What Was Macbeth's Downfall

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One’s Desire Turns into Many Misfortunes
Being humble and strong is what leads people to strive for higher remarks. The adrenaline to push further is what 's’ to be known as an escalating ambition. In the play Macbeth by William Shakespeare, a fatal flaw is exposed by the main character Macbeth. His eventual downfall was his vaulting ambition. His ambition drove him to murder many victims, he was presumptuous of his capable beings, and lastly his ambition was constantly mislead by other characters. At first, Macbeth was a heroic figure. He helped the turn the tides of the war. He was looked upon as a successful human being. It was not long until he wanted the possession of king. This made Macbeth hungry for the crown. His first thoughts were
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That means that Macbeth can push his ambitions and succeed earlier. Macbeth is overly confident that he will not die. The witches showed Macbeth apparitions. One told, “Macbeth shall never vanquished be until / Great Birnam Wood to high Dunsinane Hill / Shall come against him” (Act IV, i, 104-107). Subsequently, he is delighted to hear that he will not fall, “Who can impress the forest, bid the tree / Unfix his earthbound root? Sweet bodements, good!... rise never till the wood / of Birnam rise” (Act IV, i, 108-112). If he wants to get something done he will gladly do it, because he will never fall until this prophecy comes true. Afterwards, another apparition tells him, “none of woman born / Shall harm Macbeth” (Act IV, i, 91-92). With this in mind, it is another prophecy that for Macbeth, will never come true. He did not think about the circumstances of these prophecies, “he does not give a thought to the possibility that maybe maduff is a “man” not of woman born” (Vince). Macbeth does not realize that, “there is a contradiction between [the first two prophecy’s]” (Vince). He thought he would be safe from Macduff when technically he was not. Lastly, Macbeth was awarded Thane of Cawdor, Thane of Glamis, and now that he has ownership over Scotland, "Macbeth becomes completely confident in his grab for power” (Thompson). He is constantly gaining more and more power. As a result, he could not …show more content…
The witches corrupted his mind and made him strive for other achievements that he has never thought of. Telling him he was “Thane of Glamis!... Thane of Cawdor!... [and] that shalt be king hereafter! (Act I, iii, 51-53), is what lead him to continue his path to kill the King and later his friend Banquo. Readers of this play saw “the witches may be thought of as pawns of devils who, according to medieval demonology. take demonic possession of our bodies through our minds” (Kranz). This could be assumed that Macbeth has been controlled by the witches and not by fate. Lady Macbeth was also a strong influence that caused Macbeth to eventually kill Duncan. She “[manipulated of her husband to “be a man” and take action” (Thomas), was what made Macbeth decide to kill Duncan. He could not be ashamed by his wife telling him he is not a real man. Her “powerful elements of her ambitious and successful plotting of Duncan’s demise”, changes Macbeth’s ambition. Her status in the play was to convince Macbeth to start his descending ambition. Thirdly, Macbeth’s encounter with Banquo’s ghost drove him insane, he was later calmed down by Lady Macbeth’s help. Macbeth thought that, “when the brains were out, the man would die, And there an end. But now they rise again With twenty mortal murders on their crowns And push us from our stools” (Act III, iv, 95-98). Now

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