Concerning Shakespeare's Macbeth, you
don't identify which act you're asking about. I have a hunch you mean Act 1.3, so I'll
answer accordingly.
First, whatever state of mind Macbeth
is in, it echoes the witches' state of mind, since he echoes their sentiment that foul
is fair and vice-versa. This is a bad thing.
Then he
starts, or flinches, when the witches hail him as Thane of Cawdor and king. Banquo
laughs off the witches, but Macbeth takes them very seriously and is anxious to hear
more. He appears to be motivated by ambition and to have becoming king on his
mind.
His flinch at such welcome news might also indicate
that he is already aware of what becoming king means--he would have to kill Duncan to
get the crown. Why else would he flinch? The flinch is surprising to Banquo, which
suggests it is motivated by something Banquo is not aware of and does not comprehend.
Macbeth may already be haunted by the thoughts that moments later horrify him--thoughts
of killing Duncan (see his aside starting at line 130). Macbeth is already a mixture of
fair and foul.
Macbeth is already torn, then, in Act 1.3,
between what he wants and what he has to do to get it. He's obviously excited about the
possibility of becoming king, but torn about what it will take to achieve the throne.
He is not prepared to blindly go after what he wants, though. He is aware how horrible
what he's thinking about is.
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