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The Decline Of Macbeth In Shakespeare's Play

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In the Shakespearean play Macbeth, Macbeth, the eponymous character, begins to lose his sense of morality and integrity. The first moment his decline is revealed is after he hears the first part of the witches prophecies come to pass. Whilst thinking about how this will cumulate into him becoming king, he wonders if the temptation is good or will be detrimental. He pronounces that if it is good, “why…[does he] yield to that suggestion…[of killing Duncan]” (I.iii.135). Already, the idea arrives in his head despite the fact that it is a horrid image to him. Even though he decides to leave it up to fate, Macbeth considers the thought of murdering to get what he wants. Further, since just prior to this Ross and Angus, two kingsmen, reveal that he is now the Thane of Cawdor, causing the first part of the prophecy to come true, Macbeth’s conflict of how to get the kingship will start to impend. Moreover, when Duncan proclaims Malcolm, his son, as the prince of Cumberland and his successor, it begins the start of …show more content…

Firstly, as shown from her name, she realizes the only way to gain power is from Macbeth, and since she knows him well, she is able to puppet him. Throughout act one, she manipulates him by questioning his manhood and goading him into murder. While Macbeth and Lady Macbeth discuss the situation at hand, she voices her concern that his “nature is too full o'th’ milk of human kindness to catch the nearest way” (I.x.15-17) Lady Macbeth is alluding to the fact that Macbeth is too kind to really take over. A mothers’ milk is nurturing, associated with kindness and femininity, something Lady Macbeth fears Macbeth is too full of. Further, Macbeth points out that because of her manner, she should “bring forth men-children only” (I.xii.72), for she is too masculine and cunning to raise a girl. Her understanding of manhood allows the political order depicted in the play to descend into

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Control is a recurring theme in the play "Macbeth" as it warns the audience of the reprecussions of trying to control your fate. The first key event where control features in a significant way is the witches prophecies. They tell Macbeth that he will become Thane of Cawdor and King of Scotland which establishes the importance of fate. Shakespeare conveys the witches as agents of evil that are deceptive and dangerous, "oftentimes to win us to our harm/the instruments of darkness tell us truths," showing that they use truth itself to influence a horrible outcome (Macbeth 's tragic demise.) Their message is compelling and attractive and we can clearly see their effect on Macbeth as it greatly contrasts to that of Banquo.

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In Macbeth, while contemplating whether or not he should kill Duncan, Macbeth says. “I have no spur / To prick the sides of my intent, but only / Vaulting ambition, which o’erleaps itself / And falls on the other”(i.vii.25-28). Macbeth is saying that he has ambition to kill Duncan, but there is no good reason to except for him to gain power. At this point, Macbeth has little power, only ruling his own homeland, so when he does kill Duncan later in the story, he is able to keep his morals intact. He is doing something that, in his mind, he needs to do.

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Macbeth’s Struggle Dear diary,today, I have to make a difficult decision, the outcome of this decision will either bring myself greatness, or it will lead me down a path in which death will follow. I have already been named the Thane of Cawdor, and those weird sisters had told me that I was to be the king of Scotland! but alas.. that is not me. How could Duncan name Malcolm the Prince of Cumberland! When I am much more suited!

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The Thane of King Duncan, Macbeth hears a prophecy that he himself will become king later on in the future after King Duncan. This then leads to Macbeth being overcome by greed. Since Macbeth greeds to be king so bad, he murders King Duncan and takes his place of the throne. Macbeth starts to live with so much guilt and fear that he commits even more murders to have his power safe. Macbeth is so confident in the prophecies that his life comes to a downfall and he gets killed by the people he did wrong.

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The fact that Macbeth believes the witches’ prophecies are not evil nor good foreshadows how he will go on to kill any other person standing in his way to more power. His ambition blinds his mind to make him even think about ruthlessly committing a murder. This forceful way of gaining power will only lead Macbeth to become a “tyrant” in Scotland and his “fantastical” desires of killing Duncan and receiving the crown will lead Scotland to failure. Under Macbeth’s rule, Scotland seems to be in a terrible condition. With distrust among the people, there is tension all within the country, as Macbeth’s totalitarian regime had rendered the prosperity of Scotland.

