"… My way of life has fallen into the sere, the yellow leaf…" (Macbeth Act 5, scene 3, lines 22-23). What do you think are the main causes of Macbeth's downfall?

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Macbeth essay--- “… My way of life has fallen into the sere, the yellow leaf…” (Macbeth Act 5, scene 3, lines 22-23). What do you think are the main causes of Macbeth’s downfall?

        The first blow is half the battle--- this is what people always say. However, after reading “Macbeth”, I can’t help but wonder if it is a true saying. Remember? Macbeth does have a good start. He is a brave, loyal and trustworthy warrior, as well as the honorable Thane of Glamis at the beginning of the play. For me, it’s really a pity to see how everything ends: Macbeth is killed, he is eventually a loser, and he can only be regarded as a tragic hero. What makes such a downfall of Macbeth?

        Everything looks fine with Macbeth, until the scene he encounters with the three witches. “So foul and fair a day I have not seen”, this is what Macbeth says before his meeting with those witches, and it echoes with the witches’ speech “Fair is foul, and foul is fair” before, proving that he actually has certain evil elements in his mind, like every human being does. The main problem, what sparks out these elements, ironically, is Macbeth himself’s ambition.

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        Macbeth is overly ambitious. He shows his great concern right after hearing the three prophecies foretold by the three witches, including the one saying that he will be the future king of Scotland. He is so eager to know more about those predictions that he asks those witches to stay, accusing them as the “imperfect speakers” and urges them to tell him more. He remembers every word those witches tell him that he even speaks to Banquo “Your children shall be kings”, showing he worries that Banquo will threaten the crown which he thinks he deserves. After the prophecy ...

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