Macbeth begins experiencing guilt and paranoia almost immediately, but it comes to a head when his wife dies.
Macbeth and Lady Macbeth were an ambitious couple. Macbeth turned the witches’ prophecies into reality with his wife’s urging and help. He did not really have the ambition, or the “illness” as Lady Macbeth called it, to take action on his own.
When Macbeth learns of his wife’s death, you can tell that he is genuinely remorseful.
She should have died hereafter;
There would have been a time for such a word.
To-morrow, and to-morrow, and to-morrow,
Creeps in this petty pace from day to day
To the last syllable of recorded time,
And all our yesterdays have lighted fools
The way to dusty death. (Act 5, Scene 5)
At this point, Macbeth is pondering life and death because he has lost almost everything. He thought that he had his life figured out when he killed Duncan and became king. Unfortunately, his position was not secured. He feared that Banquo suspected him, so he killed him. He attacked Macduff’s family.
At the time that he makes this speech, Macbeth knows that Malcolm and his army are on the way. He fears that his position is not secure, and everything was for naught. Waiting for battle, Macbeth is horrified as the seemingly impossible predictions come true. The woods are moving, for one thing. Macbeth worries about the claim that he cannot be hurt by a man “born of woman.” He thought he was invincible. Now he is not so sure.
They have tied me to a stake; I cannot fly,
But, bear-like, I must fight the course. What's he
That was not born of woman? Such a one
Am I to fear, or none. (Act 5, Scene 7)
When Macduff tells Macbeth that the way he was born makes him technically not born of woman, Macbeth deflates the rest of the way. He loses his fighting spirit. In the end, it is not too hard for Macduff to defeat him.
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