Who Is Responsible For Macbeth's Downfall

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“Macbeth” a play by William Shakespeare is a portrayal of the corruption that the quest for power so often creates. At the beginning of the play Macbeth seems to be a very loyal and honorable person. However, his character is changed by the influences of several factors.The influences from the witches' prophecies, and from Lady Macbeth insinuate the tragic downfall of Macbeth, however it is his own vaulting ambition and hamartia that are most influential in determining his destiny. Macbeth’s strive for power affects every aspect of his life, and this motivation eventually leads to his own demise. The prophecies of the witches are what first spark the desire within Macbeth to become king. The line “all hail, Macbeth, thou shalt be king hereafter!” (1.3.53). This line is what first creates the desire within Macbeth to become king. It could be said that without hearing the witches prophecies Macbeth…show more content…
A man who was at first acclaimed for his courage and loyalty. This is signified through the lines “Till he/ faced the slave; which ne’er shook hands, nor bade him farewell to him, till he unseamed/ him from the nave to th’ chops, and fix'd his head upon our battlements” (1.2.20-24). Macbeth quickly lets jealousy and envy transform him from a loyal servant of the king into a power hungry, savageous, murderer. No matter how you look at it, everything that happened in the play was due to Macbeth’s tragic flaws. Through everything that happened Macbeth always had the power to prevent it. Macbeth chose to roll the proverbial dice and gamble his own life, and for that he knew that he would pay the ultimate consequence. “Life’s but a/ walking shadow, a poor player That struts and frets his hour upon the stage And then is/ heard no more. It is a tale Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, Signifying nothing”. In this quote Macbeth is the idiot and he has come to the realization that all that has happened
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