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Macbeth's Flaws

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Macbeth, a tragedy written by William Shakespeare, follows a man named Macbeth and his “tragic flaw”. In Macbeth, Macbeth’s future is prophesied by witches. Desiring to obtain this power he was promised, Macbeth becomes a serial killer. Macbeth was a capable killer, even before he murdered innocent people. His abilities are shown in Act 1 when he brutally slaughters Macdonwald in battle. Macbeth’s personality characteristics led to his doom. For example, Macbeth is much too ambitious and ruthless. Both of these characteristics are shown when he embarks on murderous rampages. Macbeth was not always cruel, yet as this play progresses, some of his tragic traits turned him into a malevolent murderer. Although a murderer, on many occasions …show more content…

He understood the consequences of his actions, but out of determination did them anyway. Macbeth even stated “But here, upon this bank and shoal of time, We’d jump the life to come.” (Shakespeare 14). This quote shows that Macbeth knows he is jeopardizing his soul’s damnation by murdering Duncan, but takes the risk regardless. Another quote that shows Macbeth’s motivation says, “I have no spurs to prick the sides of my intent, but only vaulting ambition which o’erleaps itself and falls on th’ other” (Shakespeare 34). This line shows desire is what is driving him to risk everything and commit vile acts. In later scenes, Macbeth has once again met with the witches and asks them a question they refuse to answer. Full of motivation for answers, he retaliates saying, “I will be satisfied. Deny me this, and an eternal curse fall on you! Let me know” (Shakespeare 47). Instead of trusting the witches’ word, he is blinded by ambition. Macbeth goes as far as to call an eternal curse on people who call curses on others! In the end of this play, Macbeth has reached his fate and is facing off against Macduff. In Act 5 Macbeth says, “Even though Birnam Wood really did come to Dunsinane, and I’m fighting a man not of woman born, I’ll fight to the end. I’ll put up my shield and battle you” (Shakespeare 71). In this quote, Macbeth admits Macduff is his inevitable doom, but will battle against him regardless. Macbeth is so full …show more content…

His guilt is shown when he has committed his first act of murder, and is filled with anguish. He has “murdered sleep” (Shakespeare 20) and refuses to say the word Amen. In Act 2, Macbeth says, “Will all great Neptune’s ocean wash this blood clean from my hand? No, this hand will rather the multitudinous seas incarnadine, making the green one red” (Shakespeare 21). This quote shows that in Macbeth’s mind there will always be blood on his hands. Regret and anguish will never leave him. Oceans will not even be able to clean the blood from his hand. Although Macbeth has murdered the king and been bombarded my grief, he realizes this murder was pointless. “For Banquo’s issue have I filed my mind; for them the gracious Duncan I murdered; put rancors in the vessel of my peace” (Shakespeare 30). This quote shows how he is now feeling more remorse because he has made it easier for Banquo’s descendants to become king. Macbeth has opened a doorway for Banquo’s line of future kings. As Macbeth continues to embed himself in his tragic flaws, he is certain he must murder Banquo and Fleance. Once Macbeth has murdered Banquo, and failed to murder Fleance, he understands he would rather be dead than have to live with the guilt he is currently feeling. “Better be with the dead, whom we, to gain our peace, have sent to peace, than on the torture of the mind lie in restless ectasy” (Shakespeare 33). This quote shows how Macbeth

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Macbeth’s Best friend, Banquo, knows the intent of Macbeth’s heart and knows that he cheated to receive the crown. Macbeth begins to fear Banquo and not long after, has him executed.(Act 3 Scene 1 Lines 50-70) At that point Macbeth as well as his wife have almost completely lost their sanity. Macbeth soon loses his capacity to feel any sort of emotion. He keeps murdering and killing anyone and everyone who he believes to be a threat.

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Macbeth's Fatal Flaw Macbeth is always hoping to gain more power and knowledge. Initially when Macbeth hears the three original prophecies he could have just let the prophecies play out, but he takes action out of greed in order to gain power. That is where his downfall begins. In the book Macbeth by William Shakespeare, the main character Macbeth's flaw that leads to his downfall is his greed.

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While Macbeth is contemplating whether or not to kill Duncan, he thinks about the consequence that will come afterward by stating: “his [Duncan’s] virtues / Will plead like angels, trumpet-tongued, against / The deep damnation of his taking-off” (1.7.18-20). This simile compares the the begging of his goodness to the angels’ compelling speech against all the wrongs that have been done to him. Even though Macbeth eventually is going to kill Duncan, he admits that Duncan is a virtuous king. In his head, he is rationalizing Duncan’s death by stating that Duncan’s good deeds will compensate bloody way of dying. Because Macbeth is still sane, he realizes that killing is not justifiable.

