Emotional Differences Between Macbeth And Macduff

Coping with Trauma; The Emotional Differences Between Macbeth and Macduff

In the story of Macbeth, written by William Shakespeare, the author tells a story of a man who was once a brave soldier, that later succumbs to the witches prophecies, becoming a murderous tyrant. Macbeth’s response when he hears the news of his wife’s death is pessimistic and bleak whereas when Macduff hears about the death of his wife and children he reacts with heartache and fury. Their contrasting reactions towards these tragic events indicate the obscene differences in their respective characters.

Macbeth was once a nobleman, one who fought for good, as well as the people that he cared for. As the story progresses and he learns of the witches prophecy, he allows his avarice to consume him and becomes preoccupied with the idea of being king. Macbeth then abandons any remaining sense of loyalty and commits to doing whatever it takes to become king. In the scene where Macbeth’s wife dies, his reaction directly reveals his respective character and who he has become. Macbeth responds by speaking not to anyone directly, but rather into an abyss. He begins by saying, “She should have died hereafter. There would have been time …show more content…
When Macbeth’s wife committed suicide he neglected to acknowledge any potential feelings associated with his wife’s passing and instead, he mentioned that life lacks meaning and that humans were merely put on this earth just to die. Macduff, however, reacted in an entirely different way. When Macduff received word that his wife and children had been murdered he instantly responded with shock and grief. In this scene, it is evident that Macduff’s family is extremely important to him and that he needed time to process the event as well as spend the appropriate amount of time