Sarah Horne 10/21/15. Macbeth, Thane of Innovation. By the end of Macbeth, Macbeth is responsible for seven murders: the murders

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1 Sarah Horne 10/21/15 Expos 20: Why Shakespeare? Professor Wilson Macbeth, Thane of Innovation By the end of Macbeth, Macbeth is responsible for seven murders: the murders of Macdonwald, Duncan, Duncan s men, Banquo, Macduff s wife, and Macduff s son. While the murder of Macdonwald is legally committed during battle, the other six are cold-blooded murders of innocent people. Even Macbeth knows they are innocent, describing Duncan as having borne his faculties so meek, [having] been/so clear in his great office, that his virtues/will plead like angels ( ). Despite Duncan s virtues and greatness as a leader, a Macbeth chooses to murder Duncan for his own gain. What causes Macbeth to make this decision? Is he just power-hungry, or are there also societal factors that influence his decision? Robert Merton, a 20th century American sociologist, provides a lens through which we might understand Macbeth s actions. In his essay Social Structure and Anomie, Merton lays the foundation for why criminal behavior occurs. First, Merton rejects the biological perspective that people commit crimes because of man s imperious biological drives which are not adequately restrained by social control (Merton 672). Instead, Merton believes that crime occurs when people abandon either culturally defined goals, culturally approved means, or both. This deviation from the cultural norm can occur when cultural goals are emphasized more greatly than the means, and when the means are unaccessible to part of the population. In such a society, people become competitive and frustrated, leading them to anomie.

2 In order to understand Merton s argument, one must first understand what anomie is. For the purposes of this paper, I will define anomie as lawlessness, or engaging in antisocial criminal activity. The type of anomie I will focus on in this paper is innovation, which occurs when a member of society accepts cultural goals but rejects the institutionalized means to realize them (Merton 676). In this essay, I argue that Macbeth s antisocial behavior, or anomie, evolves as a result of a society that encourages competition and a greater focus on goals than the means to achieve them. Because of this imbalance, Macbeth becomes an innovator, seeking the goal of becoming king while ignoring the system of elected monarchy and choosing to murder his way to the throne instead. This reading of Macbeth s behavior gives us greater insight into the motivations and pressures that lead to the slaughter of several men and women in the Scottish court. Merton suggests that a society that places too much value in cultural goals, such as the hierarchical society of Macbeth, can foster crime. Such a society follows theend-justifies-the-means doctrine, which becomes a guiding tenet for action when the cultural structure unduly exalts the end and the social organization unduly limits possible recourse to approved means (Merton 681). Legitimate means to attain Macbeth s goal of becoming king are unavailable to him, as Malcolm has already been named the Prince of Cumberland ( ), which means he is next in line for the throne. In addition to a lack of legitimate means, there is a great emphasis placed on the goal of becoming king. Lady Macbeth exerts this societal pressure, telling Macbeth, And to be more than what you were, you would/be so much more the man ( ). In other words, by becoming king, Macbeth would become more manly as well. The

3 importance of acting like a man is emphasized throughout Macbeth, and Lady Macbeth compounds these two important goals (becoming king and becoming a man), unduly exalting the end rather than the means, which in this case is murder. Lady Macbeth s statement is also insulting; Macbeth becomes increasingly frustrated and finally agrees to murder Duncan. This sequence of events follows Merton s idea that frustration and thwarted aspiration lead to the search for avenues of escape from a culturally induced intolerable situation; or unrelieved ambition may eventuate in illicit attempts to acquire the dominant values (Merton 680). Macbeth had previously described himself as having vaulting ambition (1.7.27), so it seems that this ambition, combined with his frustration that his masculinity had been put into question, leads him to agree to commit murder. Another factor of society that can promote anomie is competition, which is a source of stress and paranoia for Macbeth. With regards to a society that emphasizes the ends over the means, Merton says that the pressure of such an order is upon outdoing one s competitors (Merton 681). Macbeth feels this pressure: while he has been told he will become king, he is constantly fixated on the fact that it is Banquo s issue that will become the next line of kings. In one his soliloquy in the beginning Act III, Macbeth says: There is none but [Banquo] Whose being I do fear; and under him My genius is rebuked Upon my head they placed a fruitless crown And put a barren scepter in my grip,

