...In reality, people have been falsely accused of crimes and for other people’s mistakes. Occasionally, some people are accused because others may not want to take full responsibility for their actions. However, some mistakes may be taken full responsibility by a number of people. The play called Macbeth by William Shakespeare is a perfect example on how numerous people are responsible for Macbeth’s downfall including himself. Lady Macbeth is ultimately responsible for Macbeth’s downfall because she is manipulative and overly ambitious. First of all, Lady Macbeth plays a significant role in Macbeth’s rise and downfall as a king from being manipulative and conceiving. For example, “Looks like th’ innocent flower/but be the serpent under’t” (1.6.76-77)....
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...Macbeth dramatizes the effects of political ambition on those who seek the ultimate power; power to be king. Although, who can we blame to bear the lion’s share of responsibility of the tragedies that took place in that time? Most characters involved in the play could be placed as responsible but some characters are also more guilty than others might be assumed to be. The three witches of Macbeth’s fate, Macbeth himself, as well as his wife, Lady Macbeth can be seen as holding most of the responsibilities of the problems. The witches were the ones that inspired the first evil thought of killing King Duncan into Macbeth’s mind, Macbeth acted upon the vile thoughts and, Lady Macbeth convinces Macbeth to even remotely act on those vile thoughts of his, so who is actually the most liable for their actions?...
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...by Aristotle’s standards, in that all five of the established tragic traits are applicable to Macbeth’s character (a noble birth, Hamartia, Peripeteia, Anagnorisis, and Catharsis). The narrative of Macbeth follows the timeless trajectory of a tragedy; Macbeth comes from a place of serendipity, and over the course of events, finds himself plummeting into defeat as a character. Through critical analysis of Macbeth’s core traits compared to the core traits of a tragedy, it becomes apparent Macbeth is ultimately responsible for his tragedy and his downfall as an individual, because it was his own hubris which drove him to bring about the prophecy he heard. To acknowledge this fully, one must first simply observe both the actions of Macbeth and the core elements crucial to a tragic hero, as according to Aristotle for the sake of consistency in a historical theme of narrative. Aristotle’s traits of a tragic hero are as follows: a noble birth, Hamartia, Peripeteia, Anagnorisis, and Catharsis. To begin with, the first element of a tragedy we are faced with in Macbeth is of being of a noble...
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...Causes of Macbeth's Downfall Essay Macbeth was a noble and loyal man, who would never harm his King. If it wasn't for the influences of the people surrounding him, he would have lived happily as Thane of Cawdor, an honourable title in itself. The downfall of Macbeth was ignited by the actions by those around him, mainly the witches and his wife Lady Macbeth, and eventually, his ambitions took over. Macbeth never had the intention of killing his king, but was ultimately persuaded that it was the correct thing to do. The three witches planted the seed of ambition within Maceth. They were the driving force behind Banquo and King Duncan's killing. The witches prophesised that his life would completely change, by becoming thane of Cawdor, then king of Scotland. At first, Macbeth dismissed their prophecies, but after he was promoted to Thane of Cawdor, Macbeth wondered if he will be King, too. "If chance will have me king, why chance may crown me without my stir." Another prophecy made by the witches was that Banquo's son will be king. Fuelled by paranoia, lack of sleep and visions, Macbeth was thrown into a state of confusion and a belief that the prophecies were inevitable. Lady Macbeth urged her husband to commit murder and it was this action that sparked Macbeth's downfall. When Lady Macbeth heard about the prophecies made by the witches, and how one of them had already come true, she called upon evil spirits to guide her through her task - killing the king. .".. Fill me...
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...To what extent is Macbeth responsible for his own downfall? Macbeth is a universal text and is one of Shakespeare’s greatest tragedies, when we talk about Macbeth’s downfall it is both the downfall of the single state of man and the downfall of his wider social relations, these being Lady Macbeth, Duncan, Banquo, Macduff’s family and ultimately Scotland. Aristotle says that ‘tragedy is the imitation of an action’ he is talking about an action or a motive that governs the protagonist’s life. A tragedy is commonly known as a story or play that ends with a negative or unfortunate outcome that was essentially unavoidable, usually caused by a flaw in the central character’s personality. Although it is established that Macbeth is a tragedy, there are differences in audience response to tragedy. The audience of Elizabethan times saw tragedy as the destruction of the Great Chain of Being and the danger to the order and stability of the state. The Great Chain of being is conception of the hierachical order of the universe; Elizabethan audiences believed that a bond linked all things in the universe. They saw Macbeth as a tragedy because the rightful ruler of Scotland was killed which lead to Scotland being lead by an evil King. Contemporary audiences see Macbeth as a tragedy because of the psychological destruction of a man, and the crises caused by this man. Macbeth shows the journey of a tragic hero, Macbeth has the traits of a tragic hero as defined by Aristotle: nobility, hamartia...
