Why does Macbeth hesitate to kill Duncan? What does this say about his spiritual
condition? What does this say about his view of manhood.
Macbeth hesitates to kill Duncan, because he is innocent "...like an innocent newborn baby,..." Macbeth knows that king Duncan has done nothing to deserve this death. This shows that he wants to remain clean, he doesn't want to get his hands dirty, although he want to kill the king.
His spiritual condition is in turmoil. He can't decide, although he is willing to sacrifice his soul for becoming king. "If the assassination of the king could work like a net, sweeping up everything and preventing any consequences, then the murder would be the be-all and end-all of the whole affair, and I would gladly put my soul and the afterlife at risk to do it."
His view of manhood, is that men should treat each other with respect and not overstep certain boundaries (such as murdering) because "He who dares to do more is not a man at all."
Overall, Macbeth is so confused and he doesn't know what to do. In this weak state, Satan takes advantage. Macbeths morals are fading. The witches and his wife are both telling him "Don't worry everything will be okay. We won't get caught everything will be fine" (Note: This encounter was not in the play)
Good job.
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