In the final scene we see Macbeth with a prime opportunity to kill the one man who can kill him. At this point he does not know that Mcduff was not "born of a women" but rather was born of a C-section. Macbeth tell Mcduff he isn't going to kill him because he has already decimated his family. This is a strange event because we know Macbeth has no problem killing more and more people and he knows that he has to fear Mcduff from the weird sisters. This is where Macbeth's foible of overconfidence finally gets the best of him. He spares Mcduff simply because he believes he cannot be defeated by any man. After letting Mcduff go he finds out Mcduff wasn't born a women and that eventually leads to the beheading of Macbeth.
I agree with mike how Macbeth's confidence finally comes back to him. As i have questioned this scene before, maybe if Macbeth kept his confidence up after he found out that Macduff wasn't born from a woman, he would have been able to defeat Macduff.
ReplyDeleteI think also why Macbeth doesn't kill Macduff is because there is more emotional pain from loss of significant others rather than slaying the family flat out. Maybe Macbeth sees the emotional pain as being "untimely ripped" out of his mother as equal as the loss of Macduff's family. Also Macbeth had the instinct opportunity to kill Macduff but he was away in England, before he sees the witches. When he goes to the witches they say beware of Macduff. He knew he had a bad feeling and now he wants to act on his impulses, rather than his conscience.
ReplyDeleteI don't think Macbeth spared him out of pity or guilt at all, he murdered his entire family and didn't bat an eyelash. Any humanity that was left in him is now gone. I think he spares Macduff just to toot his own horn, proving himself to truly be invincible. His overconfidence is his downfall.
ReplyDeleteMacbeth has way too much confidence in fate, because he may have been able to defeat Macduff if he hadn't given up hope. I also really like WhereDaHoodAt's comment about Macduff being ripped from people, but I don't think Macbeth's refusal to kill him was actually mercy, but rather a submittal to fate.
ReplyDeleteOh man, in that picture he totally looks like he's about to pants Macbeth but he tripped or something.
ReplyDeleteI agree with what mike cullen said about how its macbeths overconfidence that causes him to spare macduffs life rather than pity.
ReplyDeletealso about the pants-ing part, right?
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