Monday, December 2, 2013

Is Macbeth's desire to be safe in his new role as king?

In Shakespeare's Macbeth, once Macbeth has killed the king and been crowned himself, two new desires emerge.


First, Macbeth wants to be safe in his kingship.  He is worried about rebellions against him.  Banquo in particular is a threat since he knows the details of the witches' prophecies, and could suspect Macbeth (Banquo does suspect, but he doesn't reveal that to Macbeth).  Macduff is also a possible threat, since he was the one who questioned Macbeth's killing of the grooms and did not attend Macbeth's coronation, which is a public slight.


Second, Macbeth's ambition has become such that being king himself is no longer enough.  Once he is crowned, he begins plotting to create a dynasty, with Scotland being ruled by his heirs.  This adds pressure and anxiety to Macbeth's life, and what he must do (kill Banquo and Fleance) to ensure his heirs will rule, adds risk.  


Macbeth does have a desire to be "safely thus" once he becomes king, but he never achieves this desire.

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