Who Is Responsible For Macbeth's Downfall

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The Character of Macbeth Macbeth is one of Shakespeare’s most complex characters. Throughout the story of his kingship in Scotland he becomes worse and worse of a leader to the Scottish people and even goes a little bit insane. The readers of Shakespeare’s play are constantly surprised at the progression of Macbeth’s negative qualities and tyrannical decisions. Macbeth’s excessive ambition leading to him being power hungry, his guilt leading to him losing his sanity, and his wife’s influence on his decisions Macbeth’s cause integrity to spiral downward throughout the story. The story opens with a conversation between the Witches, however the very next scene Macbeth is being praised for his bravery in the war. A statement is made in the…show more content…
From the moment Macbeth hears what the witches have to say he is enticed with the thought of having the power of a king. His ambition to be great is evident and he seems to want nothing less than great power. His ambition alone was not enough, however. His wife’s influence is what eventually drove him to the biggest turning point in his downfall: killing King Duncan. Lady Macbeth was the major catalyst to the assassination taking place, as Macbeth felt guilty killing his friend who was supposed to be his guest. She constantly spoke of the opportunity they had to be King and Queen and at any sign of Macbeth wavering, she was sure to remind him that to let this opportunity go by would be cowardly. In one instance when Macbeth has decided not proceed in killing Duncan his wife tells him, “Wouldst thou have which thou esteem’st the ornament of life, and live a coward in thine own esteem, letting ‘I dare not’ wait upon ‘I would’ like the poor cat I’ the’ adage?(I.vii.41-44)”. This statement tells Macbeth that if he wastes this opportunity he will likely regret it and will always feel like a coward for not taking the chance for the great
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