Every great tragedy is dominated by a protagonist who has within himself a tragic flaw, too much or too little of one of Aristotle's twelve virtues. In Macbeth, by William Shakespeare, Macbeth, a great Scottish general and thane of Glamis, has just won an important battle, when he is told by three witches that he will become thane of Cawdor and then king of Scotland. After Macbeth is given Cawdor by King Duncan, he takes the witches words for truth and conspires against Duncan with his wife. When Duncan comes to Macbeth's castle that night, Macbeth kills him and takes the crown for himself after Duncan's sons flee from Scotland. Then Macbeth reigns for a while, has several people killed, and is eventually slain by Macduff when he and Malcolm return leading the armies of England. Often people read the play and automatically conclude that Macbeth's tragic flaw is his ambition; that he is compelled to commit so many acts of violence by his lust for power. However, by carefully examining the first act, one can determine the defect in Macbeth's character that creates his ambition; his true tragic flaw. Macbeth's tragic flaw is not his ambition as most people believe, but rather his trust in the words of the witches and in his wife's decisions.
At the beginning of the play Macbeth has no designs on the throne, and he does not start plotting until his wife comes up with a plan. When first faced with the witches' words, Macbeth expresses astonishment and disbelief rather than welcoming them when he says, ".to be King stands not within the prospect of belief, no more than to be Cawdor."(1.3.73-75). When confronted with the witches' proclamation that he is to be king, Macbeth responds as a loyal subject would; not as a man with secret aspirations in his heart. He has no reason to hide his true feelings at this point so therefore it can be assumed that Macbeth has not yet truly considered killing the king.
Macbeth enters, attired as king. He is followed by Lady Macbeth, now his queen, and the court. Macbeth and Lady Macbeth ask Banquo to attend the feast they will host that night. ... The witches also declare that Macbeth will be king one day. ... Macbeth fixates on the details of the prophecy. ...
Macbeth Macbeth's downfall was generated by a combination of factors. These include Macbeth's greed, ambition, over confidence and Lady Macbeth's suspicious behavior. ... This track of thought leads Macbeth to kill Banquo. ... Damned fact how it did greave Macbeth! ... This is proof that lady Macbeth's undisciplined tongue aroused suspicion and contributed to Macbeth's downfall. ...
Macbeth is tragic play written by William Shakespeare in early 1606. ... Afterwards as Macbeth informs his wife about the three predictions he has learnt, she expresses herself more ambitious than Macbeth. ... When Lady Macbeth has no choice then she uses her tactics to stop Macbeth wimping out of Duncan's murder. ... As the witches warn Macbeth to be aware of Macduff. ... He is also weak before Lady Macbeth. ...
Throughout the play, Macbeth becomes more impaintent, secretive, and paranoid. ... Macbeth is not living in reality because when an equivocation is placed in front of him, "All hail, Macbeth! ... However, in the end his arrogance will cost Macbeth his life. Throughout the meetings between the witches and Macbeth, no lies were told. ... All the venom and evil in the play are always located in Macbeth's mind. ...
In the play "Macbeth" by William Shakespeare the protagonist Macbeth mindset changes throughout the play with certain events that influence his mentality. Macbeth undergoes a transformation, which changes his belief and opinions about his King. ... This perspective is altered once Macbeth interacts with the three witches. ... Macbeth after committing the murder of Duncan feels guilt from his crime. ... This is the transformed Macbeth who has nothing left to lose but his life. ...
In Shakespeare's play Macbeth, Macbeth is no pawn of fate. ... The prophecy of Macbeth becoming Thane of Cawdor had already come true, enhancing Macbeth's aspirations of becoming king. ... But, Macbeth was never destined to kill anyone. ... The three Weird sisters played a part within Macbeth's destiny, for they were the ones who foretold Macbeth's future. ... Macbeth knew what he was doing. ...
By offering to Macbeth the idea of power, the witches push Macbeth to the next level of greed and evil that did not exist prior to the encounter. ... This apparition confuses and frightens Macbeth. ... The dagger symbolizes the point of no return for Macbeth. ... Macbeth fears Banquo due to his prophecy to father kings, so Macbeth proceeds to plot the murder of his once friend, which spurs yet another brush with the supernatural. ... The use of supernatural in Macbeth caused Macbeth to become a darker and more evil person with each paranormal encounter. ...
"All hail, Macbeth, that shalt be King hereafter." ... Laugh to scorn the power of man, for none of woman born shall harm Macbeth." ... The apparition also ceases Macbeth's ability to think things through. ... This sure did kick the last leg out from under Macbeth's not so sturdy table. Macbeth's death shows that the witches were some bad dudes. ...
