Examples Of Cruelty In Macbeth

One act of cruelty that begins to contribute to Macbeth’s downfall is the murder of Duncan. Macbeth used cruelty against Duncan in order to become king and gain the powers associated with it. Consequently, Macbeth would face extreme guilt following the act. In Act 2 Scene 2, Macbeth states “No, this my hand will rather the multitudinous seas incarnadine.” Here Macbeth feels guilt after murdering Duncan in his sleep and feels shocked over his blood-stained hands. Following the murder, Macbeth experiences a significant moral deterioration. Macbeth becomes increasingly vile when he subsequently kills two innocent guards with a selfish motive to eliminate all witnesses. The murder of Duncan was the last event in the play where Macbeth feels any