Macbeth

Two of the most interesting themes of "Macbeth" are the reluctance and the remorse that Macbeth and his wife feel before and after their evil deeds.

In fact even if Macbeth and lady M. are convinced of what they are doing M. is

upset by a lot of scruples and indecisions before committing them.

Lady Macbeth tries to incite and to convince her husband saying "Stop up the access and passage to remorse; that no compunction visitings of nature shake my fell purpose nor keep peace between the effect and it.", "screw your courage to the sticking-place and we will not fail"; [act 1 scene 5 (p.64) ,7 (p.74)]

but when he has to kill the king Macbeth is very doubtful, in fact , at the end, he has a heart ,and he understands the inhumanity of the action that he is going to committ besides he is afraid about the consequences of the crime.

He answers "Duncan is here in double trust: first as I am his kinsman andsubject ,strong both against the deed; then, as his host,who should agains his murtherer shut the door ,not bear the knife myself. Hath borne his faculties someek,hath been so clear in his great office ,that his virtues will plead like angels." [act 1 scene 7 (p.70)]

"We will proceed no further in this business: he hath honour'd me of late...

I dare do all that may become a man ;who dares do more, is none   " [scene 7 (p 72)]       

They wouldn't want really to kill Duncan but the ambition and the thirst for power have penetrated too deeply in their minds :"I have no spur to prick the sides of my intent but onlyvaulting ambition which o'erleaps itself an falls th'other."

And so Lady M. can convince the husband "I'm settled and up each corporal agent to this terrible feat."

After the murder , Macbeth is upset by the remorse and stricken by allucinations like a bloody knife who see in front of him or voices that call him murther :"Wherefore could not i pronunce Amen? I had most need of blessing and amen, stuck in my throat [..] Still it cried 'sleep no more ,Macbeth does murther sleep'[ ..] I am afraid to think what I have done ,look on't again I dare not [...] To know my deed , twere best not know myself "

From that moment horrible allucinations torment his nights and days and derange his mind .

"whence is that knocking? How is'twith me ,when every noise appals me? What hands are here ?Ha they pluck out mine eyes ?Will all great Neptune's ocean wash this blood clean from my hand ? No this my hand will rather the multitudinos seas incarnadine ,making the green on red." and it change his character to unwell ,tyrranical and violent although he is become the king .

So he, induced by the witches, committs new terrible crimes , the omicide of the friend Banquo and the slaughter of Mcduff's family. "Q full of scorpion is my mind dear wife ,thou know'st that Banquo ,and his Fleance lives - But in them nature's copy's not eterne -there is comfort yet; they are assilable......"

(The Ghost of Banquo enters) " Thou canst not say.I did it: never shake thy gory look at me..thy bones are marrowless ,thy blood is cold.."

Then lady Macbeth is won by the hard remorse and by the intolerable solitude of her life, and so goes mad .She is upset by sonnambulism and bloody and terryfing nightmares ("Out damned spot ,one two :why,then 'tis time to ddo't-Hell is murky-Fie my lord fie! A soldier and afeard? Yet who would have thought the old man to have had so much blood in him?...") and at the end she committ suicide.

We know that Macbeth has been driven by the evil powers and by the witches , and has been induced to commit his deed by his ambitious wife ,but we can't see Macbeth's scruples and remorses extanuatings an excuse ,in fact M. has premeditated all his crimes ;they can only show us the Humanty of Macbeth that isn't able   to bear the weight of his deeds.