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Who Was Responsible For Macbeth’s Downfall? In "Macbeth," there are a few characters who share responsibility for the tragedy that happens. Though, Macbeth himself takes the most responsibility for his actions, as his own actions lead to his own downfall. “I have no spur to prick the sides of my intent, but only vaulting ambition, which o'erleaps itself and falls on th' other.”
In conclusion, the combined effort of the three witches and Hecate led Macbeth to his destruction. The prophecies they provided were some of the factors that motivated Macbeth to commit crimes. Without their interference, Macbeth would have been unaware of his fate and the play would have turned out different.
“Psychopaths don't sit still for science and ordinary people can't be made to think so savagely,” proving that if any normal man attempted to follow the choices of these deranged killers, he would fall to pieces, just Macbeth did (Jeffrey Kluger). Choices are what become us, and because of the multitudinous choices made throughout this play, a man lost everything he once was on his path to power. Macbeth’s descent into madness and insanity can be narrowed down to a few things, such as people and it could’ve been the Witches, Lady Macbeth, or even Macbeth himself. The Witches in Macbeth were the very ones who started the whole downward spiral that swept up Macbeth. With their predictions of his future, they implanted illusions that plagued his mind with poisonous thoughts of grandeur.
Tacitus, a Roman senator and historian, once stated “Those in supreme power always hate their next heir”. By stating this, it connects to the play Macbeth because it also demonstrates how People who are in power like Macbeth will hate the heir to the throne because they want to become the king to accomplish their desires for power. At the beginning of the play a wounded captain is telling the king about the wonders of Macbeth on the battlefield, which gains him the lord or thane of cawdor and glamis. Over the course of the play, Macbeth is plagued by his power lust, which changes him from Thane to the king which then leads to his downfall.
In the play Macbeth by William Shakespeare, Lady Macbeth was inoculated Macbeth’s manhood. Macbeth ended up losing everything that he gained from murdering the rightful king. The reason why he lost it all was because Lady Macbeth each time she has seen her husband seemed not to want to kill the king she would just keep insulting his manhood. Lady Macbeth is absolutely responsible Macbeth’s downfall.
Max Amaral ENG 2D Mrs. Cooper 2 June 2023 Lady Macdeath Lady Macbeth is the embodiment of Macbeth’s hamartia and ultimate downfall. Macbeth is a tragic play by William Shakespeare that shows the corrupting influence of a person because of too much ambition as an honourable Scottish Thane submits to murder and violence to take the throne, which ultimately leads to his own downfall. Lady Macbeth is the embodiment of Macbeth’s hamartia and ultimate downfall because of her ambition to seize power, manipulation and her emotional instability; Macbeth would be a thriving Thane of Glamis and Cawdor if it weren’t for her. All throughout the play, Lady Macbeth proves how her ambition to seize power is responsible for Macbeth’s hamartia and downfall.
Macbeth’s mental condition begins to dwindle as time goes on, starting with the murder of Duncan. At first, Macbeth is seen as a soldier that everyone aspires to be, strong, brave, and compassionate about his duties to the king. In act one scene two, Captain says, “...For brave Macbeth-well he deserves that name-...” This shows that he is a likeable person who has only the objective of serving his king. After meeting with the witches and hearing his prophecy, Macbeth starts to think about what it would be like to be king of Scotland.
Like all of Shakespeare’s other plays, “Macbeth’s” protagonist Macbeth is incredibly successful but suffers from one fatal flaw, his great ambition. His ambition will be the cause of his great success but ultimately also of his downfall. The man’s ambition drives him to seize every opportunity to promote his own agenda. His ambition hurts him the most when he decides to kill King Duncan and Macduff.
Kaila Hyder Williamson British Lit 05 October 2016 Macbeth Macbeth is most reliable for his own destruction and evil, but other characters played a big part in his reasoning behind the crimes he committed. The Three Witches gave Macbeth a idea of how to follow and obtain the goal the he had been wanting for a long time, to be king. His wife, Lady Macbeth, was a huge influence to commit the crimes he committed. She manipulated Macbeth in many ways.
When the play begins, the reader sees that Macbeth is already a man of great power, for he is a successful General and the Thane of Glamis. His pride is fueled once he receives a prophecy from three witches, who tell him that he will become King of Scotland. This intensifies his ambitious desire for power and he will do anything to gain it. At the threat of his dignity as a man, he is persuaded by his wife to pursue the prophecy. Under strict orders from his wife, he is forced to murder the current King.
No boasting like a fool; This deed I’ll do before this purpose cool, (iv, ii, 149-153) This shows macbeth's ambition because he is willing to kill kids and a whole family just so he can stay king. Macbeth is a tragic hero because he meet that first requirement which is Hamartia This shows the that Macbeth is very desperate to stay king. By now, Macbeth has changed a lot.
Often times, people go through rises and downfalls in their lives that they themselves are responsible for. In Shakespeare’s play Macbeth, both main characters, Lady Macbeth and Macbeth, himself, are responsible for the downfall of Macbeth. Lady Macbeth is responsible for the tragedy because she convinces and manipulates Macbeth into doing the deed. However, Shakespeare accomplishes in showing that Macbeth is more responsible for his own downfall than Lady Macbeth because he listens to the witches and follows his ambition rather than his conscience. To begin, Lady Macbeth is responsible for the tragedy because she convinces and manipulates Macbeth into doing the deed by insulting him when he changes his mind.
Many writers try to write about a villainous protagonist and fail. Shakespeare failed to fail, and produced “Macbeth”. Macbeth is a masterpiece of writing displaying the corruption of Macbeth and the chain events that he set off after making the decision to murder Duncan. The consequences first become apparent to Macbeth after the deed is done when he states: “Methought, I heard a voice cry, ‘Sleep no more! Macbeth does murder sleep’ the innocent sleep, sleep that knits up the ravell’d sleeve of care” (2.2.47-49).
The witches played a colossal role in Macbeth’s downfall and ultimately, his death. Since the first part of the prophecy stated Macbeth as being the new Thane of Cawdor, he believed he could continue to become king as well. In knowing his prediction, Macbeth also realized that since the king was in good health, so he would have to kill the king himself. For the rest of his prophecy to come true he would have to kill the king for himself. “All hail, Macbeth that shalt be king hereafter!”
“Looks like the innocent flower but be the serpent under it”(Shakespeare 1.7) this truly defines Lady Macbeth and describes her being someone that acts one way in certain situations and then in a contrary manner in others and also shows her manipulative personality and exploits her victims. Lady Macbeth is sharp at convincing and uses people for her need which she does throughout the play. In the play, The Tragedy of Macbeth by William Shakespeare, Lady Macbeth is ultimately responsible for Macbeth’s undoing because her ambition supported his greed and provoked his downfall. Lady Macbeth with her demanding and forceful comments triggered Macbeth 's weakness which leads Macbeth to agree on the murder.