Identify Macbeth's doubts and attitudes in Shakespeare's Macbeth.

Macbeth has many doubts in Shakespeare's
Macbeth. First he has misgivings about first killing Duncan. Then
he has concerns about losing the throne and Banquo's part in it. Finally, he experiences
doubts about the witches' prophecies at the end when the seemingly impossible events
that can lead to his destruction begin to take place.

After
the witches have delivered their first prophecies to Macbeth, he writes home telling his
wife what has been said and what has happened—he was named Thane of Cawdor as the
witches promised. Believing that Macbeth is to be King (and that
she will be Queen), Lady Macbeth begins to make plans for the
murder of Duncan. When her husband arrives home, she makes it clear that Duncan will
visit them overnight, but he will not live to see the sun rise the
next day.

When next they speak at the end of Act One,
Macbeth has his doubts about moving forward, and tells his
wife:

We will
proceed no further in this business:

He hath honor'd me of
late, and I have bought

Golden opinions from all sorts of
people,

Which would be worn now in their newest
gloss,

Not cast aside so soon.
(I.vii.34-38)

Lady Macbeth is
furious; she rants at him and insults him. In time, because of his boundless ambition
and his wife's constant "encouragement," he does, in fact, take Duncan's
life.

In Act Three, scene one, Macbeth has doubts regarding
Banquo. He is afraid that he cannot trust his friend not to be an
honorable man and tell others about the witches' predictions—which would expose
Macbeth's motive to kill the Duncan. In light of this, he is afraid that he may lose his
throne. Being King is important, but remaining so is essential.
(While Banquo lives, Macbeth's place on the throne is not assured.)

To be thus
is nothing,

But to be safely thus. Our fears in
Banquo

Stick deep, and in his royalty of
nature

Reigns that which would be fear'd. ’Tis much he
dares,

And, to that dauntless temper of his
mind,

He hath a wisdom that doth guide his
valor

To act in safety. There is none but
he

Whose being I do fear...
(52-59)

By the end
of the play, Macbeth is covered by the sin of the blood he has shed. His followers have
left him and even those who fight for him have stopped in the middle of a battle to join
with Malcolm. All Macbeth has left is his wife and the witches' predictions. Then Lady
Macbeth kills herself over her guilt for all the evil acts they have committed.

Macbeth fights his doubts about the witches' words as
"Great Birnam Wood" seems to move to "high Dunsinane hill." However, he refuses to
discard all hope. He meets Macduff—prepared for battle— and tells him that Macbeth
cannot be beaten by someone "born of a woman."

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MACBETH:

...I
bear a charmed life, which must not yield

To one of woman
born. (V.viii.15-16)

It is
not until Macduff tells the tyrant that he was born by Cesarean
section that doubts begin to assail Macbeth. Macduff
says:

Despair
thy charm,

And let the angel whom thou still hast
served

Tell thee, Macduff was from his mother's
womb

Untimely ripp'd.
(17-20)

In fact, all of the
witches' second set of predictions were half-truths delivered to Macbeth to give him a
"false sense of security." Nothing they have said to him was factual, and Macduff
is able, in fact, to kill Macbeth.

In
all of these situations, Macbeth's doubts are well placed: had he listened to his
worries and misgivings to begin with, Duncan would not have died, and Macbeth would not
have lost all he had.