The spiritual decline of Macbeth The play Macbeth, by William Shakespeare, has been analyzed to such an extent that many believe it is impossible to say anything new about the play. However, a careful reading of Macbeth can still provide extraordinary insights. An interesting point worth noting is Macbeth's inability to answer "Amen" to a solemn prayer addressed to God. Shakespeare's post-medieval world strictly adhered to the binary opposition between good and evil, or in other words, between Christ and Satan. The common belief was that satanic forces could not pay homage to Christ. Therefore, Macbeth's failure to respond "Amen" reflects his spiritual decline, sinking into the ranks of the witches and Lady Macbeth. Macbeth was written for Shakespeare's new patron, James I (James VI of Scotland), following the death of Queen Elizabeth. James, a relative of the real Banquo, was interested in witchcraft and Scotland, hence the themes and setting of the play. The work itself tells the story of a man, driven by his wife and foretold by prophecy, who commits regicide to gain power. Lady Macbeth is Macbeth's wife and the person who has the most influence on him. A childless woman, from the beginning of the play she becomes feverish at the prospect of becoming queen and declares that she would kill her son – "take out his brains" – if it would help her achieve her goal (I.vii .55). This connection between childlessness and power has drawn critics, most notably A. C. Knight in his famous essay, "How Many Children Did Lady Macbeth Have?" point out that this is part of the greater symbolism of the work, where evil is sterile and good is fertile. (Quote? Since you just paraphrased one of Kn...... halfway down the paper ......m must take back the daggers, put them with the grooms and smear the grooms with blood, so it will look like the grooms they killed the king. Macbeth is unable to return to the scene of the crime to do so, so Lady Macbeth takes the daggers from him and tells him that it is childish to be afraid of sleepers or dead blood, not even Duncan] bleeds, / I will gild the faces of the bridegroom / for their guilt must seem" (2.2.52-54) Conscience is a fickle thing. If it suffers, its owner suffers too. Since Macbeth's spirituality is diminished, he does not was able to recognize a simple prayer with a simple answer, “Amen” ultimately led to their death.