The Tragic Downfall of Shakespeares Macbeth :: Macbeth essays

The Tragic Downfall of Macbeth Macbeth, at the beginning of the play, seems to be a very loyal and honorable person. However, his character is changed by the influences of several factors. These factors have an influence on Macbeth, but he is responsible for his own destiny. The influences of the witches' prophecies, the influence of Lady Macbeth, and Macbeth's ambitions, are they key factors that lead to his tragic downfall. The witches (or "weird sisters" as they are often called) are responsible for putting the idea that Macbeth would become king of Scotland in his head, but in the end, it's Macbeth's decision to fall for and make this idea happen. As a result of this idea, Macbeth's curiosity of how he could become king of Scotland comes into play. "One can wonder if Macbeth ever had a chance of doing what was right after he met with the witches." (courseworkhelp) As the play progresses, Macbeth slowly relies more on the witches prophesies. They are clearly evil and deceiving and they slowly lead to the corruption of his character. Macbeth creates his own misery when he is driven by this own sense of guilt. This causes him to become insecure as to the reasons for his actions, which cause him to commit more murders. He would never have thought seriously about killing King Duncan without the witches influence. However it's more realistic to believe that Lady Macbeth, Macbeth's ambitions, and his own responsibilities lead to his downfall, not just the witches. They really never had the power to affect the future of the play. Lady Macbeth is shown early as an ambitious woman who can manipulate Macbeth easily. It is shown in the line "That I may pour my spirits in thine ear" (1.5.26). She manipulates his self-esteem by playing with his manliness and his bravery. When Macbeth is thinking of not following through on his plan to kill King Duncan, Lady Macbeth scorns him when she hears of his change of plans. She becomes successful in altering his ambition and appears to be the dominating individual in the relationship. Lady Macbeth wants Macbeth to be a great and powerful man she loves him and her only ambition is to help him gain the throne.