The witches are one of the main characters of the play Macbeth. They play a great role in downfall of Macbeth because they are the people who started the thought of Macbeth becoming the king. There appearance is rather horrific with spots and boils covering there bodies and there woman like figure is more like a beast like figure. There fingers are long and pointy and the face grotesque. The Shakespearian audience would have believed in witches because they believed at that period in time witches where the cause of things like crop failure, deaths and sickness. The witches further contributed to Macbeth downfall because they said “none of woman born shall harm Macbeth” making Macbeth think nothing can harm him because everything is born of a woman. So he thought when he went to battle nobody could harm him. The witches make Macbeth believe them by putting elements of truth inside what they say. The witches don’t tell lies but they are ambiguous. So this is how the witches contributed to Macbeth downfall. Showing how they could be held responsible for Macbeth’s downfall.
Lady Macbeth also greatly contributed to the downfall of Macbeth. Lady Macbeth is several things, persuasive, intelligent, an opportunist and ambitious however she is also impatient superstitious, selfish, and sly. Lady Macbeth wants Macbeth to become king because:
- She loves him
- She believes he deserves it
- For the money
- because she will become queen
Lady Macbeth is not the typical Shakespearian woman for several reasons firstly, Lady Macbeth doesn’t act like a typical housewife, she is a very strong and opinionated woman. Lady Macbeth likes to feel as if she was a man to make her feel strong. “The raven himself is hoarse, that croaks the fatal entrance of Duncan under my battlements. Come you spirits that tend on mortal thoughts, unsex me here and fill me, from crown to the toe, top-full of direst cruelty!” this quote shows that she wants to be pure evil and as strong as a man. Lady Macbeth is also very persuasive. This is shown when she persuaded Macbeth to kill King Duncan “Hie thee hither, that I may pour my spirits in thine ear, and chastise with the valour of my tongue all that impedes thee from the golden round.” Also this shows how Lady Macbeth is devious, smart but still a weak because she doesn’t want to do the so called “deed”. Lady Macbeth contributed greatly to Macbeth downfall by her persuasive talks and evil thoughts and plans. Moreover Lady Macbeth acts as if she is the man of the house this is shown when she orders Macbeth around. This shows how Lady Macbeth could be responsible for Macbeth’s downfall.
Macbeth also contributed to his own downfall by his own sureness in his ability and his own boldness thinking he is above everyone else. Macbeth in the beginning of the play is displayed as a hero as he won the battle for the king and acted bravely killing people without effort. Macbeth at the start of the play is portrayed as a brave and courageous man. He is a master of the sword “with his brandished steel which smoked bloody execution” also he seems to not be a quitter “as cannons overcharged with double cracks, so they doubly redoubled strokes upon the foe “ When Macbeth meets the witches after the battle he acts surprised to what they say showing he is a modest man. When Lady Macbeth influences him it shows that Macbeth is a easily swayed man and he has no backbone. When Macbeth killed King Duncan he became instantly paranoid realizing what he had done was the start of his downfall. Lady Macbeth is the person who influences him to kill King Duncan and she is also the person who turned Macbeth into a cold hearted person. Before Macbeth killed King Duncan he was loyal because he had never betrayed his family and friends. Also he was brave because he was able to go to battle without fear or doubt. Moreover he was noble because he never killed innocent people e.g. Macduff’s family and Banquo. Macbeth shows he was easily led when he believed the witches prophecy automatically and when he was persuaded to kill King Duncan by Lady Macbeth. After Macbeth murdered King Duncan he became paranoid because he saw things that weren’t actually there like at the party when there was an empty seat and he thought he saw Banquo which he had recently murdered as well. Macbeth soon after got people to kill Banquo for several reasons of fear:
- Banquo was smart enough to be suspicious of Macbeth
- His prophecy may come true too
- The king has power to do what he wants.
Before the murder of king Duncan, Macbeth was brave, loyal, noble, weak, and several other things but after he became corrupt, inhuman, tyrannical, callous, cruel, uncompassionate and above all fearless all this is due the effect lady Macbeth had on him so much so that even when she committed suicide he didn’t even feel anything at all.
Putting all this into account, I think Lady Macbeth is responsible for the downfall of Macbeth because she changed him into a cold and heartless man with her evil talks and persuasive tongue. That is why I believe Lady Macbeth is the reason for Macbeth’s downfall.