As one reads through Act I and the early components of Act II of the Scottish Play, one cannot help but to feel compassion for the main character. He is thrown into a situation that many of us are, as well. He must contend with temptation and patience. He is put in a position where he can have it all, but he must do an evil deed to achieve it. Constantly he mulls over his predicament, always fearing the outcome, eternally unwilling. “He’s here in double trust; First, I am his kinsman, and his subject, Strong both against the deed; then, as his host, Who should against his murderer shut the door, Not bear the knife myself,” quoth the befuddled Macbeth. It is apparent that his very inner being is restricting him from this action, his inherent nobility is stopping him from proceeding upon this murderous path. This man is now admired, now respected, have we not all been in his position and chosen the easy way out: to proceed with the crime and reap the (short-lived) benefits? Yet he now restrains himself, and we understand him, and thus entirely respect him. Not only this, but he moves on to declare against the wishes of his very wife, “We will proceed no further in this business…” Yet the Lady persists, acting like a Biblical Eve to her Adam, seducing him to sin. We can understand the predicament that this unfortunate Lord finds himself in, we have all been there in one capacity or another. Thus, I felt now pity for him, and hoped that he would be able to resist the ceaseless whisperings of evil. This feeling was short-lived, though, for soon thereafter one is compelled to feel disgusted by the conduct of Macbeth.

Macbeth’s dastardly deed and his conduct following this act is enough to make mine a feeling of contempt and dislike toward him. He no longer deserves the pity or compassion of any person. He rightly spake that if he were to rest as he was he “may become a man, Who dares do more, is none.” The Misfortuned Thane goes on to do more, and indeed robs himself of his humanity. It is not only this act that adds to the loss, but moreover the conspiracy against the King’s guards is also particularly repulsive. These men committed no crime greater than to let their guard down through their drunkenness, nevertheless, no murder did they commit. The Lady and the Lord frame the poor men, and to add injury to insult, murder them, as well. Macbeth, acting as corrupt judge, jury, and executioner of innocents takes away their lives. Not a moment does he give them to explain their case to the others, at the very least. Furthermore, the two conspirators partake in explicit implicity, lying through their teeth to display false emotions to appear purely innocent: “Who can be … Loyal and neutral, in a moment?” he asks. Loyal? Having just barbarically murdered the King – the only one with whom his fidelity should be aligned, Macbeth claims to be loyal. Neutral? Blaming the innocents and then barbarically murdering them, as well. Nay, Macbeth is neither loyal nor neutral! In a modern day court, we could indict, convict, and imprison him for triple-murder, virtual perjury, and larceny (of the throne), among other heinous crimes. All the pity that I had has now vanished and I look upon Macbeth with repulsion and distaste. It seems all his nobility has disappeared completely, having once been “full o’ the milk of human kindness” he has now been sucked dry and been filled with evil instead. His arrogance and his impure ambition have rendered him undeserving of any pity or sympathy. Certainly, I am not one who shall feel such things for him anymore. Rather, I feel that he is now worthy only of scorn and disapprobation.