New Paltz Shakespeare

Macbeth is fighting an internal conflict throughout the majority of Shakespeare's play. Macbeth has allowed himself to be shamed into the crime by Lady Macbeth. Lady Macbeth plays on this internal conflict and see's a loophole where she can attain power. Women during this time may have had no voice outside of their husband, yet Lady Macbeth used the weakness lurking in her husband to satisfy her own greedy ways. the efforts on Lady Macbeths' part to attain the thrown are successful yet it leaves her husband even more aware that he has given up his soul. the realization that Macbeth has allowed his wife to associate him with something so gruesome as the murder of Duncan makes him want to secure his kingship even further. Macbeth is even more sensitive to the crime he commits with his wife because there is a fear that he will be discovered. This insecurity that the crime will be discovered is what plays on Macbeth's internal conflict. This mental instability worsens and weakens Macbeth when we see him talk to the ghosts and to the witches. Banquo was present the first time Macbeth saw the witches which makes him believe even more that he will be found out by Banquo. All of these motives are what drives the madness and the murder in the play. As an aside immediately after the witches disappear from the sight of Macbeth and Banquo, Macbeth says "Two truths are told/As happy prologues to the swelling act..." (Shakespeare 1.3.126). This sets up the madness that ignites the internal conflict in the mind of Macbeth. At any rate, Macbeth knows that if Banquo himself does not make an attempt, Macbeths children will not succeed Macbeth and Banquos will. Macbeth says, "Come what may/Time and the hour runs through the roughest day" (Shakespeare 1.4.145). What ever happens will happen one way or another. At this point in the play Macbeth has already decided that he needs to make things happen. Lady Macbeth is experiencing all of this through her husband and this may also be the point in the play where she realizes she needs to act fast and in Macbeths internal doubts and conflicts. In this Shakespearean world we have to remember that men do not only work for themselves but also for the next generation. This is a point in time that is crucial to two very important families. The children of these two men will carry out the name in honor. We see this idea playing out after the murder of Duncan where Macbeths conscience had brought him to immobility yet he still decides to murder Banquo and Fleance. It is because of Lady Macbeth and her ability to make Macbeth mobile. It is clear that Macbeth will stop at nothing to secure his thrown.