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Arlen Chen
Mr. Whittle
English IV AP
August 20, 2005
Manifestation of Evil within Macbeth
One of Shakespeare’s most emotional plays, Macbeth explores the potential of evil’s
manifestation in humankind. The play portrays two different kinds of evil that lie within
Macbeth and Lady Macbeth; moral and supernatural evil. Macbeth is considered to be morally
evil due to his character and flawed ambition, whereas Lady Macbeth is supposedly
supernaturally evil because of her manipulative ways and references to evil itself. As the play
proceeds, each character’s potential for evil grows stronger as they each attempt to fulfill their
own destinies.
The reader first observes Macbeth as a brave warrior in the battlefield, but this
impression is soon erased after his meeting with the witches. In his excitement after being
prophesized as the future king, Macbeth writes to Lady Macbeth, “…that thou / might’st not lose
the dues of rejoicing by being ignorant / of what greatness is promised thee” (I, v, 11-13).
Rather than being more critical about the witches, Macbeth’s moral evil is shown through his
ambition to become king. On the other hand, Lady Macbeth’s evil is entirely different. The first
exposure of Lady Macbeth’s character is with her plotting to murder Duncan. Her supernatural
evil is displayed as she calls upon spirits to “…fill me from the crown to the toe top-full / Of
direst cruelty…” and “Make thick my blood” (I, v, 49-50). However, Lady Macbeth knows she
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can not commit the murder herself, so her evil drives her to manipulate Macbeth into committing
it. After signs of hesitation from Macbeth, Lady Macbeth questions his manhood and tells him
to not “…live a coward in thine own esteem” (I, vii, 47).
The morality in Macbeth’s evil is shown not only before he becomes king, but also after
he is crowned. After Duncan’s murder Macbeth begins to feel fear and paranoia. Macbeth cries,
“Ere we will eat our meal in fear, and sleep / In the affliction of these terrible dreams / That
shake us nightly…” (III, ii, 18-20). Macbeth’s inner struggle with his conscience shows that his
evil is not based on supernatural forces, but rather his own character. Furthermore, later in the
play Macbeth’s determination to maintain his kingship becomes another source of his evil as he
hires murderers to kill Banquo and Fleance. Macbeth’s moral evil is shown once again as he
imagines the ghost of Banquo sitting in his seat, showing his guilt at what he had done. On the
other hand, Lady Macbeth seems unfazed by her past actions unlike Macbeth. He says, “When
now I think you can behold such sights, / And keep the natural ruby of your cheeks, / When mine
is blanched with fear” (III, iv, 116).
The deaths of Macbeth and Lady Macbeth are also examples of their evil. In Act V,
Lady Macbeth’s suicide symbolizes her final descent into supernatural evil. Known during that
time as a mortal sin, suicide doomed her to go straight to hell. On the other hand, Macbeth’s evil
lies within his character. After the death of his wife, Macbeth himself begins to question life,
saying life is a “…walking shadow, a poor player / That struts and frets his hour upon the stage /
And then is heard no more” (V, v, 24-26). His ambition to become king overcame his
conscience and made him a murderer. Now, as the English army approaches, his moral evil
recedes as he abandons his inner turmoil and returns to the battlefield, where he is most
comfortable.
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The play Macbeth is merely an indicator of the potential of evil in mankind. Shakespeare
uses Macbeth as an example of moral evil, in which his own ambition was the basis of his evil.
Lady Macbeth is deemed supernaturally evil due to her acceptance and request for evil, which
she used to help guide her violent deeds. Shakespeare portrays their acts and deeds merely as a
blanket under which the core evil of mankind is a corrupt heart beating to greed and power.
Only attempting to fix the source of the problem and resolving the issue at heart will stop the
emission of evil through the lives of man.