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Elizabeth Christovich
AP LANG- PD 3
March 13, 2016
Macbeth Essay
Often, people are faced with a decision that puts their morality into question. When in
such a position, theres typically a morally right choice that comes with familiarity and
security, but there is also a morally wrong choice that one may be compelled to commit to due
to their own desires. In William Shakespeares play, Macbeth, Macbeth is faced with the
decision on whether or not to murder the current King of Scotland, King Duncan. If he murders
Duncan, Macbeth may be living up to his destiny and eventually becoming King himself. If not,
he would most likely continue his perfectly satisfying life as a thane. As Macbeth contemplates
the murder of King Duncan in Act I, scene vii, he reveals his ambivalence through the
progression of his soliloquy to illustrate his thought process, his use of euphemisms to emphasize
his reluctance to use certain language, and his use of imagery to make particular associations
between his morality and the act of murdering itself.
Macbeth demonstrates his hesitancy to take a stance on the decision to murder Duncan by
contemplating how he would want it performed, what consequences would follow, and why he
would or wouldn't follow through. Macbeth states that if there was such a murder, he would want
it to be done quickly. By demonstrating his eagerness for an expedited murder, Macbeth
portrays his reluctance to actually commit what it takes to get Duncans power. Macbeth
considers power as his main motivation for killing Duncan, not the desire for Duncans death
specifically. Illustrating his awareness of what consequences may follow, Macbeth states that the
actions involved in the murder would return to plague th inventor. Rather than thinking about

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the potential benefits, he focuses on the damage Duncans death would do to Macbeth himself.
With the mindset that murdering Duncan would be detrimental to Macbeths future, Macbeth
illustrates his hesitancy to follow through with the crime. Macbeth then establishes an explicit
reason on why he would be against the murder, stating that Duncan has been so clear in his
great office. By using clear and great, Macbeth portrays Duncan as an apprehensible,
dignified King of whom has impressed his subjects. In doing so, Macbeth illustrates Duncan as a
man that should be valued, not murdered. In addition, Macbeth states that the only reason he
would support the murder is because of his vaulting ambition. Macbeth recognizes that if he
murders Duncan, it would be because of his egocentric, overreaching eagerness to be King
himself. After thinking through both of his options, Macbeth is hesitant to conclude his soliloquy
with a decision due to his lack of support for either side. Macbeths thought process reveals his
mixed feelings about the murder by revealing the manner in which he would want it performed,
by focusing on how the act would develop to backfire on Macbeth personally, and by confessing
his lack of motivation to murder or not murder.
Macbeth reveals his unease about the murder by using euphemisms to replace certain
words, especially when specifically discussing the murder itself. Macbeth begins his soliloquy by
using it to convey the potential murder of King Duncan. Leaving it undefined, Macbeth
portrays his resistance and anxiety to directly mention the atrocious act of murdering, also
demonstrating his skepticism on whether or not there will even be a murder. As his soliloquy
progresses, Macbeth uses the noun deed and, later, horrid deed, to describe the assassination.
The word deed is commonly used to portray a minuscule, often insignificant action, not a gory
murder. Macbeth is perhaps underestimating the cruelty of the murder, which suggests that he is
physically and morally unable to follow through with something so harsh. Continuing to

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underestimate the brutality of the crime, Macbeth describes King Duncans potential death as a
taking-off, rather than the reality of Duncan dying and never coming back. Macbeth
demonstrates his lack of understanding of the morality needed to deprive a man of his life, which
conveys his inability to actually commit to murdering Duncan. To convince himself that
murdering is a small, insignificant act that he is morally capable of, Macbeth is reluctant to
mention the murder directly, which reveals his apprehensiveness to follow through with killing
an innocent man.
When contemplating Duncans murder, Macbeth conveys his indecisiveness by using
imagery to contrast his internal sense of morality, which encompasses what he can physically
and mentally commit, with the lack of decency needed to execute the crime. Macbeth discredits
his desire for power as a motive to murder Duncan by stating he has no spur to kill. Macbeth
would like to be morally able to assassinate Duncan, but his values restrict him from actually
murdering a man of whom he has no legitimate reason to assassinate. Macbeth states that if he
does murder Duncan as a result of his ambition, than his desire has truly oerleap[ed] itself.
Macbeth compares his wish for power to a rider who attempts to vault his saddle but reaches too
far and ends up falling off the other side. Mentally, Macbeth longs for power and would do
whatever it takes, but, physically, he is unable to obtain kingship due to the indecency needed to
obtain the throne.
As Macbeth faces the life-changing decision of murdering King Duncan, he also
questions his morality. Typically, a righteous man wouldnt hesitate to save an innocent man,
while, typically, a sinful criminal wouldnt hesitate to kill a man, guilty or not. As Macbeth
contemplates the murder, he reveals the state of his values, hovering somewhere in between right
and wrong. While he personally would like to be in power, he realizes that killing a man is

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morally wrong. Macbeth demonstrates the debate going on in his head through his soliloquy,
which reveals his thought process, his current position on the act, as well as his way to connect
his morality to the mortality involved with murdering.