Macbeth's Flaws

When you finish reading Shakespeare’s Macbeth, you feel bad for the Macbeth for what he has become. Macbeth was a man with a great future ruined by outside sources. Throughout the play Macbeth changed from a noble soldier and turned into a memory of his past self. Every moral that Macbeth had at the beginning of the play changed in his rise and fall as a king. He was a great military leader but when he was promised the crown by the witches, and his demanding wife pushed him to the edge he began to make poor decisions. You can certainly feel sympathy for Macbeth based upon how he is treated throughout the play by other characters.

    "...Go pronounce his present death,/ And with his former title greet Macbeth."  (Act 1, Scene 2, 64-65)     Though the word "death" in this sentence refers to the former thane of Cawdor's demise, Shakespeare uses the clever trick of foreshadowing Macbeth's downfall by coupling the word "death" with the word "Macbeth" so early in the tragedy.  The quote has another importance  it introduces the ideas of treachery and personal gain from less-than-legitimate means, two characteristics Macbeth picks up on as the story advances.  We are introduced to Macbeth as a hero, a slayer of the Norweyans, even "Bellona's bridegroom, lapped in proof" (Act 1, Scene 2, 54), but by the end of the play

Every human being has a weakness and that weakness is pride. ‘Whoever exalts himself shall be humbled; and whoever humbles himself shall be exalted (Matthew 23:12, The Bible)’. Pride is a natural flaw that most people do not realize. Some can control it, while others let their pride blind them from logic and truth. Naturally, Macbeth has this attribute and he demonstrates it throughout the play. Shakespeare purposely introduces Macbeth as a proud character. The witches’ prophecies give him his confidence. And as his confidence grows, so does his pride until it eventually consumes his power-crazed mind.

Macbeth’s tragic flaw is his ambition and it consequentially leads to his downfall and ultimate demise. Macbeth is a tragic hero who is introduced in the the play as being well-liked and respected by the general and the people. He brings his death upon himself from this tragic flaw. His strengths turn into his weaknesses and his ambition drives him to the edge and sets himself up for his tragic death.

in all purity. This is mainly due to the fact that he was willing to

Shakespeare’s play ‘Macbeth’ is about the leading male protagonist succumbing to his ambition and need for power. Though Macbeth is liable for his own actions, he is not solely responsible for the events that eventually result in his downfall. Macbeth is corrupted by his wife, Lady Macbeth, as well as the three weird sisters. Macbeth’s contribution towards his downfall is his strong ambitious nature. Lady Macbeth is the person who induces Macbeth to assassinate King Duncan. The three weird sisters (witches) play with Macbeth’s ambitious nature and sense of security. Macbeth’s downfall is due to himself and two external factors.

The line above is from a song that I think would fit the character of Macbeth. In the the play the audience gets to see if Macbeth is sane, his shame for his wrong doings, and the fact that he knows what he is doing is wrong. In the play the viewers gets to see all the elements of a tragic hero, as well as experience a sense of hope for Scotland.

    Since The Tragedy of Macbeth was written there has been speculation about the cause of Macbeth's downfall.  Readers ponder whether Macbeth's fall was caused by a flaw in his character, Lady Macbeth, or an outside force of evil.  Although the witches set a certain mood and Lady Macbeth exerts a certain influence on him, Macbeth's downfall is caused by his own character.

In life, there are two types of people: those who do the right thing and those who don’t. In the play Macbeth, by Shakespeare, the main character Macbeth is given a prophecy by three witches that says he will become king; however, there is no descending line of kings of his own blood. With the knowledge of the Witches’ prophecy, Macbeth’s ambition, and manipulation from his wife, Lady Macbeth, Macbeth is quickly dragged into a never-ending, bloody murder rampage to obtain the crown and get rid of those who stand in the way of obtaining it as well. Macbeth constantly battles with his moral dilemmas; however, he easily falls victim to influences that go against his morals. Influences on major characters emphasize how easily one’s decision making can be negatively affected, resulting in one going against his or her morals/integrity.

In the Shakespeare written play ‘Macbeth’, Lady Macbeth, the wife of Macbeth, is the leading lady of one of the most well known plays in time. Lady Macbeth was the stereotypical portrayal of feminism in the 17th century, to “look like th’ innocent flower, but be the serpent under’t” is her personal motto. The characterisation of Lady Macbeth leads us to see both the good, bad and extreme sides of her, a three dimensional character, at her absolute best we see her strengths in determination, manipulation and persuasion, however these strengths ultimately lead to a psychotic, power-driven beast after the effects of certain events take its toll on her. Her strengths only serve to instill the idea that unchecked ambition is the root of all evil, an ever present idea that lasts the play.

“Most people would succeed in small things if they were not troubled with great ambitions,” states Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. Macbeth, the tragic hero and protagonist in William Shakespeare’s, The Tragedy of Macbeth, was a noble thane of Cawdor. Throughout the play, Macbeth displayed a promise of further greatness because his actions had far-reaching effects. During the battle against Norway, Macbeth was known to be a man who would not betray others. However, Macbeth had a tragic flaw that led him to murdering people who once honored and trusted him.

Macbeth has countless character flaws. For example, he is easily manipulated by Lady Macbeth, which causes him much distress. And, he seems bold and noble to his companions, yet he is inwardly anxious and frail. This constant internal conflict, combined with conflicts between himself and other characters caused by his own faults will undoubtedly lead to his demise at the end of the play.

The historical play Macbeth written by Shakespeare tells a story of a man who succumbs to his ambitious demons and consequently develops a manic-depressive persona. After studying Macbeth and reading various criticisms I can conclude that Macbeth is a slave to his overarching ambition. The ambition was always there but when he encounters the “weird sisters” who tell him half-truths as a prophecy his weak mind choses to believe it and thus begins his journey to his own demise. The critics I will be referencing are John Charles Bucknill (1858), Vassilki Markidou (2003), Bert O. States (1985). Each critic argues that Macbeth’s ambition is ultimately responsible

From the start of the play it seems already as if Macbeth is under the

Many of people have heard the tragedy of Macbeth by William Shakespeare. The story revolves on a sequence of misfortunate events that take place when Macbeth makes immoral decisions to be king. In the play, Shakespeare shows how power can cause corruption in a human’s brain. Macbeth himself was not a very confident person, though he had a kind soul to begin with, he was easily influenced and gullible. Through the prophecies of the evil beings, an insignificant seed was planted in Macbeth. That spark of wealth and fortune caused the tyrant within him to awake. Which eventually lead to his fatal death. His ambition lead him to murder, go insane and become very superstitious.