth.”(Scene 4, Act 1, Page 58). The apparition is telling Macbeth to be bold in what he does because no one born of women, which is most people, can kill him, so he should go forth boldly. This foreshadows that in the big fight Macbeth is going to fight boldly and courageously, and either no man will step up to the plate to beat him and rule as king, or, someone steps up and beats Macbeth somehow. In act V they are preparing for big fight between Macbeth’s and Macduff’s men. This is the act where it all comes together and we see who wins the big battle. Since Macbeth’s confidence reached an all time high, he goes into the fight between him and Macduff, confident that he will win. Macduff then throws him the curveball, that he was not women born, but he was a C section. “Then yield thee coward, and live to be the show and gaze o’ th’ time: we’ll have thee, as our rarer monsters are, painted upon a pole, and underwrit, here may you see the tyrant”(Act V, Scene 8, Page 85). In the end the prophecy the witches gave game true, Fleance eventually became king, Macbeth made the mistake of flying to close to the sun and he got his wings burnt and he