To What Extent Is Macbeth Responsible For His Own Downfall

Macbeth, although manipulated by the witches and persuaded by his wife, is ultimately responsible for his own actions. At the beginning of the play, he is portrayed as the noble and courageous hero; by the end, however, the audience sees his brutal and power-hungry character drives him to fulfil his ambition. The three witches manipulate Macbeth through prophecies foretelling his fate. Lady Macbeth is also partly to blame for her taunting and eventual encouragement of her husband, leading him to his immoral choices. In the end, it is Macbeth’s many character flaws that drive him to his poor decisions and fateful end.

The Tragedy of Macbeth details the downfall of the tragic hero, Macbeth, and is one of William Shakespeare’s most famous works of tragedy. Macbeth’s bloody murders and eventual descent into complete madness serves as a stark reminder of the dangers of uncontrolled ambitions in humanity. Macbeth may not be held responsible for the death of Duncan and Macduff’s family, but he should be for that of Banquo’s. It is definitely arguable that Macbeth is the cause behind the death of Duncan, Banquo and Macduff’s family; however, the influence of others and his mental instability greatly reshaped his persona, as such, Macbeth cannot always be held responsible for his actions.

Macbeth murders many to gain power. He causes the suffering of families and murders former friends. The violence starts with the murder of the king, Duncan, who’d trusted and honored Macbeth; Macbeth kills him to gain the position of king. Duncan’s death is the catalyst; Macbeth subsequently begins to use violence as a regular way to attain power. He murders his former friend, Banquo, refusing to accept that Banquo’s sons will be kings as prophesized by the witches. He says in regard to the prophecy, “Rather than so, come fate into the list, / And champion me to th' utterance.” Instead of accepting fate, he challenges the prophecy and orders Banquo’s death. His final homicide is the massacre of Lord Macduff’s family. When Macduff hears of the brutal slaughter, he cries, “That were most precious to me. Did heaven look on, / And would not take their

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 play ‘Macbeth’, Macbeth is seen to be the grounds of his own downfall. Macbeth’s actions bring upon his downfall, because it is he who eventually chose to kill Banquo and MacDuff’s family. These actions were due to his ambitious nature. Lady Macbeth is also to blame for her husband’s demise because she is the one who originally pushed Macbeth into killing Duncan; her actions cause Macbeth to eventually meet his own death. Lady Macbeth is not the only factor that cause Macbeth’s downfall. The three witches are also responsible because they heighten Macbeth’s confidence and put the idea that he cannot be killed by anything. Macbeth’s ambitious nature

Macbeth abuses his power as king by becoming so ruthless that he kills whoever might get in his way or threaten his position as king. Macbeth fears that Banquo is beginning to doubt him and believes that Banquo is his enemy. When he is speaking to the two men he has hired to murder Banquo, he tells them,” Every minute of his being thrusts / Against my near’st of life” (Shakespeare 3.1.128-129). Macbeth is jumping to conclusions about Banquo because he fears Banquo’s sons will become king, as the witches predicted. This turning point in the play shows that Macbeth is not suited to be king and continues to act out against people in Scotland. Macbeth feels the same threat towards Macduff as he did towards Banquo, but since Macduff fled to England, Macbeth had to take a different action. Macbeth chose to attack Macduff’s family, he said, “The castle of Macduff I will surprise, / Seize upon Fife; give me the edge o’ the sword” (Shakespeare 4.2.166-167). Macbeth chose to kill everyone in Macduff’s family so that he would scare Macduff away from Scotland while Macbeth is king. This downfall did not come from no where, but from his sins and the choices he made as king, he did everything for himself instead of for others.

    William Shakespeare's tragic play, Macbeth shows the gradual descent of the character Macbeth into the moral abyss.   Macbeth's yearning for power draws him to the murder of King Duncan, Banquo, and Macduff's family. It is difficult to understand how a courageous, gentle man such as Macbeth, could be involved in such villainous activities. In truth, it was the witches and Lady Macbeth that transformed into evil Macbeth's natural desire for control and authority.  The play, Macbeth clearly illustrates that wicked intention must, in the end, produce wicked action.

