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Who Was Responsible For Macbeth's Downfall

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In the play Macbeth by William Shakespeare, Macbeth is fated by supernatural forces, the three witches, to fulfill a prophecy. Macbeth struggles with his desire for power and belief in the witches’ prophecy, which leads him to ignore the choice of free will and follow his fate, despite immense guilt and self doubt. Macbeth also lives with a fatal flaw, which leads to his eventual destruction. These qualities lead the reader to believe that Macbeth is a tragic hero, who gained vast amounts of power only to continuously lust for greater control, which in the end gets him killed. Macbeth stumbles upon the witches, who speak in riddles in order to tell him his fate. The witches address Macbeth as the “Thane of Glamis” and the “Thane of Cawdor”, …show more content…

first seen when he decided to kill Duncan in order to become King. Soon, his ambition is seen more frequently. Macbeth, afraid of Banquo due to the prophecy stating that Banquo’s sons will become kings, hires three murderers to kill Banquo. Stating “that every minute of his being thrusts against my near’st of life”, that his very presence threatens his ambitious plans to rule uninterrupted (pg 85, lines 129-130). Macbeth is so protective over himself and his plans that he will murder anyone who stands in his way. When challenged by Macduff, Macbeth vows to kill him and his family, to avoid any more problems with his rule. Eventually, Macbeth learns of Macduff and his army closing in on the castle, and decides to fight on the battlefield. Even when he learns that Macduff will be able to kill him due to being born through a Caesarean section, Macbeth prepares to “try the last” and fight to the death, rather than give up the throne (pg 181, line 37). The reckless path Macbeth is on causes him to let his guard down and allows Macduff to kill him. The reader views his last moments of vulnerability, and can understand the forces that manipulated him into lust for

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