Shakespeare’s Macbeth is filled with moral complexity, driven by ambition, betrayal, and outright cruelty. But not all characters are equally steeped in evil. Here’s our ranking of Macbeth characters, starting from the least evil and working our way up to the most malicious.
9. Duncan
The Innocent King
Duncan, the benevolent king of Scotland, is arguably the least evil character in the play. He trusts those around him and seeks peace for his kingdom. His downfall is his inability to see Macbeth’s deceit and the people around him. Duncan’s only real flaw is his naive trust, making him far from evil. He is, after all, the tragic victim of the play’s central conspiracy.
Related link: Macbeth Study Guide
8. Malcolm
The Heir Who Fights for Justice
Malcolm, Duncan’s son, is more pragmatic and cautious than his father. While he flees after Duncan’s murder, he later returns to fight against Macbeth’s tyrannical reign. His quest is one of justice and restoring rightful order, not personal ambition or malice. Though he uses deception briefly to test Macduff’s loyalty, Malcolm is generally righteous.
7. Banquo
The Honest Soldier
Banquo is Macbeth’s friend and a noble soldier who becomes a victim of Macbeth’s paranoia. While Banquo hears the witches’ prophecies, he resists the temptation to act on them, maintaining his honor. Not a very evil way to behave. His death serves as a turning point, revealing Macbeth’s spiraling descent into madness. Banquo is not evil but becomes a ghostly reminder of Macbeth’s treachery.
6. Macduff
The Avenger
Macduff is driven by revenge, however unlike some others in the play, he has a just cause. After discovering the murder of his family, he leads the rebellion against Macbeth. Though Macduff kills Macbeth in the end, his actions are motivated by grief and justice rather than personal ambition. He represents the moral contrast to Macbeth’s unchecked evil.
Related link: Macduff Character Analysis
5. Lady Macduff
The Innocent Victim
Though Lady Macduff isn’t as central to the plot, her murder (along with her children) is one of the most heinous acts in the play. She doesn’t harbor any ambition or malice, making her a pure victim of Macbeth’s cruelty. Her death illustrates the extent of Macbeth’s moral decay and his willingness to eliminate any perceived threat, no matter how innocent.
4. The Witches
The Agents of Chaos
The Three Witches, or Weird Sisters, are neither fully human nor divine, operating outside the realm of morality. They manipulate Macbeth by playing on his ambition but never directly force him to act. While their meddling causes great harm, their true intentions remain ambiguous. Are they evil for leading Macbeth astray, or are they simply agents of fate?This debate has been discussed for centuries, but I think you’d have to say The Witches are at the very least a part of the evil in this world.
Related link: The Role of the Witches in Macbeth
3. Lady Macbeth
The Catalyst for Evil
Lady Macbeth is one of Shakespeare’s most complex villains. Her ambition for power drives her to manipulate her husband into murdering Duncan, setting the play’s tragic events in motion. Though she shows signs of guilt and remorse later, particularly in the famous sleepwalking scene, her early cruelty and willingness to cast off her femininity for power put her high on the list of evil characters. There are some that may want to say she’s the most evil, but we’ll rank her below the next two characters.
Related link: Lady Macbeth Character Analysis
2. Macbeth
The Ambitious Murderer
Macbeth, the tragic hero, is the embodiment of unchecked ambition. While he starts as a brave and loyal soldier, the witches’ prophecies and Lady Macbeth’s influence turn him into a ruthless tyrant. His descent into madness is fueled by his thirst for power and his willingness to kill anyone who stands in his way, including his best friend and innocent women and children. By the end, Macbeth is a broken shell of a man, destroyed by the evil he has unleashed. By now you’re asking– why isn’t he the most evil? The answer is because while he does the most evil things, he’s also mad.
Related link: Macbeth Character Analysis
1. Hired Murderers
The Tools of Evil
While Macbeth and Lady Macbeth might be the brains behind the operation, the hired murderers are the hands that carry out the most brutal deeds. These killers show no moral struggle or remorse as they murder Banquo and attempt to kill Fleance. They are paid to do evil and do so without question, which makes them, in some ways, even more cold-blooded than Macbeth himself. Unlike Macbeth, they are not insane, they know what they’re doing and are as ‘pure’ evil as you can get.
Macbeth shows how ambition, manipulation, and fate intertwine to bring about evil actions. By ranking these characters, we see the spectrum of morality in Shakespeare’s dark tragedy—from innocent victims to ruthless tyrants. Want to dive deeper into each character’s motivations? Check out our comprehensive Macbeth Study Guide for more insights.