In William Shakespeare’s Macbeth, the title character’s downfall is brought about by his failed attempts to change fate throughout the play by committing his three great crimes are due to his hubris and desire to control and maintain his kingship. Killing King Duncan as the stepping stones to obtaining power and making the witch’s prophecy he would become king true, leading to the downfall of his moral conscience, hiring murders to kill Banquo and Fleance out of Macbeth’s ambition to keep kingship leading to his mind deteriorating with hallucinations, and killing Macduff’s family out of rage causes a war against Macbeth, leading him to his death and the witches’ deception of Macbeth’s fate causes the downfall of his character.
Firstly, Macbeth’s
…show more content…
“The Prince of Cumberland! that is a step/On which I must fall down, or else o’er-leap,/For in my way it lies. Stars, hide your fires;/Let not light see my black and deep desires.” (1.4.55-58) Macbeth realizes that his thoughts of potentially taking over the throne with evil and deep desires is morally wrong, but because of the witches’ prophecy that he will become Thane of Cawdor and soon king, Macbeth will do anything as far as changing fate by killing Duncan in order for him to achieve the power of king. The killing of Duncan is the first look on how his failed attempts to change fate lead to his downfall because of how he is letting the forces and nature of evil make the decisions for him in the sense to gain power. Macbeth is not relying on his conscience to make the decisions for him, but to let the influence of others to do so. This is also proved when Macbeth says “Each corporal agent to this …show more content…
He will kill his family out of revenge and his instincts of Macduff’s betrayal. “The firstling of my heart shall be/The firstlings of my hand.” (4.1.163-164) Macbeth at this point in the play has completely lost his sense of morality, thus saying that his first instincts that comes to mind is the decision he will make, thinking that he is invincible after the witches’ apparitions, leading to his sense of downfall as a brave and wise solider that was first thought of him, and letting the evil nature to control his mind and make the decisions and actions for him. This sense of the evil nature affects him by making the decision that eventually is the death of Macbeth when the people who left Scotland rallied a war against Macbeth to reclaim Scotland from him. Macbeth realizes that his downfall was brought by the witches’ deceptions of the fortunes and apparitions when he says “I pull in resolution, and begin /To doubt the equivocation of the fiend.” (5.5.47-48) the use of the witches’ language through equivocation put a deceiving mask on how Macbeth’s fate was planned out if he was to become king. Macbeth desired for power so much that he let his instincts get to him killing Macduff’s family out of revenge when the third apparition said “The power of man, for none of woman born/Shall harm Macbeth.” (4.1.87-88) he let his instincts and his desires take the best of him thinking he
William Shakespeare’s Macbeth is a tragedy in which the main characters are obsessed by the desire for power. Macbeth’s aspiration for power blinds him to the ethical implications of his dreadful acts. The more that Shakespeare’s Macbeth represses his murderous feelings, the more he is haunted by them. By analyzing his hallucinations it is possible to trace his deteriorating mental state and the trajectory of his ultimate fall. Throughout the play Macbeth is never satisfied with himself. He feels the need to keep committing crime in order to keep what he wants most: his kingship. The harder Macbeth tries to change his fate the more he tends to run into his fate. His ambition and struggle for power was Macbeth’s tragic flaw in the play.
In William Shakespeare’s The Tragedy of Macbeth, Macbeth, a once honored and valiant Thane, abandons all virtue after three meddling witches prophesize his ascent to the Scottish throne. Consumed by his ambition and encouraged by his malevolent wife, Macbeth sets forth on a downward spiral of murderous treason and tyranny that subsequently leads to his own demise. This Shakespearean tragedy explores betrayal, manipulation and the blood lust that adjoins a relentless climb for power. Hovering behind the narrative are various supernatural forces and visions that seem to be present during each terrible act. Subsequently, a question prevails whether Macbeth’s downfall is result of his own flaw or if these forces possess a vice-like hold over
Although Macbeth was of noble blood, his belief in fate will be the fatal flaw to bring on his downfall. First, three witches plan to meet with Macbeth who upon meeting state, “All hail, Macbeth, that shalt be king hereafter.” Yet Macbeth doesn’t know it at this point that he will have to go through a tragic suffering to do so. Soon after he becomes Thane of Cawdor he and Lady Macbeth dirty their hands with Duncan's blood so Macbeth could become king. Second, Macbeth’s lineage was of Scottish royalty. Macbeth was the cousin of the king, Duncan, whom he was very close to before the deed had been done. Killing the king brought mental suffrage to Macbeth and his wife both. While feeling He also ordered the murders of Macduff’s family and Banquo
Before Macbeth made his move on Macduff he had to return to the witches for more advice. To Macbeth’s surprise the witches had an unknown power that he had never experienced before. Right before Macbeth’s eyes an apparition appeared and said, “Macbeth, Macbeth, Macbeth, Beware Macduff. / Beware the Thane of Fife” (4.1.81-2). This quickly exacerbated Macbeth’s thoughts about Macduff. Though things were not looking to good the second apparition appeared. This apparition in the form of a bloody child said, “Be bloody, bold, and resolute. Laugh to scorn/ The power of man, for none of a woman born/ Shall harm Macbeth” (4.1.90-2). At this point Macbeth is feeling as though he has a shot at becoming King. With his confidence boosted he wants to know more, thus the third apparition appears. The crowned child with a tree in hand said, “Macbeth shall never vanquished be until/ Great Birnham Wood to high Dunsinane Hill/ Shall come against him” (4.1.105-7). Shortly after the
After hearing the witches prophecy the worthy Macbeth changes on a mental level to become more devious and sinister in his thoughts, “[Aside] Prince of Cumberland! That is a step on which i must fall down, or else o’erleap, for in which my way it lies. Stars, hide your fires; let not light see my black and deep desires: The eyes wink at the hand; yet let that be, which the eye fears, when it is done, to see.(1,4,55)”. This is Macbeth already figuring to himself that he is to do something immoral from the beginning, after hearing from the witches. The title of king was stretched farther away from him and now he is willing to do go against his values to become king.
