Macbeth murdering Duncan is the first and most important evil act that Macbeth commits in the play. Macbeth ultimately murders Duncan for a single reason: if Duncan is king Macbeth cannot be king. In order for the witches' prophecy to come true Macbeth must act to secure his position. This becomes evident when Macbeth hears Duncan describing how his eldest son will be the next king when Duncan dies. Macbeth recognizes that unless he does...
Macbeth murdering Duncan is the first and most important evil act that Macbeth commits in the play. Macbeth ultimately murders Duncan for a single reason: if Duncan is king Macbeth cannot be king. In order for the witches' prophecy to come true Macbeth must act to secure his position. This becomes evident when Macbeth hears Duncan describing how his eldest son will be the next king when Duncan dies. Macbeth recognizes that unless he does something to secure his spot, the crown will remain in possession of the royal family.
However, Shakespeare's purpose in having Macbeth murder Duncan is much larger than the simple fact that Macbeth wants to become king. This first evil act sets Macbeth on the trajectory towards his inevitable downfall. He grapples endlessly with the painful truth that he must kill Duncan to satisfy his own ambition (end of Act 1 and Act 2, scene 1) and is conflicted about betraying a man to whom he is supposed to show considerable loyalty to. Moreover, this first act of killing sparks the insatiable desire to retain power in Macbeth and shifts his characterization from conflicted to power-hungry, transforming him from a sympathetic character to a tyrant. This ultimately demonstrates for readers that ambition leads one to commit unthinkable acts, ultimately eroding one's moral character.
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