Second Response to Macbeth, by William Shakespeare

“But wherefore could not I pronounce ‘Amen?’ I had most need of blessing, and ‘Amen’ stuck in my throat” (Macbeth, Act II, Sc. II, line 30-34).

In this passage, Macbeth is talking with Lady Macbeth after he kills King Duncan. Macbeth is recalling how he is unable to ask for God’s blessing right before he commits the murder. Although these lines do not contain much imagery, the tone in which they are written conveys a sense of desperation and guilt as Macbeth thinks about what he has done. This passage is intriguing to me because it highlights the truth that every human being, whether or not they are aware of it, has a conscience, or a sense of right and wrong. Macbeth knows that what he is doing is wrong, and that is why he feels that he could not ask for blessing upon his evil act. I also find it interesting to note that if Lady Macbeth did not urge Macbeth on to the gruesome task, Macbeth would have likely listened to his conscience and refrained from killing the king. I feel that Lady Macbeth bears an equal or greater amount of blame for the murder because she plants the idea in Macbeth’s mind, frames the servants, and executes the whole plot except for the actual murder. Lady Macbeth knows that murder is wrong, but she chooses to reject what she knows to be right in order to achieve her own ends. Although Macbeth is a fictional story, it is amazing to see how many parallels there are between the Shakespearean era and modern times. Shakespeare must have had a great understanding of human nature and its many flaws and imperfections in order to write a story that is relevant across the ages.