Who Is Guilty In Macbeth

Although undoubtedly guilty of murder, there is no doubt in my mind that this is a clear-cut case of diminished responsibility. Throughout the whole sordid business the defendant whom I am representing has been beset with evil influences designed to erode his free will and conscience. If there was a penalty for the only flaw which he showed before he was mercilessly exploited by these evil forces, which was that of ambition, I believe we would all be convicted at some point in our lives. Without the manipulations of evil, the idea of kingship would never have occurred to the brave and loyal Macbeth, who has time and again proven his courage and fealty in battle.

Ironically it was after one such battle, in which Macbeth acquitted himself gloriously and refused many tempting offers from the rebel cause to join their seemingly more powerful side, when the three strange apparitions of evil I will henceforth refer to as the 'weird sisters' (which is the title they give themselves) first appeared to him. This clever ploy caught him at the worst possible - exhaustion from the battle clouding his reason and rightful proud for his victory enhancing his sense of ambition. At first he refuses to believe their prophecy that he will be Thane of Cawdor and then King, which is in my opinion the correct way to deal with evil. Both he and Banquo,
She herself said that her husband is 'too full of the milk of human kindness' to murder on his own initiative, and that she would try to possess him with the evil spirits that she holds inside her and persuade him to murder the King. To make sure that she had sufficient evil in her nature to carry this plan through, and that goodness would not be able to interfere, she asked the evil spirits present to possess her fully and make her into a witch, and hide her actions from