Macbeth: Choices Essay, Research Paper

Macbeth: Choices

In The Tragedy of Macbeth by William Shakespeare characters often could

not escape the consequences of their choices. The choices that some characters

made in the play put them in a position which they could not escape. In most of

these cases the character feels remorse for the choice they had made. The

characters that I will be concentrating on are Macbeth, Macduff, and Lady

Macbeth. These characters are the best examples of how characters could not

escape their choices in the play.

The actions of Macbeth during the play sometimes put him in a situation

which he could not escape. An example of this is when Macbeth murders Duncan.

After he does it he regrets it and is afraid to think about it. This is shown in

the quote: I am afraid to think what I’ve done; look on’t again I dare not./(50-

51, Scene 2, Act 2) Another example is after Macbeth had Banquo killed and he

sees Banquo’s ghost at the table. He goes crazy and starts yelling at the ghost

and he realizes that he cannot change what he has done so he tries to ignore it.

That same scene Lady Macbeth says: Things without all remedy should be without

regard: what’s done is done./(11-12, Scene 2, Act 3) These examples show how

Macbeth cannot escape the choices he made.

Macduff’s allegiance to the country of Scotland leads to consequences

which he cannot change. Macduff’s allegiance is shown when he left Scotland and

his family to go to England. There he met with Malcolm and started raising a

army to overthrow Macbeth.

The result of this is the slaughtering of Macduff’s wife and children by

Macbeth’s men.

He blames himself for their death and he knows he can do nothing to

change it. This is seen in the qoute: Sinful Macduff, They were all struck for

thee! Naught that I am, Not for their own demerits but for mine fell slaughter

on their souls. Heaven rest them now!/(224-226, Scene 3, Act 4)

Lady Macbeth cannot escape the consequences of her choices either. She

pressured Macbeth into killing Duncan when he did not want to. She also smeared

the blood all over the guards and put the daggers in their hands. She went along

with the murdering of Banquo and tried to tell Macbeth that he could not change

what he had done in the second quote of my second paragraph. All of the choices

she made had a huge impact on her life and we see what she has become in the

sleepwalking scene. She showed how permanent the killing of Duncan was, in the

quote: /Here’s the smell of blood still. All the perfumes of Arabia will not

sweeten this little hand./(51-52, Scene 1, Act 5) and in this quote about the

murder of Duncan: /What’s done cannot be undone./(70, Scene 1, Act 5) The

choices she made chnaged her life and eventually led to her death.

In The Tragedy of Macbeth by William Shakespeare the choices of some

characters could not be escaped. Macbeth, Macduff, and Lady Macbeth serve as

good examples to show that their choices could not be escaped. In the play the

choices these characters made had a lasting impact on their life. In the case

of Macbeth and Lady Macbeth their choices led to their death. We all make

choices in life, some good, some bad but learn to live with the choices that we

make. Either good or bad it does not matter because man can never escape the

consequences of his/her choices.