Everyone that has led had a tragic flaw. Some are brought down by this flaw and some are able to withstand the weight of it on their shoulders. Aristotle once said, a tragic hero is created, “not through vice or depravity but by some error of judgment.” In Shakespeare’s Macbeth, this is precisely what happens to Macbeth through his many tragic flaws. This play follows the prophecy of Macbeth and the actions he takes along the way to try and make this dream a reality. Indisputably, some people believe Lady Macbeth is responsible for the downfall of Macbeth because she formulates the plan to assassinate the King; however, when faced with the action of killing the king, she cannot go through with it. Taking this into consideration, it …show more content…
He also explains that he does not want to think about what he has done and he can never restart because the actions he has taken. When Macbeth killed the King, he was not thinking clearly and acted out of pride. He was blatantly disturbed by the attacks to his self-esteem from Lady Macbeth that forces him over the edge. Henceforth, Macbeth acted irrationally and blindly when he kills the King because he is too proud of himself to say no. Secondly, Macbeth demonstrates numerous signs of self-ambition throughout the play. Macbeth is a character that believes that he always need to accomplish a goal although that goal will never be enough to satisfy his desires. Towards the start of the play, Macbeth contemplates what the witches have just said to him. He begins to give an explanation of what the prophecies of the witches have made him think about. Macbeth says, “My thought, whose murder yet is but fantastical / Shakes so my single state of man / That function is smothered in …show more content…
(I. VII. 142-145). In this quote, Macbeth unpacks his true feelings. He explains that just the thought of committing this foul act of killing his own king disgusts him. He states that his ability to act would be clouded by the burden he would have put on his head. This means that if Macbeth had not have been ambitious, he would not have even thought about murdering the King, although, his rambunctious nature and personality leads him to believe this is the only way to become King. In reality, Macbeth overcomes his guilt with his ambition. In consequences of these actions, Macbeth is forced to continue his murderous spree due to the fact that he never feels satisfied with what he has. Although Macbeth is reigning as King of Scotland, both him and his wife believe that something is still missing. Macbeth believes that he must keep the crown in the family or else he would have done all these actions for no reason. He then decides to target Banquo because of the witches’ prophecy that says Banquo’s sons will be the start of a long line of kings. Macbeth devises a plan to kill Banquo and his son Fleance, “Know Banquo was your enemy”(III. I. 114). In this quote, Macbeth is speaking to the murderers he had hired to kill Banquo. Macbeth is trying to give a valid explanation on why it is acceptable to kill Banquo. It is quite easy to interpret that Macbeth says this because he believes that Banquo truly is his enemy. Macbeth considers Banquo an enemy