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...All hail, Macbeth! In the future, you shall be king! The person who is the most responsible for the murder of Macbeth is Lady Macbeth. She constantly makes Macbeth question himself, his masculinity and his love for her, which causes him to feel the need to prove his manhood and passion to her on a regular basis. While some say that the witches are at fault because they give the prophecy in the first place or that Macbeth is responsible for his own demise because he allows himself to become too driven by his ambition of being a king. However, Lady Macbeth is the most at fault for her husband’s demise due to the fact that she uses her husband's’ flaws to work against him. The witches play a significant...
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...totally different story line. The three witches effect characters’ lives, orientate the plot, they are related to most of the themes or motifs and appeal the audience's attention. The witches, or three sisters, have a strong effect on the characters of the play- especially Macbeth. When Macbeth meets the witches for the first time, they greet him as the Thane of Cawdor. Macbeth is Thane of Glamis and does not know about Cawdor, he hasn’t heard that the Thane of Cawdor has died. “I know I am Thane of Glamis, But how of Cawdor? The Thane of Cawdor lives” (Act 1 Scene 3). When Macbeth learns that the thane of Cawdor has in fact died, it is almost as if a bit of evil has been put into Macbeth’s head that will soon grow to dominate his mind. In the play the witches, with their spells, plan the downfall of Macbeth. They cannot directly harm him themselves, so they tell Macbeth predictions for his possible future, in order to make him act on them. The witches tell Macbeth that he will become the thane of Cawdor and then king...
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...whatever it takes to remain in control. Macbeth, written by William Shakespeare, utilizes psychoanalysis to portray how the Macbeths’ lust for power ultimately leads to their downfall. To begin, Macbeth’s thirst for power commences upon hearing the Witches’ prophecy. The Third Witch proclaims, “All hail, Macbeth, that shalt be king hereafter!” (1.3.51). Macbeth and his companion, Banquo, find this prophecy of being king absurd to the point of being funny. Yet Macbeth secretly...
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...tragic downfall of a Scottish lord who committed multiple murders. Macbeth, the protagonist of the play, killed numerous people to get what he wanted; however some of the murders were unavoidable. Although some of the murders were unavoidable, Macbeth is still guilty for the wrongful murders of Banquo and the Macduff family. He killed his fellow countrymen for power, which is unacceptable in any circumstances, but in Duncan’s case Macbeth was pressured by others to commit the deed. Macbeth is personally responsible for the death of Banquo, but he is not responsible for Duncan’s and the Macduff family’s deaths. To begin with, Macbeth is not responsible for Duncan’s death as Macbeth was pressured to kill him. Lady Macbeth, Macbeth’s wife, pressured him into killing Duncan. Macbeth is innocent in this murder as he was being emasculated and used by his own wife. The guilt should be on Lady Macbeth as it was her that told Macbeth to kill Duncan. Lady Macbeth. Was the hope drunk/...
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...Macbeth is the evil force behind Macbeth's cruelty and evil doings. In Shakespeare's Macbeth, Lady Macbeth is the main reason that Macbeth is transformed from a noble, respected Thane into a ruthless, murderous character. Lady Macbeth fuels his inner desire for power and brings forth his greed and ambition, which both eventually lead to his downfall. The tactics that Lady Macbeth use to drive her husband to this downfall are manipulation, dominance, and her evil nature. Lady Macbeth manipulates Macbeth into believing that he is a coward and a bad husband, which persuades him to agree to the murder of King Duncan. She dwells on the fact that he is a coward, when she says "My hands are of your colour, but I shame/ to wear a heart so white" (2.2.64-65). This instills feelings of embarrassment into his mind, and manipulates him into believing that if he does not murder King Duncan, he will be a weak, cowardly man. Not only is she challenging his manhood, by appearing to be the stronger and braver of the two, but also, by calling his heart "white", she is criticizing his cowardice. The fact that his wife is undermining his masculinity causes Macbeth to want to be stronger, and not to appear weak and timid. When Lady Macbeth yells "Infirm of purpose! Give me the daggers. The sleeping and the dead/ are but as pictures. 'Tis the eye of childhood/ that fears a painted devil" (2.2.53-55), she further contributes to the shame which she has driven into Macbeth's mind. She bluntly tells him that...
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...Macbeth: A Tragic Hero? William Shakespeare's tragedy, Macbeth, attains a protagonist that evidently portrays himself as a tragic hero. A tragic hero is a character that is not completely good or evil and has a tragic flaw that eventually leads to his downfall. Macbeth is the epitome of a tragic hero because he starts off as a noble man until his own actions, also influenced by others, bring him to his own death. The events that help take Macbeth to his end are the prophecies told to him by the three witches, Lady Macbeth's pressure that drives him into committing horrible actions, and his own ambition that takes over him and leaves him as nothing but a power and money hungry character. Macbeth starts off with Macbeth and Banquo being praised after battling bravely in a war against the Irish Invaders. “At the beginning of the play, he seems the epitome of a loyal subject, valiantly fighting the rebel forces to protect the king and preserve his power.” (Elaine Pilkington 1) King Duncan believed that Macbeth was tremendously heroic in the battle and decided to name him the new thane of Cawdor after executing the old one because of his betrayal. However, before hearing from the King, Macbeth and Banquo were on their way to the King's court when they were suddenly accompanied by three witches.The witches greet Macbeth as the thane of Glamis, which was his original and only title, and as the thane of Cawdor, which Macbeth was not yet informed of. The witches also tell Macbeth...
