There can
be a great deal of discussion about who causes 's downfall in
Shakespeare's.
Macbeth is a man of honor, a valiant and
loyal soldier in the Scottish army, serving King . At the beginning of the play, he is described
in battle as a force to be reckoned with:
For brave
Macbethwell he deserves that name
€¦with his brandish'd steel,
Which smoked
with bloody execution,
€¦carved out his passage
Till he faced
the slave€¦
Till he unseam'd him€¦
And fix'd his head upon our battlements.
(I.ii.18-22, 24-25)
There is no question that he is
Duncan's man. This is one of the reasons that Duncan is so vulnerable because up until this
point, Macbeth's only ambition has been to serve king and country.
In Act
One, scene three, however, three witches who serve(queen of ) show up (as they previously
arranged) to speak with Macbeth andon the moors as they return from battle.
The witches' job (and the Elizabethan audience would have believed this wholeheartedly)
is to trick human beings so as to win their immortal souls to eternal damnation. It is in this
scene that the hags offer their first set of predictions to Macbeth, in order to win his
confidence. Banquo dismisses the predictions they offer him, and warns his
best friend that sometimes the powers of evil will win one's confidence with little details,
only to betray one later when something really important is at stake. (And this is exactly what
happens.) However, Macbeth starts to ponder their words and what they might mean to his life, in
particular the news that he will one day be king.
One might argue that the
witches are responsible for tricking Macbeth. I would disagree: Macbeth is obviously a smart and
experienced solder. He knows the difference between right and wrong. Even his best friend warns
him to be cautious of the witches. Hecate tells the Weird Sisters (the witches) that a man's
biggest enemy is a false sense of security.
He shall spurn fate, scorn death, and bear
His hopes 'bove wisdom, grace and
fear:
And you all know, security
Is mortals' chiefest enemy.
(III.v.30-33)
It is true that the witches' six
predictions seal this illusion in Macbeth's mind, but it is only because he first gives in to
his worst character flaw that he willingly considers the witches' words. In giving rein to this
flaw, he ultimately develops a false sense of security.
Some might argue
thatis at fault. It is true that she pushes Macbeth to commit murder because she wants to be
queen. She insults her husband and questions his bravery. She is a frightening character when he
begins to change his mind about their agreed upon plan, saying that had she
promised to do so, she would have killed her nursing child, and not think twice about it.
However, though it seems clear that Macbeth loves his wife, can one believe that this stalwart
and fearless warrior that has seen the worst of death and destruction on the battlefield would
ultimately be forced by a nagging wife to kill his king? If he had been unwilling, he would have
put a stop to the plan.
The fault can be found first and foremost in
Macbeth's flawed character.
Macbeth is considered a tragic hero according to
Aristotle's five characteristicsone is that the character must have a tragic flaw, and Macbeth
readily admits to his: his vaulting ambition.
I have no spur
To prick the sides of my intent, but only
Vaulting
ambition, which o'erleaps itself
And falls on the other(I.vii.25-28)
In order to realize his ambition to be king, Macbeth will do
anything. He even gives away his most precious possessionhis soulto the devil.
...mine eternal jewel
Given to the common enemy of man...
(III.i.67-68)
Hecate (an unlikely judge) comments on
Macbeth's character: he is selfishhe wants what benefits him and cares for
nothing else, including the witches. (This angers Hecate because Macbeth has no fear or respect
for the witches.)
Macbeth murders Duncan, his guards and Banquo (his best
friend who suspects that Macbeth murdered Duncan). The murder of Duncan speaks directly to the
depravity of Macbeth's character: for Duncan was not only his king, but also his friend
and his cousin. He was also Macbeth's guest. The King's safety should have
been guaranteed while under Macbeth's roof according to a long-established and recognized rule
of hospitality.
It is Macbeth's flawed character, galvanized forward by
selfish ambition that causes his defeat. He is responsible for his
downfall.
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