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Who Was Responsible For Macbeth's Downfall

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Elizabeth O’Donnell 5/2/18

In Shakespeare's play Macbeth, Macbeth is primarily responsible for his own downfall. Macbeth's character was greatly influenced by the witches and Lady Macbeth, but he ends up destroying himself by his own selfish ambitions.
At the beginning of the play, Macbeth's character is portrayed as a courageous and brave hero of Scotland because of his victory in battle. The bleeding captain who was wounded from battle recognizes Macbeth for these attributes and describes his bravery towards the enemy as “unseamed from the nave to th’ chops” (I.II.24). The person of highest nobility, King Duncan, also praises Macbeth's bravery. As the story progresses the previous Nobel Macbeth is transformed into a cruel, violent king who murders anyone who may threaten his power and kingdom, including the king himself, “I have almost forgotten the taste of fears” (V.V.11). However, many people believe that Lady Macbeth is the tragic hero because she is primarily responsible for influencing Macbeth to take such action. Her character is seen as a loyal and devoted wife that will do anything to ensure the witches prophecy is fulfilled. …show more content…

“All hail, Macbeth! Hail to thee, Thane of Glamis! All hail, Macbeth! Hail to thee, Thane of Cawdor! All hail, Macbeth, that shalt be king hereafter!” (I.III.51-53). Macbeth foolishly and blindly believes the witches prophecy despite there being no proof. Macbeth chooses to believe the misinterpreted predictions unlike Banquo who abandons the words of the witches. Macbeth's way of thinking is not predominantly due to the witches predictions because they did not mention anything about killing the king. Banquo noticed Macbeth’s guilt because the thoughts of treachery and murder were in his mind, “Good sir, why do you start, and seem to fear things that do sound so fair?”

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In search for power with the help of the witches’ foreshadowing predictions, Macbeth realizes that Banquo is a true threat to his pathway to power, so he concludes: “Banquo, thy soul’s flight/,if it find heaven, must find it out tonight” (3.1.146-147). Influenced by his aspiration for power, “Macbeth forgets about his friends and the value of their friendships and is willing to, and does kill them if it means his position as king isn’t secure, or won’t be secure” (Kesur). As a fellow companion of Macbeth’s, the readers view Banquo as a trustworthy friend but the ambition that Macbeth obtains from this situation reaches its height when he decides to kill his noble and trustworthy friend. To continue this determination for power, the witches use repetition to reassure Macbeth of the colossal amount power he obtains when they all say, “All hail Macbeth!

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