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Who Is To Blame For Macbeth's Downfall

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In Shakespeare’s play Macbeth, Macbeth the protagonist, a loyal subject of the crown, is ambitious to become King of Scotland. There are a number of influences that convince him to kill the king: the Three Witches, Lady Macbeth, and he himself. Ultimately, it is Lady Macbeth who is most to blame for Macbeth’s corruption and tragic downfall because she is ambitious in her own behalf and she cleverly and ruthlessly manipulates her husband’s ambition and vulnerability to be king. The Three Witches are the catalysts to Macbeth’s ambition because their prophecy that he will become Thane of Cawdor comes true soon after. Macbeth meets the Three Witches on a heath in the wilderness and they prophesize that he will become Thane of Cawdor and eventually …show more content…

After his encounter with the Three Witches, Macbeth sends Lady Macbeth a letter, stating he is interested in becoming king. Lady Macbeth thinks he doesn’t have enough ambition to become king even though she feels he deserves it. She says, “[he] is too full [of the] milk of human kindness” (Act 1, Scene 5, 16) to kill the king. Soon after, Lady Macbeth asks the evil spirits who assist murderers in committing crimes to help her maintain her dark and deep desires to kill the king. “Come, you spirits that tend on mortal thoughts, unsex me here and fill me from the crown to the toe topfull of direst cruelty,” (Act 1, Scene 5, 39-42) she says. Also, Lady Macbeth ridicules him many times. She pressures him into committing murder and treason by calling his a coward and calling his manhood into question. These are all ways Lady Macbeth is able to manipulate Macbeth. After Macbeth becomes king, there is a great banquet for him. He sees the ghost of the recently murdered Banquo sitting in his seat at the table. No one but Macbeth can see him, and he starts acting strangely by not sitting down and talking to was everyone else sees as nothing. Lady Macbeth covers up for him in order to prevent the secret of their killing of the king from being revealed. She says, “My lord is often thus and hath been from his youth,” (Act 3, Scene 4, 53-54). Lady Macbeth’s influence is the reason he decides to kill the

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