One of the most important factors leading to the downfall of Macbeth was his tragic flaw, ambition. Throughout the play, Macbeth's ambition grows and grows, causing a dramatic change in his character.Initially, he was a kindhearted man with high morals (to the point where his wife had to lead him down this path of destruction), but he quickly transformed into a paranoid and guilt-ridden man willing to kill his former friends for his own safety.After learning of the prophecy from the witches that he might be the king of Scotland, "All hail Macbeth, thou shalt be king thereafter!" only this constant revelation floods his mind, to the point he loses sleep and has hallucinations related to it. This desire (and some persuasion from his wife) eventually leads him to go against his own morals and character completely, changing him into someone who is willing to murder those who are "threats" just to further certify his rule as king. One of the many factors that turns Macbeth into an unjustified killer and enemy of the people of Scotland is his ambition. …show more content…
One could argue that as a result of his growing ambition, he became more and more fearful of the possibility of having his crown stripped from him. After killing the current king, Duncan, Macbeth slowly begins his descent into insanity. Directly following the murder, he claims to have heard a voice say, "Sleep no more!" This insanity of his only gets worse and worse as he continues to kill, hearing voices, seeing ghosts of his victims (Banquo specifically), and even going back to the witches to find a way to protect him from the enemies he has made. This fear drives him constantly, causing a loss of many of the factors that made Macbeth human, like sleep and fear. This slow dehumanization of him is one of the many reasons that Macbeth meets his fated