The importance of Act 1 Scene 7 of Macbeth in the context of the play as a whole.
             I think act 1 scene 7 is one of the most important scenes in the play. I say this because you hear the main plot of the play i.e. the murder of Duncan is discussed and the after effects such a crime would have on everyone. It is here the characters of Macbeth and Lady Macbeth begin to develop. It shows the influence Lady Macbeth has on Macbeth, how great their love is, how strong her personality is and how well she knows Macbeth's weakness which is his fear of not being known as a man and she uses that against him. There is no turning back from the chain of events that will lead to their downfall if Macbeth decides to kill the king.
             Macbeth is very ambitious, he wants to become king of Scotland and the witches prophecy in act 1 scene 3: -
             " All hail Macbeth, thou shaft be king hereafter! "
             Gives him an excuse to try and gain power.
             Macbeth has left the feast he is giving for the King in order to think things over. He feels guilty playing host to the man he is about to kill.
             " If it were to be done when 'tis done, then twere well it we're done quickly "
             In other words if everything could be over with as soon as Duncan is killed, then the sooner he is killed the better.
             If only Macbeth thinks the killing could be
             " The be all and the end all here. But here, upon this bank and shoal of time, we'd jump the life to come"
             Macbeth knows that he can get away with murder here on earth, but in the afterlife he would be punished. He knows the afterlife is very long like a " boundless ocean " and life is only a " bank or shoal " on the edge of the ocean. However, if the one murder could be the last murder then he would take his chances with the afterlife.
             Although Macbeth knows that it is not likely to be "done when 'tis done " he knows
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