Oscar Wilde, a famous British play writer, once said, “There are only two tragedies in life: one is not getting what one wants, and the other is getting it.” This is exemplified in Shakespeare’s Macbeth when Macbeth experiences both of these types of tragedy throughout the play. According to Encyclopedia Britannica, a tragedy is a “branch of drama that treats in a serious and dignified style the sorrowful or terrible events encountered or caused by a heroic individual.” In Macbeth, the protagonist exemplifies how one main character’s decision can lead to his or her downfall. Throughout the play, Macbeth’s tragic flaw is his gullibility. Macbeth cannot overcome this attribute and ultimately this characteristic leads to his downfall.
Macbeth shows his gullibility during his encounter with the three witches, who provide the dynamism that has made Macbeth one of Shakespeare’s most popular and intense plays. During Macbeth’s first meeting with the “weird sisters”, he is easily persuaded into believing their prophecies. Macbeth’s gullibility allows him to be convinced by their prophecy, which ultimately leads to his downfall. The line “nothing is but what is not” is ambiguous (Shakespeare, Macbeth, I. iii. 155). This expression, said by Macbeth, indicates confusion between his reality and his ideal world. This interpretation opens Macbeth to dangerous and unjustifiable deeds. If Macbeth makes himself believe that "nothing is, but what is not," then Macbeth's respect for order, for hierarchy, for the King, is also nullified. Another event that shows Macbeth’s tragic flaw of gullibility is when Banquo says, “The instruments of darkness tell us truths,/ Win us with honest trifles, to betray ’s/ In deepest consequence” (Shakespeare, Macbe...
... middle of paper ...
...d Macbeth. Through their ambiguous predictions, they are able to build up Macbeth's confidence to the point where he believes he is the deserving king. He is certain that every man is born from a woman, and therefore no man can hurt him. After the last prophecy was fulfilled, Macduff was able to kill Macbeth. Macbeth’s belief in the witches and apparitions once more shows his tragic flaw of gullibility and proves to be Macbeth’s final undoing.
The witches, Lady Macbeth and the apparitions exploited Macbeth. He was easily persuaded and deceived by all three. At the beginning of the play, Macbeth was a noble man. As a result of his tragic flaw of gullibility, his potential heroism was overshadowed by his ignoble behavior. In conclusion, Shakespeare’s Macbeth portrays how factors both external and internal can affect vital decisions that lead to a person’s downfall.
Throughout the play, Macbeth, by William Shakespeare, Macbeth continuously decides bad choices and the consequences of these decisions catch up to Macbeth and result in his mental deterioration, however with Macbeth’s almost infant feel for ambition this makes him susceptible to manipulation, which then grows into an insatiable appetite for power. The acts of this with the manipulation from outsiders, causes his blind ambition, his false sense of security and then finally his guilt, which all contribute to his derangement.
Perhaps the most fundamental theme of Shakespeare’s Macbeth is the inherent corruptibility of even a seemingly good man when ambition turns to greed, and Macbeth himself exemplifies this concept throughout the play. While at the outset he is seen to be loyal to his king, generally considered trustworthy, and displaying numerous other laudable qualities, Macbeth ultimately succumbs to the influence of those around him and becomes unequivocally evil, setting aside all his previously held morals and coming to be driven only by his lust for power. This transition is brought about by a wide variety of factors and plays an integral role in the development of the plot. In his tragedy Macbeth, William Shakespeare employs
William Shakespeare’s Macbeth is a tragedy in which the main characters are obsessed by the desire for power. Macbeth’s aspiration for power blinds him to the ethical implications of his dreadful acts. The more that Shakespeare’s Macbeth represses his murderous feelings, the more he is haunted by them. By analyzing his hallucinations it is possible to trace his deteriorating mental state and the trajectory of his ultimate fall. Throughout the play Macbeth is never satisfied with himself. He feels the need to keep committing crime in order to keep what he wants most: his kingship. The harder Macbeth tries to change his fate the more he tends to run into his fate. His ambition and struggle for power was Macbeth’s tragic flaw in the play. Macbeth’s rise to the throne was brought about by the same external forces that ensure his downfall.
Because of the witches’ prophecies, Lady Macbeth’s ambition and Macbeth’s greed, Macbeth diverges from his values and principles, corrupting him and ultimately leading to his downfall. Because of their greed and pride, the characters in the Tragedy of Macbeth end up not only losing everything that was important to them, but also the path on life they had tried so hard to stay on. Greed and pride shatters the fate that one would have had, whether fate is defined as where one would want to end up, or as where one will end up at.
