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Who Was Responsible For Macbeth's Downfall

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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. After hearing from the prophecy from the Weird Sisters, Macbeth realizes his potential to become king of Scotland. His ambition and wife drive him to take action and kill King Duncan. “I have no spur to prick the sides of my intent, but only vaulting ambition, which o'erleaps itself and falls on the other— (1.7.25-28)” Although Macbeth handled the murdered the of King Duncan very well, he did leave some holes in which people could figure out that he did kill Macbeth. For example he kills the guards which causes Macduff and the other …show more content…

Macbeth! Macbeth! beware Macduff; Beware the thane of Fife. Dismiss me. Enough.” Macbeth goes out of his way in an attempt to change fate and orders the murder of Macduff’s entire family. “He has kill'd me, mother: Run away, I pray you!” This drives Macduff to take revenge by killing Macbeth fulfilling the prophecy and ending Macbeth’s life. If Macbeth did not have so much ambition, he would not have visited the witches or even try to kill Macduff’s family. These two events demonstrate how Macbeth’s great ambition resulted in his downfall. Macbeth could’ve saved himself if he did not kill Banquo and Macduff’s family. Killing Duncan was the right decision, however killing Banquo was unnecessary and killing Macduff’s family was cruel therefore leading to Macduff completely hating Macbeth. This hatred leads Macduff to kill Macbeth. Overall, Macbeth could have totally avoided this conflict if he was not such a power-hungry tyrant and could have lived a peaceful life if he just allowed for fate to continue its

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In the play Macbeth, Macbeth’s fate is what drives him to his decisions for both power and greed. This is portrayed when Macbeth when he kills Banquo and his son because his greed sees them as a threat to his throne, killing the king for power above all mortals, and his fate ultimately leading to his death and freeing time. Macbeth has done countless sins in order to keep his rightful position as king, though his greed for power has led to him killing his best friend Banquo because the witches have predicted that Banquo’s descendants will be king. “Thou shalt get kings, though thou be none.”

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Selfishness plays a vital role in the downfall of characters in literature. In William Shakespeare's tragedy, Macbeth, selfishness roots itself within the structure of the play and onto Macbeth. Macbeth is a Scottish general and after he had won a victorious battle, he receives a prophecy from three witches whom stated that Macbeth will become the King of Scotland. Macbeth becomes consumed with selfish ambition, and he immediately plots to murder King Duncan while he spent a night at Macbeth's manor. The morning after, Macbeth takes the throne for himself.

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I think that Macbeth is most responsible for Macbeth’s downfall and the tragedy that happened throughout the play because of how he only thought about himself and became overly confident about what the witches and apparitions said to him. Macbeth only thought about himself because he says “the dangers that actually threaten me here and now frighten me less than the horrible I’m imagining”. (Act 1, Scene 3) This quote shows how he thought about murdering King Duncan so he can be the next King. Macbeth also did kill King Duncan with Lady Macbeth later on in the play showing that he would do anything to get what he wants.

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Since Macbeth was told by Lennox that Macduff moved to England, he hatches a plan to kill Macduff’s family by catching them off guard, which he explains by disclosing “The castle of Macduff I will surprise, / Seize upon Fife, give to th’ edge of th’ sword / His wife, his bab, and all unfortunate souls / That trace him in his line” (4.1.171-174). The quote implies that he will kill Macduff’s family so that Macduff will be scared to fight Macbeth. This conclusively becomes one of the major factors in Macbeth’s demise, as it shows how heartless Macbeth has become since he first murdered King Duncan due to

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Later on, Macbeth is then again wanting to kill another person, Macduff. Macbeth knows that he can not get to him, so instead he plans to kill Macduff’s family. The wanting for more power has created him into being wicked and kill innocent lives. While in anger he orders, “give to th’ edge o’ th’ sword his wife, his babes, and all unfortunate souls” (iiii.i.152-153).

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Macbeth! Beware Macduff.” (Macbeth 4.1.74) He succeeded in his plan and began to turn into a corrupt individual. His sense of morality decreased because of his several planned murderous acts and his mind became drenched in intense guilt.