The three witches foretold that, “...none of woman born shall harm Macbeth” (4.1.20-21). This furthers Macbeth’s ego by reinforcing the idea that no one can stop him. Macbeth is unable to realize how many enemies he has made along his rise to power because of his ego, “I have almost forgot the taste of fears” (5.5.11). It is not until Macbeth recalls that the witches foretold that, “Macbeth shall never vanquished be until Great Birnam Wood… ” (4.1.97-99), that Macbeth feels a moment of fear. On his rise to power, Macbeth killed the wife and son of Macduff. Macduff is seeking revenge, and at death door Macbeth is still certain that no harm shall come to him. “I bear a charmed life, which must not yield to one of woman born” (5.8. 16-17). In this scene Shakespeare uses exposition, to set force Macbeth’s death. Macduff explains that he is not “of woman born” but he was ripped from his mother’s womb (5.8.20-21). Macbeth knows that his time has come to an end, but wishes not to die as a coward. From the foretelling of his fate, Macbeth knows that this is the place he shall die, yet he fights to the death to protect his
The witches and their prophecies are the first major influence on Macbeth's actions. Macbeth seems happy and content with himself until the witches tell him he will be king. He begins immediately to consider murdering Duncan. "If good, why do I yield to that suggestion / Whose horrid image doth unfix my hair / And make my seated heart knock at my ribs, / Against
In William Shakespeare’s Macbeth, the main character, Macbeth, is a brave and loyal subject to the King of Scotland, but as the play progresses, his character begins to change drastically. Evil and unnatural powers, as well as his own passion to become king, take over his better half and eventually lead to his downfall. The three main factors that intertwine with one another that contribute to Macbeth’s tragic end are the prophecies told by the three witches, Lady Macbeth’s influence, and finally, Macbeth’s excessive passion and ambition which drove his desire to become king to the utmost extreme. The prophecy told by the three witches was what triggers the other factors that contribute to Macbeth s downfall. In the first act, the witches
William Shakespeare’s Macbeth is a tragedy about a war hero named Macbeth, who follows his ambition with evil and who is repaid with evil. He is responsible for his own demise although only to a certain extent. There were many other factors that contributed to the tragic that could have been avoided - for example how the witches’ predictions are responsible for influencing Macbeth’s thoughts although ultimately no one told Macbeth to kill Duncan. Lady Macbeth was also a very influential character which manipulated Macbeth into doing bad deeds however he is responsible for putting power into the hands of Lady Macbeth and letting her influence him. Finally, Macbeth acknowledges his guilt of wrongdoing and is thereby responsible for his
In Shakespeare’s Macbeth, Lady Macbeth’s desire and ambition leads to her eventual downfall. When Lady Macbeth hears of Macbeth’s prophecy she dreams of the glory and high-standing that awaits being queen. She cannot withhold her ambitions and she is willing to manipulate fate to bring about Macbeth’s prophecy. She invokes evil spirits to be filled from head to toe with cruelty to do the evil actions necessary to make Macbeth king and to remove all remorse and pity for her action from her heart. She is initially able to be involved in the treacherous deeds that are needed to bring about the prophecy quickly, but as the play progresses the weight of the merciless deeds fill her with remorse. The remorse and pain she feels for her wicked
3. 157-159) Macbeth’s arrogance is made apparent with the immediacy of his thoughts of becoming king and it is clear that the supernatural has given him arrogant ambition as Macbeth is already beginning to think of how he will be crowned king. Macbeth eventually decides he will show his “Black and deep desires” (1. 4. 58) and murder Duncan, the current king of Scotland. This is a shift from Macbeth showing loyalty to Scotland and the king as he now has arrogantly, for the benefit of himself becoming king, murdered Duncan, the king of Scotland. Duncan was greatly admired and respected by the population of Scotland. Macbeth himself describes Duncan as “meek” (1. 7. 17) and being “so clear in his great office” (1. 7. 18). When Macduff first realizes the death of Duncan, he describes the scene as: “O horror, horror, horror!” (2. 3. 73) Macbeth acknowledges that the reaction to Duncan’s death would be mournful before murdering him: “Pity… / Shall blow the horrid deed in every eye, / That tears shall drown the wind” (1.7. 21-25). However, Macbeth’s only goal is to become king, not to please the population of Scotland who admires their king greatly and sees him as a righteous person. After tempting Macbeth with the idea of becoming king, the supernatural gives Macbeth arrogant ambition, forcing him to contrast his loyal and courageous personality, which motivates him to kill Duncan.
