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Lady Macbeth's Downfall

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After winning a difficult battle against the traitors of Scotland, Macbeth and Banquo became highly respected by the people of the country. During the trek back from the battle, they are stopped by the witches who foretold two prophecies to Macbeth, stating that he will be crowned thane of Cawdor and King of Scotland (As for Banquo, they stated he would father kings but would never be king himself). After becoming thane of Cawdor, Macbeth wrote to his wife explaining the prophecies and its untimely coincidence. Soon after, Lady Macbeth devised a plan to kill the current king and convinced Macbeth to commit the heinous act. Once the plan was executed, Macbeth became King, beginning his downfall. As his quest for power is demonstrated throughout …show more content…

This was represented in the play when Macbeth sent a letter to Lady Macbeth about the conversation with the witches as well as the prophecies and how one of them came true. Macbeth sending the letter to Lady Macbeth as quickly as he did indicated that he told his wife everything that went on and that there was no secrets between them as she states, “They meet me in…Lay it to thy heart, and farewell.” (I.v.1–12) Though, with Macbeth becoming king, his relationship with Lady Macbeth began to go downhill. This was first shown after Macbeth sentenced Banquo and Fleance to death and successfully killed Banquo, all without informing Lady Macbeth. Macbeth had a chance of telling his wife the plan, but instead said, “Let your remembrance apply to Banquo; Present him eminence, both with eye and tongue.” (III ii.30–31) As the play comes to an end and Macbeth prepares for the final battle between him and the rebels, Macbeth is depicted to be the most powerful at this moment in the due to him feeling invincible because of the three apparitions that the witches showed him. This was also the lowest point of Macbeth’s and Lady Macbeth’s relationship since she resulted in killing herself due to the guilt being too much for her. After committing suicide, Macbeth is then informed of the problem and in turn, shows a very dull and …show more content…

From the murder of Duncan (to achieve the role of King), the ordered execution of his close friend Banquo (to dismiss his fear), and even the loss of his wife, Lady Macbeth, Macbeth’s violent behaviour was destructive to his relationships, resulting in the death of his loved ones, as well as

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With Macbeth being a general in the Scottish military, he had major influences on people and their daily lives. After the murder of King Duncan, Banquo’s suspicion of who committed the murders arose around a single suspect, Macbeth. Knowing that Banquo most likely knew the truth that Macbeth killed King Duncan, Macbeth went back to his evil ways with ease. Through his attendant, Macbeth summons three murderers. Shakespeare introduces the murders with stage direction “[Re-enter Attendant, with two Murderers]” (Shakespeare, 363), in which Macbeth he uses Banquo as bait in order to gain their graces and loyalty “That it was he in the times past which held you so under fortune, which you thought had been our innocent self: this I made good to you in our last conference, pass'd in probation with you, how you were borne in hand, how cross'd, the instruments, who wrought with them, and all things else that might, so half a soul and to a notion crazed, Say 'Thus did Banquo.'”

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At the beginning of the play, three witch sisters told him that he would become Thane of Cawdor and the King of Scotland. Right after they told him about the prophecies, Macbeth was told that he did in fact become Thane of Cawdor. Since that prophecy came true, he began to wonder if the prophecy about him becoming King would come true. When Lady Macbeth found out about the prophecies, Lady Macbeth convinced and influenced Macbeth to kill the King so that the prophecy could come true. Macbeth was reluctant to kill the king, but that reluctance was soon overcome by the sheer determination for power that grew inside of him.

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William Shakespeare’s Macbeth is a testimony to the difference between greed and ambition, good and evil, and right and wrong. The story shows that when one becomes obsessed with power, they will often resort to methods of manipulation and retaliation to achieve their desired outcome. In the case of Macbeth, he is approached by the Three Witches who inform him that he will one day become Thane of Cawdor and the King of Scotland. Additionally, they inform Macbeth’s comrade Banquo that his sons will one day be kings.

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His capricious and malicious acts prove how naive and vile he is as a person. Macbeth even attempts to kill Banquo to prevent any trace of his nature from making him, a “fruitless crown.” Macbeth states, “Must lave or honors in the flattering streams, and make our face vizards to our heart, disguising who we are,”(3.2.45). With such desperation, Macbeth is willing to include other people in his premeditated murder. By having Lady Macbeth be part of his plot to kill Banquo, Macbeth reveals two things about himself: That he does not value those around him, even if they are his loved ones, and that he places his personal success over all aspects of his life.

