Macbeth - Who Is To Blame For The Death Of King Duncan?

Who is to blame for the death of King Duncan? How would this have been interpreted by a Shakespearean audience?

I think Macbeth was to blame for the death of King Duncan, he comes across as a very weak character yet he is ambitious and brave which is shown at the beginning of the play where it said sliced a man from the middle, up and placed he’s head on a spike.

“…Till he unseamed him from the nave to the chops,

And fixed his head upon our battlements.” Act1, Scene 2, lines 22-23

This impressed the King, and Duncan saw Macbeth as a brave and strong man, but Macbeth proved Duncan wrong when he allowed his wife to manipulate him into killing Duncan. Macbeths ambition and weakness are what caused the death of the king, he was ambitious enough want to become the next king of Scotland, but he’s weakness lets him give into to his wife’s evil wishes. Lady Macbeth suggests to her husband that they kill Duncan so Macbeth becomes the king, at first Macbeth doesn’t agree with his wife, he is happy to let things take its course.

“Lady, Shall sun that morrow see!....

Macbeth, We will speak further. “Act1, Scene5, lines 59-70

He never considers the murder until Lady Macbeth blackmails Macbeth when Duncan comes to the castle for dinner and Macbeth is feeling guilt into murdering the king by accusing him of not being a man and being a coward. This shows Macbeths weakness taking over the guilt. Here he has shown that he is very weak, he has let his wife control him into doing what she wants, and he doesn’t seem to be able to stand up for himself and so no to Lady Macbeth its as if he is scared of his wife. We know Macbeth does not want to kill his King for his own satisfaction yet he still kills the king just because his wife wanted him to.

“…When you durst do it, then you were a man;

And to be more than what you were, you would

Be so much more the man”.