The theme of Macbeth is the destruction that comes from within.
In Shakespeare’s drama, Macbeth, the titular character struggles with his own inner demons and desires, which ultimately lead to his downfall. In the first act of the play, he is shown to be a man of action who feels compelled to commit murder, even though he does not want to do so. This shows us that he is capable of overcoming his fears and desires for power. However, this changes in the second act when he commits more murders and becomes increasingly paranoid due to their effects on his mind. By the end of Act III, we see him completely lose touch with reality as he imagines himself being “full of scorpions” (IV.vii). This demonstrates how Macbeth’s own actions have led him into an internal conflict between good and evil; ultimately resulting in his death because there was no way out after such a prolonged period of suffering internally due to guilt over what happened at Cawdor Castle earlier that day before meeting Lady Macduff at Fife House where they both fall victim to another murder by Duncan’s murderers who come looking for them next morning right after Duncan’s death.