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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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During this time he goes through an internal conflict with himself. He argues with himself over whether or not to trust the prophecy and three witches, “This supernatural soliciting/Cannot be ill, cannot be good: if ill,/Why hath it given me earnest of success” (1.3.243-245). Unfortunately for Macbeth the King’s son Malcolm is to named the predecessor of King Duncan. Macbeth recognizes that this means the prophecy cannot come true despite the Thane of Cawdor prediction becoming a reality. This displeases him greatly despite the fact that the king has bestowed upon him a great honor.

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The downfall of Macbeth is a tragedy which stirs pity in the audience for the tragic hero, because Macbeth has characteristics with potential to achieve greatness. However, he also has flaws that drive him to commit sacrilegious murder and fall from grace, but even at his lowest point, one can still see shards of the great man he once was. At the beginning of the play, Macbeth is introduced as a great man. Ross and the Captain, praises his courageous victory on the battlefield, protecting Scotland against the invading Norwegians and the rebellious Thane of Cawdor. Macbeth shows his loyalty to Duncan by telling him that it is his duty to protect the life and honour of the king.

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In the play, Macbeth, by William Shakespeare, a Man named Macbeth was prophesied that he will become king leading to a downward spiral. Macbeth was not a bad guy to begin with, however all the prophecies and ideas people fed into his brain “corrupted” his thoughts and influenced him into making his poor decisions ultimately leading him to become a bad person. What started it all were The Three Witches who gave Macbeth the prophecy that he will be crowned king one day. The third witch exclaims, “Thou shalt get kings, though thou be none. So all hail, Macbeth and Banquo” (1.3.64-65).

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Macbeth shows that he is willing to kill King Duncan because he is interested in the witches prophecy, after they tell him that he will become ‘Thane of Cawdor’ and then the King.

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Macbeth’s impatience for power leads to drastic actions. He murders the king in the belief that “this blow might be the be-all and end-all” (1.7.5). This assassination could never “trammel up the consequence” (1.7.2-3), as Macbeth believes, but only leads to more trouble. Although Macbeth seizes the throne, Macbeth had to betray his loyalty to the king whose “virtues will plead like angels” (1.7.18-19), and his morality has paid the price. Macbeth has now lost all sense of what honor is by using such dishonest ways to become king.

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When Macbeth kills Duncan, it also begins his moral descent into darkness, as he is willing to do anything in order to continue being the ruler of Scotland “Now if you have a station in the file, Not in the worst rank of manhood, say it, And I will put that business in your bosoms Whose execution takes your enemy off.”

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Macbeth’s ambitions influence him to attain his desire for power. This ambition drives him to become reckless for the sake of reaching his goals. This recklessness leads to the murder of Duncan- the first in a line of murders Macbeth commits to reach his power. These murders represent Macbeth’s gradual loss of morality.

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Lady Macbeth is power hungry for the throne and she will do anything to achieve her goal. Her pleasure of having the thought of killing Duncan is revealed. These murderous thoughts that run through her mind shows how desperate she is to acquire power. Although it is the beginning of the play, her dark ambitions sets a dark tone for her character in the play. This coincidentally adds to the assurance of Macbeth’s prophecy which is that Macbeth will become king, but King Duncan is still alive.

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“If good, why do I yield to that suggestion[killing Duncan]/Whose horrid image doth unify my hair” (I, III, 144-145). This quote indicates that the force of ambition is so strong within Macbeth that even he himself cannot understand why it is making him think of killing Duncan. Likewise, Macbeth’s ambition to become king is further emphasized after Duncan names his son Malcolm as his successor. Here, Macbeth says that he will have to “oerleap,/For in my way it [Malcolm] it lies” (I, III, 55-57).

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