Who Is Responsible For Macbeth's Downfall

In William Shakespeare’s The Tragedy of Macbeth, the protagonist, Macbeth is a victim of fate, as fate dismantles one’s ability to act freely. At the beginning of the play, Macbeth is named the Thane of Cawdor for his bravery in the Scots’ war against Norway. However, Macbeth’s character shifts greatly when he becomes king and falls deeper into tyranny as result of his predetermined fate. Motifs, such as supernatural elements, hallucinations, visions, and the reversal of nature further exemplify that fate undoubtedly leads to Macbeth’s downfall. The supernatural, hallucinations, and visions make Macbeth lose his sense of control, thereby causing his demise. Firstly, Macbeth is presented with prophecies from the three witches, who claim that he will become the new King of Scotland

After being given the witches’ prophecies, Macbeth feels a sudden urge to murder Duncan, whereas before seeing them, he was completely loyal to his king. In his soliloquy, Macbeth exclaims, “I am thane of Cawdor. / If good, why do I yield to that suggestion / Whose horrid image doth unfix my hair / And make my seated heart knock at my ribs, / Against the use of nature? (1.3.137-41).” By boasting the aforementioned lines, Macbeth urges the notion that he is constantly thinking about the witches, and they make him do what he would never have dared to before. In addition, after Macbeth is crowned king, he feels the need to kill his best friend, Banquo, because he now sees him as a threat. In fact, he states that he fears Banquo because of the witches’ prophecies stating that his descendants would become future rulers of Scotland (3.1.50-4). Had it not been for his anxiety due to the witches forcing him to kill Duncan, Macbeth would not have murdered his best friend and dived deeper into insanity So, reversal of nature definitively causes Macbeth’s classically tragic