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Can you summarize the theme of evil in Macbeth?

The issue of evil is the most prominent and discussed theme in Macbeth. The very first scene features three witches, representatives of supernatural corruption. They use hideous ingredients in their potions (including “finger of birth-strangled babe”); they conjure images of unpleasantness on earth.


One question is whether the witches influence and create evil or if they simply predict it. These spirits “That look not like the inhabitants o' the earth, / And yet are on't” tell Macbeth that he shall be Thane of Cawdor and then king, a message that sets Macbeth on a bloody path. However, Banquo also learns that his “children shall be kings,” yet, unlike Macbeth, he either does not have time to plot their ascent or makes a moral decision to not do it. This indicates that Macbeth has some choice in the matter, in spite of his feeling as though he is driven by fate. We see Macbeth turn from brave hero into manipulative villain, suggesting that evil is subtle and ubiquitous.


Lady Macbeth is another example of evil. She is willfully hardhearted, criticizing Macbeth for being “too full o' the milk of human kindness” and convincing him to ignore his conscience. However, both she and Macbeth do not survive their wickedness. She kills herself and Macbeth is killed, an indication that evil destroys itself.


Wrongdoing is pervasive in Macbeth, found in the witches as well as the Macbeths. Even the previous Thane of Cawdor betrayed King Duncan by siding with Norway against Scotland. The play is an eerie lesson about temptation and how far anyone can fall into depravity.

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