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Good And Evil In Shakespeare's 'Macbeth'

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Good And Evil In Shakespeare's 'Macbeth'
In the beginning of the story, Macbeth is greeted by three witches known as "The Weird Sisters" who tell Macbeth that he will be both the Thane of Cawdor and the king. When Macbeth is given the title of Cawdor as predicted, his spirit begins to rise in hopes that he will be given the crown as foreseen by the witches. When King Duncan passes off the kingdom to his son, Malcolm, Macbeth faces a crucial dilemma: does he kill the king and reap the rewards, or follow his moral compass and spare the king? First of all, assassinating the king could have some benefits for Macbeth. When Lady Macbeth questions the virtue that Macbeth exhibits, she states: “Wouldst thou have that which thou esteem’st the ornament of life, and live a coward in thine own

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