The Downfall of Macbeth

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The Downfall of Macbeth

        The tragedies of William Shakespeare often include a tragic hero. A tragic hero is not necessarily evil; he is simply human, with human flaws. Often, there are factors which lead to his downfall. Macbeth is a play that shows the downfall of a noble man who becomes a violent killer. The three factors that contribute to Macbeth's downfall are the prophecies which were told by the witches, the influence of Macbeth's wife, and Macbeth's own ambition.

        The prophecies that are told by the witches are one of the factors that cause the degeneration of Macbeth. If it had not been for the witches telling him that he was to be the Thane of Glamis, Thane of Cawdor, and the King of Scotland, Macbeth would not have changed. Macbeth does not consider killing King Duncan before hearing the prophecies. Even after the first of the witches' predictions comes true, Macbeth does not plot against the king. Instead, he decides to leave it to chance, even though he considers murder later on. This is proven in Act I, scene iii of the play, after King Duncan plans to elevate Macbeth to Thane of Cawdor, Macbeth says, “(Aside) If chance will have me king,/ why, chance may crown me,/ Without my stir.”(I, iii, 142-144) Macbeth's over confident attitude is the first characteristic the witches detect, and they take advantage of this trait to bring about his downfall. If the witches did not play up his confidence, he would not have got himself killed. As the play progresses, Macbeth slowly relies on the witches' prophecies. He returns to seek their guidance again when he realizes that everyone is turning against him. This is when the witches give him three apparitions that make him extremely confident about his position on the throne. The first one of the three apparitions tells him to watch out for Macduff. The second one tells him that no one born of a woman can harm him. The third apparition tells him that he will never fall until the woods at Birnam attack Dunsinane Hill.  His confidence is proven in Act I, scene iii, when he says:

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                Why hath it given me earnest of success,

                Commencing in a truth? I am Thane of Cawdor:

                If good, why do I yield to that suggestion

                Whose horrid image doth unfix my hair

                And make my seated heart knock at my ribs,

                Against the use of nature? Present fears

                Are less than horrible imaginings;

                My thought, whose murder yet is but fantastical,

                Shakes so my single state of man that function

                Is smother'd my surmise, and nothing is

                But what is not.(I, iii, 133-143)

At this point in the play, Macbeth is sure of himself and his position on ...

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