What does it mean to be good? Is it to do and say the right things? To cast away temptation and act only on what benefits others for the better. In William Shakespeare's play Macbeth the main character is seen as the essence of evil. While Macbeth's life ended at one of the lowest points of evil we can still find spots of goodness in him such as courage, guilt, bravery, honor, and love.
             Macbeth's life up until the time when the play begins has been one of honor and duty. He loved his King and served him with great valor. We see this at the beginning of the play when the Captain says;
             And fortune, on his damned quarrel smiling,/ showed
             like a rebel's whore. But all's too weak:/ For brave
             Macbeth – well he deserves that name – Disdaining
             Fortune, with his brandished steel, (I.2. 14-17).
             From this I believe that while Macbeth had made the disastrously wrong decisions and basically condemned himself to hell, he still is a good man underneath. You can never take away the good from someone's life even if it has been smeared over in blood.
             Guilt is something that comes only to a person who has some form of goodness. Every time Macbeth completed one of his ghastly crimes he was swept with a wave of guilt. After one of his crimes Macbeth says, "I'll go no more. I am afraid to think what I have done. Look on't again I dare not" (II.2. 54-56). Macbeth sees the wrong in his decisions. He knows what he is doing is evil and the inner battle with his conscience shows us this truth. I believe without Lady Macbeths aiding in the beginning of the play Macbeth would have either repented or at least stopped his brutal quest for power. We start to see Lady Macbeth's actions have a huge impact on Macbeth's character as he transforms from a good being to an overly bitter creature. The cause of his alteration is due to the fact that Lady
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