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Who Was Responsible For Macbeth's Downfall

Decent Essays

William Shakespeare’s Macbeth is a play where the tragic hero embarks on a dismal path leading to his destruction. He chooses this path through the lures of fate, however it is his overweening ambition and cold ruthlessness that seal his end. Macbeth’s death is confirmed not by fate, but by his hubris.

Fate, and its consequences are present throughout the novel in their effects on Macbeth, and his actions. This is conveyed by Shakespeare through the character of the witches. By prophesying: “All hail Macbeth, that shall be king hereafter,” the witches spark a deep inbred desire in Macbeth, for kingship and accompanying power. After attaining the title of ‘Thane of Cawdor,’ Macbeth becomes convinced that the witches aren’t gorged on ‘insane …show more content…

After marrying the fanciful ideas of destiny obtained from the witches prophecy, and coupling that with both his and Lady Macbeth’s ambition, he commits regicide early in the play. By killing King Duncan, Macbeth undermines a concrete moral tenet of a vassal, unswerving loyalty to his Lord. This loss of morality slowly progresses to madness, and ultimately leads to Macbeth’s downfall as a tyrannic ‘hellhound’ and immoral oppressor of the people. By showing Macbeth’s degeneration, Shakespeare warns the audience of the consequences of loss of morality, and madness that results. In order to fulfil his ambition, Macbeth disregards his morality, and concomitantly, his sanity. His ambition is also shown in his desire for his family to retain kingship, despite the witches prophesying that Banquo’s heirs would be kings. This ambition for his own children ultimately leads him to order the death of Banquo and Fleance: “Banquo, thy soul’s flight, if it must find heaven, must find it tonight.” This ambition however, blinds him to his degrading morality, and lack of support from Scottish lords. By killing Banquo, Macbeth alienates even more of his vassals, who begin to see the depth to which he has been corrupted by power. Macbeth’s unrestrained ambition superimposes itself over his original moral convictions, and turns him into a loathed dictator leading to rebellion, and …show more content…

At the beginning of the play, a wounded captain informs Duncan that “his [Macbeth’s] sword smoked with bloody execution,” and he “unseamed him [Macdonwald] from the nave to the chops.” However these killings were committed under the king’s name, and to protect Scotland from invasion. However, after his morality eventually degrades due to his expedient means of achieving his ambitions, this ruthlessness is instead used to consolidate kingship. This is present when he orders the death of Banquo, after being haunted by visions of Banquo and his sun usurping his throne. He ignores Banquo’s prior loyalty, and with shocking cruelty orders the death of both Banquo and his son, to secure his throne. This cold-blooded murder creates and atmosphere of distrust, as Macbeth is shown to be willing to murder anyone if it brings him benefit. This distrust is shown by MacDuff fleeing Scotland, and seeking refuge with Malcolm in England. It is further heightened by the brutality of the killing of Macduff’s entire family. The ruthless murder of an entire noble family further distances the Scottish nobles from Macbeth, and gives them fear for their own families’ safety. Their murder shocks Macduff, and he mourns the cruelty with which they have been taken from him: “I cannot help but remember such things that were most precious to me.” This grief transforms into anger

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