The Importance Of Downfall In Macbeth

In the play of Macbeth by William Shakespeare, the main character, Macbeth, is told by three witches that he was to become a king. This information prompts him to murder King Duncan which in turn makes him face constant pressure from multiple sides. His desire to receive and maintain power forces him to make questionable decisions as well as to turn to others in the story, including, for example, the witches and Lady Macbeth. The question that arises as a result is whether Macbeth’s downfall was caused by himself or those around him. What becomes evident as time goes on is that however true it may be that outside influences had played a role in how things would turn out, in the end, Macbeth’s decisions play the largest role in his downfall. His reliance on the witches’ prophecies, his inability to trust his judgement as well as his determination to attain and maintain his power through violent means ultimately leads to his demise. The most significant reason as to why Macbeth died at the end of the story was due to his unwavering trust in the witches and their prophecies. When Macbeth and Banquo had encountered the witches, the three females had told Macbeth, who was the Thane of Glamis at the time, that he would be Thane of Cawdor, as well as ”king hereafter” (Shakespeare 1.3.53). The prophecy that he had received had been vague from the three women, but after being informed that he

Without Macbeth’s thinking, none of what happened throughout the play could have possibly occurred. It is true that part of it was due to outside influences, however, what played the largest role in determining where Macbeth would end up was what he decided to do as time went on. His reactions to ill-defined prophecies, ego-shattering moments, and times of uncertainty had led Macbeth to go on the path that he