The Downfall Of Hubris In William Shakespeare's Macbeth

Macbeth is a play written by William Shakespeare about a “dead butcher and his fiend like Queen” (5.8.82). In the beginning of the play, the main character Macbeth is a noble war hero who is honest and morally upright. Macbeth is then introduced to a group of evil witches who begin to play psychological mind games on him, which eventually lead to his destruction. The major causes of Macbeth’s downfall are hubris, errors in judgement, and forces beyond his control. One character flaw Macbeth possesses is Hubris. Macbeth begins to introduce this excessive pride and self confidence when the witches give him several prophecies in Act 1 to test his moral character. The most astonishing prophecy began to creep inside Macbeth 's sub conscious as …show more content…
During Act four, Macbeth visits the witches to gain assurance for his prophecies. The witches instead give Macbeth four apparitions giving him knowledge on what he should expect for the future. Macbeth starts to feel invincible because of his poor judgement in trusting the evil witches. The witches start to reveal Macbeth’s apparations which only make him feel more unvulnerable than he already thinks he is. The apparation included things like no one can defeat Macbeth until the woods of Dunsinane start to move and no man born of a woman could hurt him. Macbeth begins to get in over his head as he tells the doctor and attendance that “all mortal consequences have pronounced me thus” (5.3.72). Macbeth begins to feel like because no man is not born of a woman, then no one could ever over power him. Macbeth begins to trust anything that will give him a little hope in what he is doing is right. As soon as Macbeth hears any self assurance in anyone, including the witches, he takes it for granted. Macbeth does not take time to think that what the witches are telling him are lies at all. He ha no morality or self judgement at all …show more content…
No matter how hard Macbeth tried, changing fate is not something that is possible. After Macbeth was murdered, Malcolm is pronounced King as Macduff exclaimed, “Hail, king of Scotland!” (5.8.82) Although Macbeth sacraficed the last few years of his life to remain in power, fate is in the hands of Macduff. Macbeth lost his wife and his life due to his aggressive ambition. His desire for power was too much for him to control anymore. His morality was hidden far too deep inside of him to gain back anymore. Macbeth was and always will be a lot cause. Macbeth 's life would have lived on if he would have listened to his strong willed conscience he once