Macbeth's Responsibility

The disaster in Macbeth mainly revolves around one person, Macbeth. Although other outside conflicts influenced Macbeth to start his killing spree, most of the killings are committed by Macbeth. The witches and Lady Macbeth were the ones who helped pushed him along his self-destruction path, but ultimately Macbeth decided to carry out the evil deed of murdering Duncan by himself.

Macbeth’s meeting with the three witches is what first incites the disaster when they tell him that he is to be the Thane of Cawdor and King of Scotland. Macbeth is surprised by this news and wants to hear more. Macbeth writing to his wife about his encounter with the witches also proved to be a mistake because she became ambitious about Macbeth becoming king and she becoming queen. Macbeth had outside influences involved in the death of Duncan, but the other deaths in the play are caused only by Macbeth.

Macbeth was also responsible for the deaths of Duncan’s guards when he said “O, yet I do repent me of my fury, That I did kill them.” (A2, S3, 100-101) He had no reason for killing them but his rage enabled him to be irrational. When Macbeth became suspicious about Banquo knowing that he had killed Duncan, Macbeth ordered him and his son Fleance to be killed. Banquo