The witches have perhaps voiced Macbeth’s inner thoughts; this is the first sign of Macbeth’s ambition, Malcolm being named heir to the throne also puts a big shock on Mabeth’s face because now he has someone standing in between the throne and himself. Macbeth then announces his intention to return to the witches determined to learn the worst news by the worst means. “I will, to the Weird Sisters.” (Act III Scene VI Line 133) Macbeth is re-connecting with the forces of evil. He intends to learn his future from the witches, unable now to take responsibility for his own actions He wants to carry on in this bloody action that he has started in and therefore needs more information from the witches to be able to move in the right directions.
Macbeth has a very strong guilty conscience after committing the murder of Macbeth, so instantly felt Banquo knew his intentions which turns him slightly mad contributing to his downfall. Macbeth is thinking whether anything could clean him of the deeds he has done. “Will all great Neptune’s ocean wash this blood
Clean from my hand?” (Act II Scene II line 57) Macbeth here is worrying about the situation that he is in and wondering whether he will or won’t get caught! Neptune being a roman God, the language is meaning he is wondering whether any amount of water could clean his hands from what he has done Lady Macbeth has just returned from King Duncan’s death bed because Macbeth was silly enough to bring the dagger away from the crime scene, her hands are now also covered in blood physically and mentally, a knocking at the front gate startles them. Macbeth in Act III feels that there is more murders and crime to come, he is discussing with Lady Macbeth his intent to continue with his bloody course. “We are but young in the deed.” (Act III Scene VI) He is saying that the day is early and how anything could happen now if you continue down the road, this will of course scare Lady Macbeth at first but the impression that we get of Lady Macbeth shows us that she enjoys the excitement of these murderous deeds.
Lady Macbeth is the last person who is responsible for Macbeths downfall but probably the most influential. Lady Macbeth is making excuses for her husband in the banquet scene, and is covering for his disturbed behaviour. “This is the very painting of your fear” (Act III Scene VI Line 61) She is describing his fear as a “painting” as if she seen it coming, a sign of weakness in Macbeth is now seen. This is at the time of the great banquet and Macbeth is playing up in Lady, Macbeth’s eyes he is what she thinks pretending to see a ghost in his chair this would happen to be the ghost of Banquo and Macbeth is fearful of what he sees so Lady Macbeth feels the need to made excuses for Macbeth’s madness. Towards the end of the play Macbeth is expressing his reaction towards the death of Lady Macbeth and it is not the reaction you would expect from someone whose wife has just died. “She should have died hereafter;” (Act V Scene V) The relationship between Lady Macbeth and Macbeth is a very poor one throughout the whole play and deteriorates to the extent that he feels little for her death, when Seyton brings Macbeth the news of the death of his wife he does not react like a normal husband really should showing emotion, but in his opinion this day was coming and it would arrive very soon.
Macbeth is the main contributor to his downfall but with the witches’ prophecy being so unbelievable and then coming true and Lady Macbeth being so influential it’s hard to go so mad all by yourself, these two sets of characters were also very influential toward his downfall. In my opinion Macbeths eventual downfall was caused by all five of those main characters.
