Who Was Responsible For Macbeth's Downfall

American writer Rick Riordan once said “Knowing too much of your future is never a good thing” This essay will prove why that is true in william shakespeares Macbeth. In this essay it will be determined that Macbeth's downfall was the result of his own actions, due to Macbeth's weak moral compass and conscience, Macbeth trying to take things into his own hands, and by letting the witches prophecy consume him. Macbeth alone is responsible for his downfall because he ultimately made all the decisions that led him to rack and ruin.

Macbeth did not listen to his conscience or his morals, and let himself get easily influenced by others such as his wife, lady Macbeth. There were many moments in the play where Macbeth hesitated or second guessed

“ (I.VII. 13-16) in which he gives several reasons as to why he should not kill Duncan, but even after that soliloquy he proceeded with the decision that ultimately led him to his downfall. Had Macbeth listened to his conscience he wouldn't have suffered the consequences of his actions. In the beginning of the play it is clear to see that Macbeth has an overactive superego yet, he allows others to get into his head and transform his overactive superego into an overactive id. An example of this is seen when lady Macbeth has to manipulate him into killing Duncan by saying degrading things such as “When you durst do it, then you were a man; And to be more than what you were, you would Be so much more the man” (1.7. 49-51). Where as when we get further into the play Macbeth starts making the decision to kill on his own without the help of anyone else, though part of his superego is still active because he still does not take it into his own hands to do the killing and instead hires other people to do it. This could be due to the fact that he does not want to feel the guilt he felt after killing Duncan. Which we see when he says “will all great neptune’s ocean wash this blood/clean from my hand? No, this my hand will rather/ The multitudinous seas incarnadine,/ making the green one red.” In conclusion if Macbeth stuck to his morals he would not have to face the consequences of the actions he let others influence him to

Macbeth says “but yet i’ll make assurance double sure, and take a bond of fate”(IV.I.94-95) essentially Macbeth is saying that he will try to guarantee his fate, and solidify the prophecy the witches gave to him. Since the witches are able to predict the future, after receiving his prophecy Macbeth did not need to do anything to fulfill it, unless the witches said otherwise which in this case they didn't. This is true because Banquo also received a prophecy, he did not take it upon himself to fulfill it yet it still came true and by the end of the play his son became king. All Macbeth needed to do was sit and wait for the prophecy to happen, just like banquo did instead he chose to try and take control of the situation which ultimately led him to his downfall. By trying to take control of his fate Macbeth in turn disrupts the chain of being in the Elizabethan worldview by killing Duncan, his superior. This is seen during a conversation between ross and old man where it is said