4 Thence to be wrenched with an unlineal hand, No son of mine succeeding ( , 61-64). Macbeth has become competitive with Banquo, frustrated that he will not beget a line of kings himself. In fact, he is so paranoid and ruthless that he decides to send three men to murder Banquo and his son Fleance in order to prevent the prophecy from coming true. Thus, as Merton suggests, the pressure of outdoing Banquo, his competitor, leads him to exhibit more antisocial behavior. Macbeth also kills Macduff s family as a result of competition, as he is afraid that Macduff has fled to England to conspire with Malcolm against him. Merton also argues that excessively valuing cultural goals leads people to use efficient rather than legitimate means, which is also the case in Macbeth. According to Merton, when there is a disproportionate accent on goals...the range of behavior is limited only by considerations of technical expediency (Merton 674). In Macbeth, the most efficient way for Macbeth to become king is to murder Duncan. While the title of Thane of Cawdor came to him almost immediately, Macbeth realizes that it is much less likely that he will be appointed king so quickly unless he intervenes, as Duncan and Malcolm are both ahead of him in line for the throne. In addition, Duncan is conveniently staying at his house in double trust : First, as I am his kinsman and his subject, Strong both against the deed; then, as his host, Who should against his murderer shut the door, Not bear the knife myself ( ).

5 Not only is Duncan conveniently located, but he is also unlikely to suspect he is in danger, since Macbeth has just battled to defend Scotland and is hosting him. Thus, the most expedient way for Macbeth to become king is to murder Duncan and frame his men, so he gains the title and is left unsuspected. Once Macbeth has succeeded in the first murder, he sees that it is an efficient way to achieve his goals and decides to use murder as a way to protect himself from Banquo and Macduff. To make these murders even more expedient, he sends other men to commit them for him. Using Merton s framework, we can understand Macbeth s behavior to be an example of innovation. Macbeth achieves a cultural goal, becoming (and remaining) king, but not through institutionalized means, which in this case are election into the monarchy. Merton claims that little access to conventional and legitimate means for attaining such success increases the likelihood of using illegitimate means (Merton 678). Such is the case with Macbeth: because Malcolm has been named Prince of Cumberland and next in line to the throne, he cannot used the institutionalized means to become king and therefore resorts to crime in order to attain his goal. One might argue that murder is not a rejection of institutionalized means, as this type of violence was culturally accepted at the time, but the society in Macbeth does not approve of murder in every context. It is true that Macbeth is praised and rewarded for murdering Macdonwald. After the battle, Ross tells him: The king hath happily received, Macbeth, The news of thy success; and when he reads Thy personal venture in the rebels fight, His wonders and praises do contend

6 Which should be thine or his ( ). Duncan expresses gratitude and honors Macbeth with the title of Thane of Cawdor for his valiant efforts, including the murder of Macdonwald. However, Duncan makes it clear that murder in the form of treason is unacceptable and punishable by execution. The original Thane of Cawdor, who fought with Macdonwald against Scotland, is declared a traitor and under heavy judgment bears that life/which he deserves to lose ( ). By saying the Thane of Cawdor is under heavy judgment and deserves to lose his life, Angus expresses that violence against one s own people is sinful and should be punished by death. Macbeth s murder of Duncan is certainly treason, and the other murders are against supporters of the king, making them criminal as well. Thus, while violence is culturally approved in terms of defending one s country, it is forbidden in other circumstances. Given the fact that violence is not culturally approved for the purpose of gaining power within one s own country, Macbeth is in fact an innovator. As a result of societal pressure put upon him directly by Lady Macbeth, a lack of legitimate means, and competition with Banquo, Macbeth succumbs to anomie. As Merton suggests, it was not solely his biology that determined his antisocial behavior. In fact, Macbeth himself admits this is the case: I have no spur To prick the sides of my intent, but only Vaulting ambition We will proceed no further in this business. He hath honored me of late ( , 31-32).

7 Though he has ambition, it is not enough to cause him to murder Duncan. It is only after Lady Macbeth emasculates him and exalts the idea of becoming king that Macbeth murders Duncan, and it is the competition fostered by their societal values that causes him to want to murder Banquo and Macduff s family as well. Ultimately, Macbeth s antisocial behavior is the result of both ambition and, more importantly, an unstable society. Works Cited Merton, Robert K. "Social Structure and Anomie." American Sociological Review 3.5 (1938): Web. Shakespeare, William. Macbeth. Ed. Stephen Orgel. New York, NY: Penguin, 2000.