Did Macduff facilitate the rise of evil or how did he prevent it—or both—in Shakespeare's Macbeth? Explain.

Macduff, in Shakespeare's Macbeth, is
caught in the middle of Macbeth's evil scheming to take the throne and keep it. Macduff
appears first when Duncan has been murdered.

Macduff's
suspicions may first appear in learning that Macbeth killed the alleged murderers of the
King (his guards). When Macbeth says he is sorry he killed them, Macduff asks why he did
it? (They were the only "lead" they had in figuring out who was behind the plot to kill
Duncan, for the men believe the guards did not act on their
own.)

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MACBETH:

O,
yet I do repent me of my fury,

That I did kill
them.

MACDUFF:

Wherefore
did you
so?

MACBETH:

Who
can be wise, amazed, temperate and furious,

Loyal and
neutral, in a moment? No man:

The expedition of my violent
love

Outrun the pauser reason.
(II.iii.117-123)

Along with
the others, Macduff calls for an investigation—the King's murderer
must be found.

Macduff is also
seemingly suspicious when he and Ross discuss the burial of Duncan and Macbeth's
crowning as King, as Malcolm and Donalbain have fled (for safety, though certainly
Macbeth is spreading the rumor that they are behind their father's death—he will
eventually refer to them as his "blood cousins").

There may
be an inkling of doubt when Macduff repeats once again that the guards were murdered by
Macbeth. He then takes his leave of Ross, noting that he hopes they do not soon wish for
the days when Duncan was alive as opposed to being Macbeth's subjects (as he refers to
robes):

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MACDUFF:

Well,
may you see things well done there, Adieu,

Lest our old
robes sit easier than our new!
(II.iv.49-50)

However,
everyone (including Macduff) soon comes to realize that those closest to Macbeth end up
dead. The Scotland of Duncan's time is gone. Macduff's suspicions grow, so he goes to
England.

When Macduff leaves Scotland for the country where
Malcolm (Duncan's heir) is living for safety's sake, even Malcolm questions Macduff's
intentions for being there. For how could an honest man feel he could comfortably leave
his family behind without threat from Macbeth unless Macduff were working for
Macbeth?

In his desire to save Scotland (similar to Brutus'
desire to preserve Rome at all costs when he murders Caesar in Shakespeare's
Julius Caesar), Macduff acts foolishly by leaving his family
unguarded. When Macbeth learns about Macduff's departure to England (where Macbeth's
enemy, Malcolm, resides), he is sure that Macduff has taken up with Duncan's son, and
orders the murder of all of Macduff's family and
household.

Macduff's devastation over their deaths—along
with his initial disgust when he believes Malcolm would be a far worse tyrant on
Scotland's throne than Macbeth (which he later learns is untrue)— convinces Malcolm that
Macduff can be trusted. With soldiers and arms provided by Edward the Confessor of
England, Malcolm and Macduff return to Scotland to take the throne forcibly from
Macbeth.

So Macduff facilitates Macbeth's continued evil in
leaving his family unattended, allowing the new and evil King to kill Macduff's wife and
children; at the same time, however, he prevents further evil by returning with Malcolm
to take Scotland back. It is, in fact, Macduff who kills Macbeth specifically with the
intent of avenging the deaths of those dear to him.

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MACDUFF:

Then
yield thee, coward,

And live to be the show and gaze o’ the
time.

We'll have thee, as our rarer monsters
are,

Painted upon a pole, and
underwrit,

“Here may you see the tyrant.”
(V.viii.27-31)