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Macbeth was working toward being the king of Scotland in the beginning after meeting the three wired sisters. And being told that he was king to be, so it inspired him to do anything that he had to to become king. It did not matter the circumstances he would do it. Even if that meant killing his best friend. He down was cause by him killing Macduff’s family.

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He told Lennox that he killed them because he couldn’t control his anger, and for this reason it made people think that he is trying to hide the evidence “O, yet I do repent me of my fury, That I did kill them.” (2.3.107-108). In the lit crit of Snider said “The fear of retribution in a new shape is generated out of his bad deed” (Snider). The quotes tell us that Macbeth is too afraid to confess and he is making himself more suspicious in front of people about killing king

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Macbeth is the Shakespearean play that features the triumphant uprise and the inevitable downfall of its main character. In this play, Macbeth’s downfall can be considered to be the loss of his moral integrity and this is achieved by ambition, despite this, Lady Macbeth and the witches work through his ambition, furthering to assist his inevitable ruin. Ambition alone is the most significant factor that led to Macbeth’s downfall. The witches are only able to influence his actions through Macbeth’s pre-existing and the three witches see that Macbeth has ambition and uses it to control his action. Ambition alone is displayed throughout the play to be the most significant cause for Macbeth’s downfall.

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In act four, Macduff takes a journey to England to convince Malcom to return to Scotland with help from English forces to dethrone the evil Macbeth and restore the peace and safety once again to the citizens of Scotland. When Macbeth finds out that Malcom fled his castle to Malcom, who is in England, Macbeth orders a messenger to kill Macduff’s wife and son. “Bless you, fair dame! I am not to you known, Though in your state of honour I am perfect, I doubt some danger does approach you nearly”

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It is clear that it was Macbeth’s fault for his downfall because of he, himself chose the wrong path. He had the choice of avoiding people but, he did not even after feeling guilty of what he did. Macbeth’s downfall in life cannot be blamed on anyone else, but

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Macbeth killed Macduff’s wife, son, and servant, a heartless act which propelled Macduff to behead Macbeth. Although Macbeth thought that he couldn’t be defeated by any man who was “woman born”, it turned out that Macduff was “ripped from the womb”, a credit that excused him from the prophecy. Despite the fact that Macbeth was obviously defeated by being killed by Macduff, his soul was defeated even before his physical death. Macbeth defeated himself. Right before the opposing army came for him, he realized that he has traded his eternally gain for an earthly gain, which he knows he will lose. Because Macbeth gives up on living a good life and decides to pursue a dirty, bloody one, he automatically defeats himself and

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Betrayal is an act of intentional disloyalty and unfaithfulness. In the play Macbeth, Macbeth commits extreme felony and betrayal by murdering his king, who wholeheartedly trusted him, in order to take the crown. Similarly, Lord of the Flies demonstrates the act of betrayal through Jack, the novel’s antagonist. Jack angrily abandons Ralph and forms his own violent tribe, whose ultimate goal becomes killing Ralph. As shown through Macbeth, by William Shakespeare, and Lord of the Flies, by William Golding, betrayal leads to the consequential destruction of an individual rather than his/her desired success.

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Macbeth had another chance to change his outcome. his wife was consumed with the idea that he would become king, so much so that she pushed him to kill the current King. She said she couldn 't do it because King Duncan looked too much like her own father. Macbeth could have easily dismissed this and not listened to his mentally dwindling wife, “Come, thick night, and pall thee in the dunnest smoke of hell, that my keen knife see not the wound it makes, nor heaven peep through the blanket of the dark, to cry ‘hold, hold!’” He followed the instructions of his wife and killed the king.

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1241 Words | 5 Pages

Macbeth’s ambition is what is causing him to intervene with his prophecy and pursue his goal (rather than leave it to chance). In a way, it is Macbeth’s own “black and deep desires” that make him kill in the first place as the witches never tell him to do so. Furthermore, apart from ambition, it is Macbeth’s own weak will and moral system that causes him to do the actions that result in his downfall. Macbeth’s weak will is undeniable and is illustrated before killing Duncan. “I have of spur/To prick the sides of my intent, but only/Vaulting ambition, which o'erleaps itself/And falls on the other” (I, VII, 25-28).

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