This angers Macbeth and enables him to follow Lady Macbeth's scheme to kill the King easier. Macbeth's first murder is definitely a trying experience for him. However, as the play progresses, killing seems easy and the only solution to maintain his reign of the people of Scotland. Macbeth becomes increasingly ambitious as the play goes on. The witches prophecies and Lady Macbeth's influence intensifies his ambition and drives Macbeth to obtain and maintain his title of Scotland by whatever means, even murdering his best friend, Banquo. "Upon my head they placed a fruitless crown, ...no son of mine succeeding. If't be so, for Banquo's issue have I filed my mind; For them the gracious Duncan I have murder'd; ...To make them kings, the seed of Banquo kings! (Act III. sc.I) At this point Macbeth's passion becomes more and more extreme to the point where no one stands in his way. His greed, violence, and hunger for power drastically declines his character. The witches prophecy, Lady Macbeth's influence, and Macbeth's own ambition all contribute greatly to his deterioration of character which results in his downfall, which was death. All the causes link to one another. If it wasn't for Macbeth's strong will and passion, Macbeth would still be his ordinary self. Because of this, Macbeth's curiosity of possibly becoming king was brought out which led to Lady Macbeth's controlling influence. Macbeth's ambition then builds and causes him to commit a
In Macbeth, Shakespeare explores the theme of moral decay produced by the temptation of power. When Macbeth hears the witches’ prophecy (1.3.45) he does not understand how he can become King of Scotland; the only way to attain the crown would be through committing the grave and unjustifiable sin of regicide. Despite this, Macbeth ignores his conscience (1.7.80) and when presented with the opportunity, aided by Lady Macbeth, he murders Duncan (2.1.62). Although he immediately regrets his actions and is filled with compunction (2.2.55, 2.2.63-65), Macbeth decides that there is no going back and “things bad begun make themselves strong by ill.” (3.2.55) Macbeth’s allows his inherent lust for power to completely outweigh his moral conscience.
Macbeth's internal combination of ambition and passivity create his susceptibility to the witch's prophecies and allow him to commit murderous deeds, but his unwillingness to take action-and to do evil-create his internal conflict that ultimately leads to his downfall. Although Lady Macbeth tries to goad Macbeth into action, it is Macbeth's character flaw that causes him to take action. At first Macbeth is unwilling to murder Duncan, citing his loyalty to Duncan
The choices that Macbeth makes during his pursuit for power ultimately result in his descent into madness. This all begins when he meets the witches at the beginning of the play. “All hail, Macbeth! Hail to thee, Thane of Glamis! All hail, Macbeth! Hail to thee, Thane of Cawdor! All hail, Macbeth! That shalt be king hereafter!” (1.3.51-53). By choosing to believe what the witches preach, Macbeth takes destiny into his own hands. Every decision he makes from this point on is so that he can take over the kingship and retain this position. The witches drive Macbeth into creating his own destiny by planting the idea that he is going to be the king into his head. Once he gets it in his head that he is going to be the king, he will stop at nothing to make it happen. After Macbeth has killed King Duncan and become the king, he still has the threat of Banquo’s line of kings looming around him. Even though Banquo is one of Macbeth’s friends he decides Banquo needs to be killed. Macbeth is so controlling of his own destiny that he doesn’t want to leave anything up to chance. He won’t leave his fate in the hands of anyone else. He decides that he is going to kill people in order to solidify his kingship. “So is he mine (enemy), and in such bloody distance that every minute of his being thrusts against my near’st of life.” (3.1.132-234).