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Macbeth- The Murderer of King Duncan

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Macbeth- The Murderer of King Duncan
Macbeth Trial by Justin You

Justice Wallace, I strongly believe that Macbeth and his accomplices, Lady Macbeth and the weird sisters, is to blame for the murder of King Duncan. The night of which King Duncan went to the Macbeth castle, Macbeth murdered King Duncan in his sleep. Although he isn't to blame completely; The supernatural powers of the weird sisters made Macbeth's ambition get the better of him, and with the manipulation of Lady Macbeth, Macbeth kills King Duncan with his own hands.

Macbeth's ambition and weakness is what caused the murder of King Duncan, In contrary to that statement, the play begins with Macbeth slicing a man from the bottom up and then displaying his head for everyone in the battlefield to see. “Till he unseamed him from the nave to th'chaps, And fixed his head upon our battlements” (1.2.22-23). This shows that Macbeth is capable of murder through his bravery and strength. King Duncan notices these traits and awards Macbeth by making him Thane of Cawdor.

Here is when the weird sisters come into play. Shortly after the battle in the beginning of the play, Macbeth and Banquo meets with the witches, and they say “All hail Macbeth, that shalt be king hereafter” (1.3.48). As we know, the witches have the power to control fate, so they are partially to blame when Macbeth's ambition gets the better of him. The witches also states that he is Thane of Glamis, and Thane of Cawdor. Macbeth already knows he is Thane of Glamis but he becomes Thane of Cawdor later that day, so then he figures he can also become king. Macbeth's ambition overcomes his morality as he pictures all the great things that would happen to him if he becomes king, so he plans the murder of King Duncan in a letter, and sends it to Lady Macbeth.

As King Duncan arrives at the Macbeth castle, his host and hostess already plan to murder him when he sleeps. Although Macbeth couldn't initially go on with the plan because he feels guilt as he says to himself “as his host, Who should against his murderer shut the door, Not bear the knife myself” (1.7.14-16). That is until Lady Macbeth accuses Macbeth of not being a man, instead a coward. This is when Macbeth's weakness overcomes his guilt, and lets his wife control his actions to do what she whats instead of what he wants, and he can't even stand up for himself.

Macbeth knew that his actions are morally wrong, but ends up killing King Duncan anyways. Although as he walks to King Duncans room, he says “Is this a dagger which I see before me, The handle toward my hand? Come, let me clutch thee: I have thee not, and yet I see thee still” (2.1.33-35). This shows that's he is hallucinating and right after that, he sees floating daggers that point to the direction that he was going to go, although this may be a mental illness, it wouldn't have changed much as he already was going to kill the King before he started hallucinating. Macbeth then enters the room and kills King Duncan while he sleeps.

So in conclusion, Macbeth, with the help of his accomplices, is responsible for the death of King Duncan. And I sentence Macbeth to 15 years in prison for first degree murder, and both Lady Macbeth and the weird sisters to 5 years in prison for abetting Macbeth in the murder.

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