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At the beginning of William Shakespeare’s ‘Macbeth’ the protagonist Macbeth is described as ‘brave’, ‘noble’ and ‘honourable’, however Lady Macbeth’s and Macbeths desire for power consumes them. Macbeth’s ambition overrides his conscience and transformed his greatest strength into his greatest weakness. Macbeth’s inability to resist temptations that led him to be greedy for power, Macbeth’s easily manipulative nature which allowed his mind to be swayed, Macbeth having no self control and his excessive pride was what allowed him to renew his previously honourable and celebrated title into one of an evil ‘tyrant’. Macbeth is led by the prophecies of the witches after they foretell he will become the Thane of Cawdor. Not only the witches, but also his wife easily manipulate Macbeth as she attacks his manhood in order to provoke him to act on his desires.

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Lady Macbeth With the murder of Duncan, Banquo, and Macduff’s family weighing on his heart Macbeth decided to shut his emotions down instead of facing the truth of what he had done. Macbeth’s view of life

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After a battle with rebel forces lead by Macdonwald in Act 1, Macbeth and Banquo were on their way to meet Duncan to give him a full report of the battle. However, as they walked, they came upon the witches who greeted only Macbeth until Banquo bade them speak to him. They hailed Macbeth the Thane of Glamis, which he was, Thane of Cawdor, which he did not yet know, and hailed him to be the future King. After the visit from the witches, Ross and Angus ran up to them and hailed him Thane of Cawdor, a title that Duncan gifted him for his part in winning the battle. Once the witches’ prophecy began to come true, Macbeth was smitten by the idea of being King, though he didn’t really want to kill Duncan and his sons for it.

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Firstly, Macbeth was ruthless and killed anyone in his way, including the people he loved. For example, in Act 3, scene 3, Macbeth ordered some men to kill his closest friend, Banquo, to secure and eliminate any threat to the throne. This shows how Macbeth was willing to kill anyone for power. Secondly, Macbeth lost many of his servants and soldiers' respect when he was king because of his rude behaviour. For instance, Macbeth stated, "You know your own degrees; sit down.

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possibility of gaining power because of their ‘prophecy’, the witches knew that more and more fatal faults could start slipping into his mind, convincing him even more to commit the act. As the idea fermented in his mind, the small trials in his life began to be too much for him to overcome. He was already seriously considering committing the act when his wife called him a weak man and a women. With his brain already bending to the pressure he did not have the humility or capacity of character to take the insult so it drove him closer to the deed. When Macbeth said “Oh, full of scorpions is my mind” (3.2:41) it showed that he was beginning to see the fatality of what could come from his own brain.

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Walking in the night he heard the screams of women and said “I have almost forgot the taste of fear” (V.v.9). The shriek of women at the late of night would frighten most all of us, but not macbeth. He has been around so many wicked acts and it does not faze him. After getting news of his wife’s death he told the messenger “She should of died hereafter” (V.v.17). Although he does feel sorrow over her, he blames her death as an inconvenience.

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Macbeth had become everything that he had ever wanted to be which was the king of Scotland and when the witches told him that someone else was going to take his crown he went to extremes to try to keep them from doing that which was eventually what lead to him dying. The witches had told Macbeth that the sons of Banquo would take his crown so he decided to have Banquo and his son killed Macbeth said, “Our fears in Banquo stick deep/ And in his royalty of nature reigns that which would be feared”(3.1.49-51). Macbeth did everything he could to protect his crown, but that is eventually what lead to his downfall and his death. He killed his best friend Banquo which was when his ambition had gone to far and was the beginning of his decline.

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The witches played a colossal role in Macbeth’s downfall and ultimately, his death. Since the first part of the prophecy stated Macbeth as being the new Thane of Cawdor, he believed he could continue to become king as well. In knowing his prediction, Macbeth also realized that since the king was in good health, so he would have to kill the king himself. For the rest of his prophecy to come true he would have to kill the king for himself. “All hail, Macbeth that shalt be king hereafter!”

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“Looks like the innocent flower but be the serpent under it”(Shakespeare 1.7) this truly defines Lady Macbeth and describes her being someone that acts one way in certain situations and then in a contrary manner in others and also shows her manipulative personality and exploits her victims. Lady Macbeth is sharp at convincing and uses people for her need which she does throughout the play. In the play, The Tragedy of Macbeth by William Shakespeare, Lady Macbeth is ultimately responsible for Macbeth’s undoing because her ambition supported his greed and provoked his downfall. Lady Macbeth with her demanding and forceful comments triggered Macbeth 's weakness which leads Macbeth to agree on the murder.

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Lady Macbeth influences Macbeth to kill Duncan, but he continues to have second thoughts about it (i.vii.31-34) and feels terribly guilty afterwards (II.ii.63-66). However, following the murder of Duncan, Macbeth loses any ethics he had left. Macbeth kills the servants, Banquo, and Macduff’s whole family in cold-blooded murder. On the other hand, when Banquo ponders the witches prophecy for him, he contemplates the thought of having to kill someone to get power, but he quickly shuts it down (III.i.9-11).

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