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...This essay will prove that Macbeth is an evil man and was not overpowered by ambition to get what he wanted. This essay will also determine that certain characters like the witches did not force him to do evil; they simply triggered it. In the beginning of the play, Macbeth is shown as a hero in the Scottish army that is ironic because Macbeth has defeated a traitor and he will become one. We feel that a person of his loyalty could never commit evil unless he had a good reason or if he would be provoked. After Macbeth's first meeting with the witches, we learn from his aside that he has thought about killing Duncan " My thought, whose murder yet is but fantastical" 1(Macbeth 1.3.152). Macbeth also says " If chance will have me king, why, chance may crown me without my stir." 2(Macbeth 1.4.157-159) which means that maybe he does not have to murder the king to gain that title. Luck has been very generous to him and might continue and make him king. Macbeth's true evil thoughts about being king are first shown when he finds out that king Duncan has named his son Malcolm as Prince of Cumberland. He now shows his evil and his true feelings. " Stars, hide your fires; Let not night see my black and deep desires. The eye wink at the hand; yet let that be Which the eye fears, when it is done, to see." 3(Macbeth 1.4.57-60) Macbeth is actually seeking help from the dark and supernatural. Macbeth is saying that he does not want to see the evil that he...
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...Macbeth, by William Shakespeare, is not a play of fate; but instead, it is a tragedy that is a result from the freewill and unruly greed of Macbeth. The witches only make suggestions about Macbeth becoming king in the future; they do not cast spells or have control over Macbeth, which will secure that their predictions come true. However, it is Macbeth’s thoughts that occur after his encounter with the witches that lead him to kill King Duncan and secure his title, which leads to a number of consequences. It is free will, not fate that leads to Macbeth’s madness and destruction. Therefore, through observations of the text, Macbeth is clearly illustrated as a villain who exercises his free will which leads to his own downfall, the witches are not at fault at all. Macbeth’s freewill is portrayed through his actions before and after the murder of King Duncan. There is no proof to show that the weird sisters are valid sources or that they are women that can see the future. The witches simply tell Macbeth and Banquo news that has already been revealed to the public, which any individual with access to the news of Scottish politics or who are associated with the royals. This news convinces Macbeth that the witches might have the ability to predict his future. Although he is a little hesitant to put his complete trust in the minds of the witches, the scene where he meets with them is enough to give Macbeth the feeling that he must do whatever it takes in order to make him King. The...
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...Macbeth Literary Essay Submitted By: Zachary McGregor May 1st, 2012 I believe that Macbeth is fully responsible for his own destiny because whether or not it was fated, he still chose to do everything he did. We obviously know that Macbeth made some pretty bad decisions over the course of the play. He should be held responsible and forced to pay the consequences of his actions for the following reasons. We know that Macbeth still had the choice of whether or not to murder Duncan, although he was encouraged by the witches’ prophesies and Lady Macbeth he didn’t really have to go through with the murder. We also know that the crimes Macbeth commits are becoming increasingly sinister and evil, as he continues to do these terrible deeds it becomes easier and easier for him to commit them. Finally, Macbeth acknowledges his guilt for the crimes he commits and is therefore fully responsible for his actions. It seems that the witches’ predictions insinuate Macbeth’s desire to become king, however, no one actually forces him to kill Duncan. Even though Macbeth’s decision was most certainly influenced by the witches’ prophesies and Lady Macbeth, he still made the final choice regarding the murder of Duncan which is wrong. Macbeth’s ambition causes him to question his loyalty to the king after hearing the witches’ prophesies. “My thought, whose murder yet is but fantastical, shakes so my shingle state of man that...
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...Macbeth Essay – Is Lady Macbeth more responsible than Macbeth for the murder of King Duncan? Is Lady Macbeth a more evil character than her husband? Why? Macbeth is a play that was written by William Shakespeare in 1606. The story is basically revolves around a prophecies that was told to Macbeth, which in hearing the prophecies sparks Macbeth’s ambitions, which lead him on a path that would inevitably lead to his downfall. Lady Macbeth and Macbeth himself share responsibility for the murder of King Duncan. Even though Macbeth was the one to actually end his life Lady Macbeth is as much to blame as he is. Her responsibility is shown through her manipulating and influencing him. Lady Macbeth’s character is shown throughout the play with her ambition, slyness and control over Macbeth, it shows over the course of the play that though Macbeth’s ambitions are great hers are much greater. Her ambition is so extreme that she would even go as far as to cast her femininity away: “Come, you spirits That tend on mortal thoughts, unsex me here, And fill me from the crown to the toe top-full Of direst cruelty! make thick my blood; Stop up the access and passage to remorse, That no compunctious visitings of nature Shake my fell purpose, nor keep peace between The effect and it! Come to my woman's breasts, And take my milk for gall” Lady Macbeth believes that ‘remorse’ is a factor in her femininity of which she must rid herself of if she wished to continue. She also must...
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