Macbeth’s selfishness and greed also cause him his greatest downfall ending up in his death. Macbeth’s greed of having power caused Macbeth ambition to do whatever he could in his power to get what he wanted allowing him to have the guts to kill Banquo and Duncan’s wife and daughter. Macbeth’s greed of power and riches that come from his wife degrading him, making him feel like nothing causes his ambition for success. Also Macbeth’s foolishness and selfishness cause everything to come crashing down on Macbeth. Macbeths selfishness and foolishness causes him into killing Banquo because he wants all the power and money for himself and Macbeths’ selfishness in killing Duncan’s son knowing he will be the next to air the throne makes Macbeth feel extremely greedy making him kill Duncan family hoping that he will forever be king. Macbeth’s foolishness of believing the witches that nothing could kill him and that he was basically immortal unless the forest moved. Also ruined Macbeth because it made him cocky and not afraid of anything at all and when fear disappears from your life you’re looking for trouble and will eventually get hurt.

Goaded by his wife, Macbeth murders Duncan for the throne, yielding to his “vaulting ambition”. Once the king, Macbeth desperately attempts to prevent his fate, killing those who threaten his position in power. First, he attempts to murder Banquo and his son as he believes that Banquo suspects that he has “played’st most foully” for the kingship. Then, upon hearing news of Macduff’s betrayal, he sends murderers to kill both Lady Macduff and her child.

Macbeth is most liable of his own demolition and abhorrence, yet different characters had noteworthy influence in his thinking behind the wrongdoings he submitted. The Three Witches gave Macbeth a way to take after of how to get the objective the he had needed for long time, to end up ruler. His better half, Lady Macbeth, was an immense motivator to perpetrate the wrongdoings he conferred. She controlled Macbeth from multiple points of view. Notwithstanding considering the greater part of that, Macbeth is most liable on the grounds that no one but he can control his activities.

“Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.” (Lord Acton) At the beginning of William Shakespeare’s play, Macbeth, Macbeth is seen as a courageous solider who is loyal to the king, but is corrupted by the witches prophecies and his wife, Lady Macbeth’s ambition. The play is set in medieval Scotland at the fictional time of King Duncan. In the play Scotland wins a war against the Norwegians thanks to a loyal leader of the Scottish army, Macbeth, and his respected second man, Banquo.

In the play Macbeth, by William Shakespeare, a Scottish nobleman turned king goes on a murderous and insane rampage before he is killed. Macbeth is the story of the Scottish thane and king, Macbeth, who kills Duncan to find his way to the throne only to be killed by Macduff, a soldier in the army led by Duncan's son, Malcom. He kills Duncan, Duncan’s Guards, Banquo, Lady Macduff and her children, and Young Siward. Throughout the play, Macbeth’s self-regard and masculinity are questioned by his wife, Lady Macbeth, as well as the weird sisters manipulating Macbeth into killing Duncan. Also, Macbeth is driven into insanity by his perpetuating anxiety of being uncovered.

Macbeth is a Scottish play by William Shakespeare. It is a classic, tragic play of power, ambition, loyalty, honor, greed, murders, and guilt. In the beginning of the play, Macbeth is a loyal and honorable soldier to king Duncan of Scotland. Later in the play, Macbeth is led by the ambition of power after the predictions of three witches him being the king. Macbeth is also influenced by his wife, lady Macbeth’s ambition and greed of power to make the predictions come true. To make the predictions come true Macbeth turns evil and tyrant from a loyal and honorable soldier, committing murders for his greed of power. Macbeth commits all the murders although he had second thoughts of not doing all this and felt guilty, but his greed of power has

By the beginning of the third act, Macbeth has become king. However, he does not feel secure in his kingdomship. He is afraid of losing is crown, especially because the witches had previously prophesied that Banquo’s children were to become kings. This fear and desire to have power that comes from within Macbeth, drives him to have Banquo and Fleance -Banquo’s son- to be killed. Not only did he make this terrible decision himself but he never consulted his wife. When he does eventually mention his decision to her, he says to her “Be innocent of the knowledge dearest chuck, till thou applaud the deed…” (Mac.III.ii. 45-46). This is showing that he is no longer being influenced by his wife and that she has no power of the actions that he takes.

Has one ever witnessed a nation show such great hatred towards its leader? Well, in the play Macbeth; it is very prevalent. From a respected man due to his dignity to a tyrannical ruler that was greatly hated; this is the evolution of Macbeth throughout the play. Macbeth was truly a ruthless and terrorizing man that ran a despotic regime over Scotland. These acts caused great turmoil economically and politically. Three main subjects that attribute to Macbeth’s immoral behavior as king: Assassination of any doubters or people who he thought were suspicious, disrupted the chain of being, and he put all his trust and fate in the hands of the witches’ perplexing words. One may say King Duncan is at fault in this situation, but all these