What Brings About Macbeth’s Downfall?

Macbeth’s ambition is a vital characteristic, which leads him to the murder of his King and all who stand in the way of his ascension to the throne. This is very much linked to the witches prophecies and Macbeth being partial to what they foresaw. Macbeth admits his over ambition in the lines, “I have no spur to prick the sides of my intent, but only vaulting ambition, which o’erleaps itself and falls on the other.” (Act 1, Scene 7, lines 25-28) When the witches tell Macbeth about his future, he is initially cautious, but also curious. He wants to know more about these prophecies and he questions the witches, “Stay, you imperfect speakers, tell me more…” (Act 1,

The concept of the natural order being disturbed is a notion that interweaves through Macbeth. When Duncan is killed the natural order is disrupted and because of this strange occurrences begin to take place throughout Scotland. The night after Duncan is slain, Lennox says to Macbeth, “ The night has been unruly…Lamentings heard i’ the air, strange screams of death…”(Act 2, Scene 3, lines 58-60). The weather becomes unnatural and the animals also act strangely. Ross speaks about Duncan’s horses; “ …broke their stalls, flung out, contending ‘gainst obedience, as they would make war with mankind.” (Act 2, Scene 4, lines 19-21) Speaking about these abnormal happenings in Scotland, Macduff says, “Bleed, bleed poor country.”(Act 4, Scene 3, line 36) When Macbeth is finally killed, and the rightful King is reinstated, the natural order is restored and everything is returned to its natural state. This need for the natural order to be restored may have been what to some extent caused Macbeth’s downfall.

The influence of Macbeth’s wife, Lady Macbeth, sways Macbeth into making fundamental decisions throughout the play. This ties in a great deal with Macbeth’s guilt and how Lady Macbeth is able to keep her husband naïve, but she herself eventually drowns in shame. Lady Macbeth is a cruel woman and when she hears about the witches’ prophecies about Macbeth in a letter, she fears that he is too goo

Some topics in this essay:
Lady Macbeth, Scotland Macduff, Lennox Macbeth, Duncan Macbeth, Macbeth Shakespeare’s, Macbeth Duncan, William Shakespeare, lady macbeth, Macbeth Banquo’s, macbeth’s downfall, 2 scene, 1 scene, scene 3, act 1 scene, natural restored, act 1, macbeth’s wife lady, scene 4, tragic hero, prophecies macbeth, influence macbeth’s wife, wife lady macbeth, witches’ prophecies macbeth, ,