Why should Macbeth be pitied/sympathised for?
At the beginning of Act I, scene 7, Macbeth speaks a soliloquy (“If it were done when ’tis done…”) which makes it readily apparent that he’s leaning towards backing AWAY from the plot to murder Duncan. Then, Lady Macbeth strolls in, and, by the end of the scene, Macbeth is fully re-engaged in the murder plot. I suppose we can muster a little sympathy for him at that point, since his own instincts were to abandon the criminal plot. Beyond that…be careful. In Shakespeare, “Tragic Heros” are not to be pitied. We can feel many things for/about them, but we should always be mindful of the fact that they’re free agents, and they suffer the consequences of their own decisions and actions.
