- He tells them that he is willing to give up his whole future for only a temporary fulfillment of his evil desires. In lines 58-61 Macbeth says, "though the treasure of nature's germens tumble all together, even till destruction sicken; answer me to what I ask you."
- He fails to recognize the duplicity in the apparitions' statements because he is too focused on figuring out if Macduff will ever defeat him.
- He plans to "make assurance double sure" by going to Macduff's castle and surprise the Fief. In Lines 150-154 Macbeth says, "The castle of Macduff I will surprise, seize upon Fife, give to th' edge o' th' sword his wife, his babes, and all unfortunate souls that trace him in his line. No boasting like a fool; this deed I'll do before the purpose cool."
2. Discuss the abrupt change in tone introduced by the word yet in Scene i, line 100. How do you account for this change? Why is Macbeth discouraged by the show of eight kings?
- Macbeth believes that he will live not be killed and that he will live out the normal span of his life until he dies of time and old age. However, when he says yet Macbeth is still worried that Banquo's heirs shall kill him and inherit the kingdom. After Macbeth says yet he seems to be worried about his future and the possibility that he will not live out his life as long as he would like to.
- Macbeth doesn't want to believe that an heir from Banquo can kill him but the weird sisters did prophesy that Banquo's heirs would take over the throne. Macbeth is worried that sometime soon the weird sister's prophesy about Banquo's heirs will come true.
- The eight kings represent Banquo's heirs and the continuing lineage of those descendants of Banquo. Macbeth is discouraged at the sight of this because the apparitions do not show a line stemming from Macbeth. Which means that one of Banquo's heirs will take over the throne and defeat Macbeth.
3. How does Macbeth's speech in lines 144-56 of Scene i reveal the further moral deterioration of Macbeth? In what way does his motivation for Macduff's murder differ from this motivation for the first two murders?
- In lines 144-156 of Scene i, Macbeth is plotting to got to Macduff's castle and kill his whole family and anyone else there. To Macbeth this seems like a logical thing to do because it will prevent any of Macduff's heirs from taking the throne away from him. This shows the horrible moral deterioration of Macbeth, to kill someone's family and all the people in their castle is a very wrongful thing to do.
- Macbeth's motivation in this murder differs in that he wants anyone that might destroy him, or oppose him, or know the truth about his actions dead. Macbeth does not seek out the advice of Lady Macbeth for this murder, instead he decides on his own. In the previous murders he needed the reassurance and guidance from Lady Macbeth to push him to do the evil deeds. Now Macbeth's morals are so far gone that he is able to do these things of his own decisions.
5. In Scene iii what vices does Malcolm falsely attribute to himself? What virtues does he say he lacks? According to lines 130-31 what in actuality is Malcolm's first lie? Why do you think he speaks of himself in such a derogatory manner? Do you feel that Macduff had a sufficient motive for leaving his family to go to England?
- Malcolm attributes false vices to himself about lust for power, desiring of other people's things/land, greediness, and the very evil things that he would do if he were King. In lines 61-65 Malcom says, "Your wives, your daughters, your matrons, and your maids could not fill up the cistern of my lust, and my desire all continent impediments would o'erbear that did oppose my will." In lines 78-84 he says, "A staunchless avarice that, were I king, I should cut off the nobles for their lands, desire his jewels, and this other's house, and my more-having would be as a sauce to make me hunger more, that I should forge quarrels unjust against the good and loyal, destroying them for wealth."
- Malcolm says in lines 91-97, "But I have none. The king-becoming graces, as justice, verity, temp'rance, stableness, bounty, perseverance, mercy, lowliness, devotion, patience, courage, fortitude, I have no relish of them, but about in the division of each several crime, acting it in many ways."
- I think that Malcolm speaks of himself in such a derogatory manner because he is trying to test Macduff's loyalties. He is naming all his faults and shortcomings that would make him seem like an even worse king than Macbeth. Malcolm has a good reason to be doing this since there have now been three murders and it is hard for him to tell who is on who's side.
- I think Macduff did have a sufficient motive for leaving his family to go to England, however I do think that he should have provided a way for his family to be protected if harm should come their way, which it did.
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