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Macbeth’s dreadful flaw, his sightless ambition, is a massive contributing influence to his mental collapse. In the course of the play, Macbeth has a propensity to make actions out of his desire for more power. For an example of this avarice is when the witches predict that he will become Thane of Cawdor and later the King of Scotland. When the first prediction comes true, the greed of Macbeth over powers him driving him to kill King Duncan so that he can become king of

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Macbeth’s thought process is that he refuses to believe he may not have an heir to inherit the throne and it may land on Banquo’s descendants. So he determines to kill Banquo and Fleance. Eventually, Banquo dies but Fleance manages to escape. Later that day, at the banquet, Macbeth hallucinates Banquo’s ghost. In front of all the guests, he says, “never shake / Thy gory locks at me” (Shakespeare 3.4.50).

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i. 116-17). Banquo's existence threatens Macbeth's life and his position of being king. The prophecy's words urge him to plan out how to murder Banquo and his son, Fleance. Ultimately, the murderers successfully kill Banquo but his son manages to get away. And yet Banquo’s dying last words to Fleance was a declaration to avenge him, for Banquo knew that the greed for power had already corrupted

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Macbeths guilty conscience makes him unable to play the ‘true’ role of a villain of the play. Macbeth begins to see ‘false creations’ before murdering Duncan; the image of a floating dagger taunts Macbeth’s senses. Macbeth is devoured in his anxiety he starts to hallucinate the crime before going through with it. Macbeth is unable to dispose thoughts of his guilt and doubt, which prevents him from being stuck at the point where it is too late to turn back, yet the fear of his nature prevents him from turning completely into a ruthless coldblooded

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Shakespeare’s tragic hero Macbeth is a noble who is ultimately brought low by his own tragic defects. Failure was the result of his own character and decisions rather than anything else. The tragic outcome of a man is brought on by his weaknesses, which are ambition, lack of morality, being easily manipulated, and pride. All these traits are things that tie into what ultimately brings down who Macbeth was and will ever be as a thane and king. The main reason for Macbeth’s greatest weakness is his ambition.

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In the play Macbeth by William Shakespeare, Macbeth displays three different character traits. These traits are bravery, ambition and self-doubt. His character weakens as the play progresses due to the influence of some outside forces, the 3 witches’ prophecies and Lady Macbeth who is very manipulative. Macbeth is set in Scotland in the 14th century.

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In William Shakespeare’s tragedy, Macbeth, Shakespeare portrays that motivation allows individuals to thrive for their goals, but on the other hand side, it might lead to destruction. Many times, individuals perceive motivation to remove obstacles that prevent them from achieving their goals. In William Shakespeare’s tragedy, Macbeth, the character of Macbeth uses motivation to achieve his ambition to become the King of Scotland, after considering witches prophecies. Macbeth’s strong motivation and desire to become the king allows him to deceive King of Scotland, Duncan, because the King was the main hurdle that was preventing him from reaching his ambition.

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Thankfully for the people of Scotland, Macbeth was finished off by Macduff. When his time came in Act 5 Macbeth knew he was done, yet it was not of his character to not put up a fight. “I will not surrender to kiss the ground before young Malcolm’s feet and be tormented by jeering crowds. Though Birnam Wood is come to Dunsinane, and I’m facing you, who are not of woman born, yet I will fight to the end.” (Shakespeare 239)

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Although a decorated war-hero, Macbeth paradoxically embodies a man with a loosely defined moral compass- the adoption of self-preservation sustains the perpetual deficit of his moral values. Additionally, his rationale to act is influenced by his repressed emotions of guilt and anxiety. In order to protect himself, Macbeth transcends his pre-conceived moral convictions, drowning himself in a cesspool of blood. By virtue of Macbeth’s incessant utilization of self-preservation, he commits the obstruction of justice to prevent himself from becoming the center of public scrutiny. In an attempt to cover his tracks, Macbeth stipulates the assassination of Banquo and his son, Fleance; he is mentally agonized by the fact that Banquo was present with

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[c]lean from [his] hand”(2.2.79). The blood of the dead will stain Macbeth’s hands forever, in which he will feel eternal guilt. Although Macbeth realizes this, he continues his journey to becoming king by committing several other murders. In a discussion between Lady Macbeth and Macbeth, Macbeth tells Lady Macbeth that he is “in blood/ Stepp’d in so far that, should he wade no more/ Returning were as tedious as go o’er’”(3.4.168-170). Macbeth has regret and guilt for his actions, since he knows he is too far in to go back to his original, heroic life.

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Macbeth’s ambitious nature led him to his rise and his downfall. As the play unfolds, Macbeth’s character drastically changes. There were two major turning points in his charcater; in Act I, when he heard the prophecy of three witches, and Act III, when he decided that he would follow through with his actions and plans. Those two points were also when he begain his rise and his downfall respectively, because they were driven by his ambition. Before Macbeth heard about the witches’ prophecy, people admired him for his strengths as a warrior.

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