Macbeth is a courageous Scottish general who is not naturally inclined to commit evil deeds, yet he deeply desires power and advancement. There are three main factors that contribute greatly to Macbeth’s ambition and then insanity, the prophecy’s told to him by the witches, Lady Macbeth influencing and manipulating Macbeth’s judgment, and Macbeth’s own ambition and greed to become king. Macbeth’s character degenerates from a noble man at the beginning of the play to a violent individual at the end. With his wife’s cajoling, and the three witches’ foretelling of his future, Macbeth will stop at nothing to gain position as Kind of Scotland.

The three witches and their prophecy’s are the first major influences on Macbeth’s actions. Macbeth, Thane of Glamis is content with his position, until the three witches tell him he will be Thane of Cawdor, and

Lady Macbeth meanwhile, becomes plagued with fits of sleepwalking. Lady Macbeth could be believed to be used by the witches’ only has a puppet and part of their prophecy’s. After being used by the witches’ to influence and initiate Macbeth’s greed and insanity, she goes back to human and becomes insane herself. Lady Macbeth waltzes around the castle moaning, with belief that her hands are bloodstained. “Out, damned spot! Out, I say! One – two – why then, ‘tis time to do ‘t…The Thane of Fife had a wife. Where is she now? – What, will these hands ne’er be clean?” (Act 5.1, 34-35,41-42). Lady Macbeth later is found to be dead, and thought that she killed herself.

Macbeth, receiving news of his wife’s death sinks into despair. Nevertheless, he awaits the English and fortifies Dunsinane, which he seems to have withdrawn in order to defend himself, certain that the witches prophecy’s guarantee his safety. Macbeth is soon struck numb with fear when he learns that the English army is advancing on Dunsinane shielded with boughs of Birnam Wood. Birnam wood is coming to Dunsinane, fulfilling half of the witches’ prophecy. Upon arrival at Dunsinane, Macbeth encounters Macduff in battle. The vengeful Macduff declares to Macbeth that he was not “ of woman born” but instead “untimely ripped” from his mother’s womb. Macbeth realizes that all of the witches’ prophecies have been fulfilled and he is doomed. He continues to fight until Macduff kills and beheads him. Malcolm is then crowned Kind of Scotland.

The prophecy’s given to Macbeth by the witches’, Lady Macbeth’s own ambition and influential plans, and Macbeth’s own intensified ambition, greed, and insanity, all

When Macbeth learns that Macduff flees to England to join Malcolm, he orders that Macduff’s castle be seized and cruelly, that Lady Macduff and her children be murdered. The murder of Macduff’s family, marks the moment in which Macbeth descends into utter madness, killing neither for political gain nor to silence an enemy, but simply out of a furious desire to do harm.

As one can see ambition – helped by the prophecy’s of the witches’ – is what causes the downfall and death of Macbeth and Lady Macbeth. The witches’ cause a major part of the ambition inflicted upon Macbeth, as well as Lady Macbeth. They plant the seed of evil within Macbeth, changing him from the hero he was to the traitor he became. The witches’ prophecy’s then causes Macbeth and Lady Macbeth’s ambition to increase as they gain greed for the throne, which then causes deception, insanity, and finally the death of both. Macbeth’s own ambition and Lady Macbeth also influenced Macbeth’s declining character. Before Macbeth Kills Duncan he is plagued by worry and almost aborts the crime. Macbeth’s own ambition was not strong enough to carry out the motive to kill Duncan, which brings forth Lady Macbeth’s ambition. Without Lady Macbeth, Macbeth’s ambition would not have been intensified enough to drive him to obtain and maintain his title a

Some topics in this essay:
Lady Macbeth, England Ireland, Lady Macbeth’s, Lady Macduff’s, Banquo Fleance, Dunsinane Macbeth, King Scotland, King Duncan’s, King Duncan, Dunsinane Castle, lady macbeth, macbeth’s own, macbeth’s own ambition, own ambition, king scotland, macbeth lady, lady macbeth’s, macbeth’s ambition, witches’ prophecy’s, hail macbeth, act 15, / hail macbeth, macbeth lady macbeth, hail thee thane, macbeth hail thee,