By Elaine Pilkington. Macbeth examines the nature of evil and the corruption of the human soul.In Macbeth evil is the opposite of humanity, the deviation from that which is natural for humankind, yet evil originates in the human heart.Supernatural and unnatural forces are the agents of human beings, not their instigators. The witches’ words do not seduce Macbeth.
Synonyms
evil
noun a power that makespeople do very bad and cruelthings
sin
noun an action or way of behaving that you think is morallywrong
wrong
nounbehaviour that is morallywrong or that breaks a rule
immorality
nounbehaviour that peoplethink is morallywrong
enormity
noun the fact that something is morallywrong, or the degree to which it is morallywrong
decadence
nounbehaviour that is consideredimmoral because it concentrates too much on pleasure
depravity
nounformalbehaviour that is immoral or evil
iniquity
nounformalextremelyimmoral or unfairactions or situations
excess
nounbehaviour that you consider to be wrong because it is too extreme
backsliding
nouninformal the lazybehaviour of someone who goes back to doing something bad after not doing it for some time
bad form
nounBritishold-fashionedbehaviour that people do not like because it breaks a socialrule
breach
noun a situation in which someone does something that goes against acceptedrules of socialbehaviour
capital offence
nounhumorous something that is considered a very bad thing to do
cardinal sin
nounhumorous something that is considered to be bad or wrong and that you must not do
cesspit
nounBritish a place or situation in which peoplebehave in a way that is not moral
cheat
noun something that is not correct, but helps you to succeed
corruption
noun the process of corrupting someone or something
debauchery
nounbehaviour that is considered to be immoral because it involves a lot of sex, alcohol, or illegaldrugs
decadence
noun so much pleasure that it almost seems morallywrong
degenerate
nounformal someone whose behaviour is consideredshocking or immoral
delinquency
nouncriminal or immoralbehaviour, especially by youngpeople
dereliction of duty
noun a serious failure to do the things that you are responsible for in your job
deviance
nounformalbehaviour that most people do not considernormal or morallycorrect
deviation
nounbehaviour that most people do not considermorallycorrect
the devil makes/finds work for idle hands
phraseused for saying that people who are bored or do not have enough work will startdoingthings that they should not do
enormity
noun an action that is morallywrong
the forces of darkness/evil
phrase evil influences, for example the devil
frailty
noun the condition of having a weakcharacter or weakmoralstandards
heresy
noun an action or belief that is very different from thingspeopleusually do or believe and is consideredwrong
hypocrisy
nounbehaviour in which someone claims to have certainmoralprinciples or beliefs but behaves in a way that shows they are not sincere
impropriety
nounformalbehaviour that is not honest, professional, or sociallyacceptable
misbehaviour
nounbadbehaviour or behaviour that offends other people
misdeed
nounformal an action that is wrong or illegal
misdemeanour
nounformal an action that is bad or wrong, but not in a serious way
no-no
nouninformal something that most people do not approve of
obscenity
nounbehaviour or language that is sexuallyoffensive, especially in a film, book, or play
peccadillo
noun an immoralaction that is not very serious or harmful
sell-out
nouninformal a situation in which someone does something that is the opposite of what they had promised or that seems to be against their principles
sin
nounused about something that some peoplethink is bad but is not really serious
slip/lose your moorings
phrase to lose your sense of what is right
solecism
nounformal something that is not considered to be politebehaviour
trespass
noun an oldwordmeaning ‘the action of doing something that is not allowed by a morallaw’
turpitude
nounformalbehaviour that is dishonest or immoral
twilight world
noun a way of living that is mysterious and slightlyfrightening or immoral
violation
noun an action that is in opposition to a law, agreement, principle etc
wrong
nounused about a particularaction or situation
wrongdoing
nounformalbehaviour that is illegal or not moral
Question: 'What is the definition of evil?'Answer: Evil is usually thought of as that which is morally wrong, sinful, or wicked; however, the word evil can also refer to anything that causes harm, with or without the moral dimension. The word is used both ways in the Bible. Anything that contradicts the holy nature of God is evil (see Psalm 51:4). On the flip side, any disaster, tragedy, or calamity can also be called an “evil” (see 1 Kings 17:20, KJV).
