Is it fair to describe Macbeth as a

Toward the end of the play Macbeth is under attack from the English forces in his castle. News reaches him of Lady Macbeth committing suicide and he strangely shows a lack of emotion. He also shows no remorse or compassion similar to a butcher at work.

“She should have died hereafter;

There would have been a time for such a word.

“Is this a dagger which I see before me?

The handle toward my hand?”

This is included to make the reader aware of Macbeth’s deteriorating mental state as a result of the guilt he is experiencing without even having committed the murder but just by thinking about doing so thus proving he has not yet gained the characteristics of a butcher.

“Both of you know Banquo was your enemy…. ”

In this scene the evil aspect of Macbeth is uncovered to a greater extent as he not only is planning a cold-hearted second murder of his friend, Banquo, and innocent son, Fleance, but uses deception to fool the murderers into thinking Banquo is their enemy and that their King’s life is at risk until he is dead.

However after the murder of Duncan, Macbeth cruelly orders the death of his good friend Banquo and son, Fleance for his own benefit as the witches predicted that Banquo’s descendants would be kings.

In Macbeth’s third act of callousness he orders the slaughter of Macduff’s family in retaliation to Macduff leaving for England to raise support against Macbeth. in such a bloody distance

That every minute of his being thrusts

Against my near’st of life.

“The castle of Macduff I will surprise,

……give to the edge o’th’ sword his wife, his babes

And all unfortunate souls that trace him in his line. In conclusion, I feel that a “dead butcher” is a deserved description as Macbeth relentlessly carries on making rash decisions, most of which include murder, in an attempt to achieve and maintain his ambition.

He hath honoured me of late, and I have bought

Golden opinions from all sorts of people. We see that he has become so ruthless that he orders the murders of a women and her child who pose no direct threat to him in an attempt to punish them for Macduff’s actions.