Macbeth
A soliloquy is a dramatic convention in which a character voices thoughts while alone on stage. What does Macbeth's first soliloquy ( lines 1-28) reveal about his state of mind?
Scene 7
Scene 7
Macbeth agonizes over whether to kill Duncan, recognizing the act of murdering the king as a terrible sin. He struggles in particular with the idea of murdering a man—a relative, no less—who trusts and loves him. He would like the king's murder to be over and regrets the fact that he possesses “vaulting ambition" without the ruthlessness to ensure the attainment of his goals (27). Macbeth's state of mind is torn, agonizing and indecisive.