The psychological concept of nature is the belief that personality traits are inherited through genetics, justifying actions on genetics alone. Nurture is the concept of how external environments and situations affect growth and social development, leading to further comprehensive life choices. The play Macbeth explores contrasts between characters with the protagonist and antagonist each making distinct decisions based on morals, this leaning towards the nurturing side rather than the nature side of things. These two characters are different versions of the same person, the reason being their equal drive to achieve one goal as well as starting out from equal standpoints only to be influenced by external factors that affect who they are as a person on their journey.
Macbeth and Macduff start out as equivalent respected warriors, both loyal to the King. The witches target Macbeth rather than Macduff, instigating ideas and leading Macbeth to feed into desires of power even when he is self aware the title does not fit. “The Thane Of Cawdor lives, why do you dress me in borrowed robes?” (Mac 1.2 107-110) Displays the self awareness Macbeth possess before being externally manipulated to follow his ambitions. The witches represent the first spark of nurture that cause Macbeth to commit injustices to humanity, something he normally would not give in to had the theme not be “fair is foul and foul is fair” (All Witches 1.1, 10). The theme that external surroundings affect Macbeth feeds into the nurturing concept, with Macbeth giving way to thoughts and incomprehensible actions that are viewed as abnormal. Banquo displays nobility and strength by not allowing external factors alter his sense of mind, “The instruments of darkness tell us truths, win us with honest trifles..” (Banquo 1.3 124-125). By acknowledging the theme that all is not what it seems to be, Banquo sensibly avoids being swayed to commit injustices for personal gratification, a warning of which Macbeth ignores.
These two intrinsically different characters can be interpreted as social experiments Shakespeare was trying to play with in regards to nurture, as well deception and manipulation. Shakespeare played with the idea of putting different versions of one person through vastly diverse social situations, as well as challenge the intentions of their behavior. Macduff and Macbeth both defy societal norms whether it be with their actions or the redefining of masculinity, in similar ways. “Who’s there? What, ho?” (Macbeth 2.2, 8) Macbeth defies masculinity stereotypes by displaying blatant fear and weakness over the deed he commits, comparative to Macduff who displays grief openly for different reasons. The basis of these characters is how they are highly perceived by other individuals, and the fact that they murder for entirely different reasons. (StudyMode, 2014) Macbeth murders for personal gratification “If chance will have me King, why, chance may crown me” (Macbeth 1.3 141-142) Macbeth motivations change at the beginning of the play, where as Macduff becomes infatuated with killing Macbeth for his family and country. “Bleed, bleed, poor country:” (Macduff 4.3 42) The play depicts the setting of Scotland as bloody streets, children crying, mothers killing their young, forests that moves, and all around unnaturally unpleasant settings that motivate Macduff to pursue a change.
From the middle towards the end Macbeth is completely immersed in achieving his goal to kill the King. The second part of nurturing Macbeth into becoming a full tyrant is Lady Macbeth, who uses degradation to manipulate her husband into doing the dirty work for her so she can sit happily on the throne. “Like the poor cat I’ the’ adage?” (Lady 1.7 44) Lady Macbeth compares her husband to a cat who wants fish but is afraid to get it’s paws wet. This stage of nurturing is the most effective, considering it is human nature to desire to do almost anything for the ones you love, as well as sacrificing things in order to please others. Macbeth does not wish to be seen as any less of a man towards his wife, “I dare do all that may become a man” (Macbeth 1.7 46) Lady Macbeth constantly pushes Macbeth to “be a man” and she forces toxic beliefs onto Macbeth. Lady Macbeth despite being secretly paranoid, attempts to motivate her husband by acting tough in response to her husbands paranoia “babe that milks me, I would, while it was smiling in my face have plucked my nipple from his boneless gums and dashed the brains out” (Lady 1.7 55-57). She feels as if her husband is too kind, and has brought up later in the play how she wishes to be more like a man to take charge up front and commit the deed without help.
Another thing similar between Macduff and Macbeth is the lengths they are willing to go in order to obtain their goals. Macduff’s goal is to urge the tyrant out of his homeland and protect his family in the process, however by focusing on his goal he neglects his family, which results in their untimely death. This experience leads Macduff to redefine what it means to be a man in the play with his line being “I shall do so, but first I must feel it like a man”(Macduff 4.3). Since the start of the play, Macduff shows signs of nobility and morality which leads him to be the hero opposed to Macbeth, who loses his sense of morality in order to obtain power. Macbeth believes that by killing a mass amount of people he will lose his fear, but it is in fact the opposite as the more people he kills the more he has to be on his toes, resulting in an endless killing spree. “Then live Macduff….” (Macbeth 4.1 82) Macbeth turns to insanity and becomes increasingly paranoid as time goes on, and this paranoia leads him to his death. Macbeth kills for comfort and does not take the witches advice in a literal sense as can be seen in the end of the play “Which must not yield to one of woman born” (Macduff 5.8 12). Shakespeare challenges the mechanics of childbirth by having our hero be ripped out of the womb instead of conceived the expected way, something Macbeth does not foresee leading to his downfall.
In conclusion, Macduff and Macbeth were each nurtured in different ways, affecting their life choices. Through constant pressure from their external environment, their morals change both positively and negatively. By putting Macbeth under mental manipulation by both the witches and his wife, he loses his morality and becomes a tyrant willing to kill for the wrong reasons, that being personal gain. By putting Macduff through tragic events that involve the loss of his friends and family, he is driven to kill to avenge others and to better his homeland.