How does Shakespeare show the importance of particular choices and decisions in Macbeth?

How does Shakespeare show the importance of particular choices and decisions in Macbeth?
In the well-known play, Macbeth, written by William Shakespeare, we see how Macbeth’s choices combined with many other factors have a huge impact on the direction of the play and can have dire consequences. Shakespeare uses a number of different techniques to illustrate the importance of key turning points in the play.
The first key turning point occurs at the start of the play in Act 1 Scene 3, when Macbeth and Banquo come across the three witches. Macbeth asks, “Speak if you can: what are you?”, this quotation is important because although the witches are ghastly and “look not like th’inhabitants o’th’earth”, Macbeth still speaks to them. Firstly, this shows his bravery as he could have fled after seeing their unearthly appearance, as many people in Shakespeare’s time were scared of the idea of witches with James I being obsessed with them so this was most effective at the time it was written, however instead he decided to stay and investigate. More importantly, this quote demonstrates Macbeth’s interest in “the weїrd sisters” and how he already wants to know more before they have even started their predictions, he then becomes more engaged where he says “Tell me more.” and “Speak, I charge you.” Both of these short sentences are imperatives as Macbeth takes charge of the situation. They are important because it shows Macbeth’s hunger for knowledge and his urgency is especially shown in the second quotation. However, he is still unsure of himself as he says “Cannot be ill, cannot be good.” This suggests he has seesawing thoughts so has not yet descended into evil. Also he says this “Aside” which shows the secrecy of his thoughts which makes it all the more suspicious. This is a key turning point as it shows how Macbeth is interested in witches’ predictions, which later leads him to more tragic decisions.
The next and undoubtedly the most important decision in the course of the play is Macbeth deciding to kill Duncan. In the build up towards Duncan’s death, Macbeth is very uncertain about killing Duncan, this is shown where he says,
“If th’assassination
Could trammel up the consequence and catch
With his surcease, success”
This quotation shows that Macbeth is quite evil because he is saying that if there were no consequences, that is being killed himself and being damned for eternity, then he would kill Duncan. This reveals Macbeth’s dark side as it is unnatural to kill another innocent human being in cold blood. However, he doesn’t want to think about what he would have to do to actually commit the murder, so uses euphemisms, “th’assassination” and “surcease” both show how Macbeth is undecided, but also shows his lack of character as he is too cowardly to say ‘murder’. To encourage Macbeth to carry out the murder Lady Macbeth uses a number of persuasive techniques. First, she questions his masculinity and accuses him of cowardice.
“When you durst do it, then you were a man.”
“Live a coward in thine own esteem”
These two quotations are important because Macbeth is a soldier so is meant to be brave, therefore she insults his virility. She then proves her own hard-heartedness in comparison to his weakness.
“Have plucked my nipple from his boneless gums
And dashed the brains out”
This also insults his masculinity, but shows her own evilness because babies are linked with purity and innocence making it appalling to kill one. Also this links with Duncan as he is innocent and because he was supposedly appointed by God so he is also very pure, so what she describes is a reflection on killing Duncan. It is also very graphic so makes the quotation more effective in showing her desire to become Queen by using any means possible no matter the consequences. Finally she tries to encourage optimism.
“But screw your courage to the sticking-place,
And we’ll not fail.”
This quotation shows how she has changed tactic to try and be supportive of Macbeth rather than insulting him. She talks about his “courage” in a positive way to show him that everything will be fine. Shakespeare shows the audience Macbeth has decided to kill Duncan when he hallucinates seeing a dagger “before” him. This is a manifestation of his own guilt, yet he still plans of doing it. It is also a soliloquy which allows the audience to hear his thoughts. This is a key turning point because Macbeth takes a long time agonising over whether he should kill Duncan or not, it takes him around seven scenes from thinking about it to actually committing the murder, so shows the audience how important it is.
The next key pointing is when Macbeth makes the decision to have Banquo and Fleance assassinated. He becomes concerned that his descendants will never be kings.
“Upon my head they placed a fruitless crown
And put a barren sceptre in my gripe” This shows that Macbeth knows he has nobody to carry on his reign. The use of a negative adjective combined with objects associated with kingship is effective as becoming king was meant to be a positive for Macbeth, however it has become a negative. The fact he has Banquo and Fleance assassinated shows his lack of character again because he is too cowardly to do it himself. In lines 77 to 89, Macbeth talks to the murderers normally without using iambic pentameter or rhyming couplets. Shakespeare did this to show Macbeth’s urgency to get the assassination over and done with as quickly as possible as he knows “there shall be done a deed of dreadful note”. This shows that Macbeth knows killing Banquo was a dreadful thing to do and this use of alliteration puts emphasis on it. This is a key turning point because it shows how Macbeth has killed Duncan and might as well just keep carrying on killing, as shown where he says,
“I am in blood
Stepped in so far that should I wade no more,
Returning were as tedious as go o’er.”
This shows he is no longer afraid of killing or having someone killed.

The final key decision is when Macbeth revisits the three witches in Act 4 Scene 1. Whilst talking to them, he makes a joke, “Had I three ears, I’d hear thee.” This shows how he has become overconfident, the witches feed Macbeth’s confidence by telling him,
“The power of man, for none of woman born
Shall harm Macbeth.”
This is an effective use of equivocation by Shakespeare as witches were known to not tell the whole truth, so this was most effective in the time it was written. By doing this Macbeth becomes even more confident, shown by him saying, “Then live Macduff, what need I fear of thee?”, which leads to his eventual death as he becomes reckless. This is a key turning point because Macbeth returning to the witches leads to his death.
In this play, Shakespeare shows how the combination of Macbeth’s poor choices, lack of character and Lady Macbeth’s ambition results in tragic consequences. He puts emphasis on each key turning point making it clear to the audience by using a clever selection of techniques to convey how they are all connected. It shows how a supposedly good man can be corrupted in such a short space of time.