Evil behavior includes sin committed against other people (murder, theft, adultery) and evil committed against God (unbelief, idolatry, blasphemy). From the disobedience in the Garden of Eden (Genesis 2:9) to the wickedness of Babylon the Great (Revelation 18:2), the Bible speaks of the fact of evil, and man is held responsible for the evil he commits: “The one who sins is the one who will die” (Ezekiel 18:20).
Essentially, evil is a lack of goodness. Moral evil is not a physical thing; it is a lack or privation of a good thing. As Christian philosopher J. P. Moreland has noted, “Evil is a lack of goodness. It is goodness spoiled. You can have good without evil, but you cannot have evil without good.” Or as Christian apologist Greg Koukl has said, “Human freedom was used in such a way as to diminish goodness in the world, and that diminution, that lack of goodness, that is what we call evil.”
God is love (1 John 4:8); the absence of love in a person is un-God-like and therefore evil. And an absence of love manifests itself in unloving behavior. The same can be said concerning God’s mercy, justice, patience, etc. The lack of these godly qualities in anyone constitutes evil. That evil then manifests itself in behavior that is unmerciful, unjust, impatient, etc., bringing more harm into the good world that God has made. As it turns out, we lack a lot: “As it is written: ‘There is no one righteous, not even one’” (Romans 3:10).
Moral evil is wrong done to others, and it can exist even when unaccompanied by external action. Murder is an evil action, but it has its start with the moral evil of hatred in the heart (Matthew 5:21–22). Committing adultery is evil, but so is the moral evil of lust in the heart (Matthew 5:27–28). Jesus said, “What comes out of a person is what defiles them. For it is from within, out of a person’s heart, that evil thoughts come—sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and folly. All these evils come from inside and defile a person” (Mark 7:20–23).
Those who fall into evil behavior usually start slowly. Paul shows the tragic progression into more and more evil in Romans 1. It starts with refusing to glorify God or give thanks to Him (Romans 1:21), and it ends with God giving them over to a “depraved mind” and allowing them to be “filled with every kind of wickedness” (verses 28–29).
Those who practice evil are in Satan’s trap and are slaves to sin: “Opponents [of the Lord’s servant] must be gently instructed, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth, and that they will come to their senses and escape from the trap of the devil, who has taken them captive to do his will” (2 Timothy 2:25–26; see also John 8:34). Only by the grace of God can we be set free.
Physical evil is the trouble that befalls people in the world, and it may or may not be linked to moral evil or divine judgment. Ecclesiastes 11:2 counsels us to diversify our investments, for this reason: “thou knowest not what evil shall be upon the earth” (KJV). The word evil in this case means “disaster,” “misfortune,” or “calamity,” and that’s how other translations word it. Sometimes, physical evil is simply the result of an accident or causes unknown, with no known moral cause; examples would include injuries, car wrecks, hurricanes, and earthquakes. Other times, physical evil is God’s retribution for the sins of an individual or group. Sodom and the surrounding cities were destroyed for their sins (Genesis 19), and God “made them an example of what is going to happen to the ungodly” (2 Peter 2:6). Many times, God warned Israel of the calamities that awaited them if they rebelled: “[The LORD] also is wise, and will bring evil, and will not call back his words: but will arise against the house of the evildoers, and against the help of them that work iniquity” (Isaiah 31:2, KJV). In all cases, God works through the situation to bring about His good purpose (Romans 8:28).
God is not the author of moral evil; rather, it is His holiness that defines it. Created in God’s image, we bear the responsibility to make moral choices that please God and conform to His will. He wills our sanctification (1 Thessalonians 4:3) and does not wish us to sin (James 1:13). In repentance and faith in Christ, we have forgiveness of sin and a reversal of the moral evil within us (Acts 3:19). As God’s children, we walk according to this command: “Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good” (Romans 12:21).