The play Macbeth by William Shakespeare starts off with a noble warrior Named Macbeth that is titled thane of Glamis by his own uncle, King Duncan. Macbeth is awarded thane of Cawdor due to the switching sides of the original title holder who is hanged for treason. Macbeth who is deceived by his wife kills the king in a plot for power and they put the blame on the guards by laying bloody daggers next to them. Macbeth begins to lose himself as the play goes on. He kills his best friend Banquo and Macduff’s wife and kids. Lady Macbeth kills herself as she goes crazy from all the killings and then that is when Macbeth completely loses himself. Macbeth is told by the witches that he cannot be killed by any one of women born. Macduff and Malcolm, heir to the throne who fled Scotland think of a plan to kill Macbeth. Macbeth faces Macduff and Malcolm’s army alone as he is labeled a tyrant and is abandoned by everyone. He faces the army fearlessly as he cannot killed by any one of woman born but fails to realize that Macduff was born of C-section leading to his downfall and Macbeth is Beheaded. Malcolm becomes the new king. Lady Macbeth's deception had a dramatic effect on the play leading to a dramatic change in many lives. The three main points that will be discussed are how Lady Macbeth becomes deceived; how Lady Macbeth deceives others and the results from Lady Macbeth deceiving others. Lady Macbeth, was simply minded and became easily deceived.
The second encounter with the witches, further reinforce the sense of power in Macbeth and the gullibility of man. Upon this encounter, the witches tell Macbeth that no man can be harmed by. Once more Macbeth believes what he is told and that he is invincible. This feeling of invincibility is shown in the final battle he undergoes, where he is attacking all those around him with no hesitation. The element of invincibility is deeply rooted in Macbeth, due to the fact of the fulfillment of he becoming king. The witches’ influence is apparent, in that in the battle with Macduff, Macbeth once again proclaims invincibility, yet soon realizes that is not the case.
Macbeth’s blind ambition leads him to surrender to his dark desires that taunt him throughout the play. Macbeth is frequently tempted to result to the wrongful methods that seem to roam inside of him. In the beginning however Macbeth tends to ignore these desires and depends on chance. He declares “if chance will have me king, why, chance may crown me, without my stir” (Shakespeare, act 1, scene 3, 143-144). This declaration by Macbeth shows his initial stand, which is reliant on fate and sin free. Yet as Macbeth’s character develops throughout the play, he moves farther from his dependence on chance and closer to his darker desires. Eventually his blind ambition to become king overp...
...it by his wife, Macbeth is plagued with guilt when he sees Banquo’s apparition, and him being panic-stricken by the prophecy all exhibit the fallacy of Macbeth’s character. Were it not for the external factors that surround Macbeth within the play, then maybe there was a chance that he would have never committed the acts. “Out, out, brief candle! Life’s but a walking shadow, a poor player that struts and frets his hour upon the stage and then is heard no more” (5.5.26-29). Macbeth reflects on his exceedingly ambitious life and how it really had no meaning to the world. Because Macbeth never got to enjoy any of his accomplishments in life, Shakespeare proposes that it is far better to achieve your goals fairly rather than foully. Also, if Macbeth followed his ethical instinct the result would have never transgressed into his death, or perhaps it was just meant to be.
Typical of Shakespeare’s works, the play Macbeth has a protagonist who ultimately experiences a downfall that lead to his demise. The protagonist or tragic hero of this play is Macbeth, once brave and honorable, who eventually becomes tyrannical and feared by many due to what Abrams describes as his “hamartia” or “error of judgment or, as it is often…translated, his tragic flaw.” In this case, Macbeth’s tragic flaw proves to be ambition; however, he cannot be held solely responsible for his downfall. As a result of many outside influential factors, including the witches’ prophecies and a rather coaxing and persuasive wife, one should not hold Macbeth entirely culpable for his actions and tragic end.
“What has been done cannot be undone”, greed has flooded the minds of both Lady Macbeth and Macbeth, corrupting their emotions and ultimately causing their death. Lady Macbeth is the perfect foil character because she highlights Macbeth's flaws. Through, the monologue, soliloquios and dreams of Lady Macbeth, we understand the type of character Macbeth was before and after the murder. Leaving the audience with a message, of how greed can blind us making us do unimaginable things and that listening to our conscious may be the only way to avoid
In the Shakespearean play, Macbeth, evil witches deceive their victim, Macbeth, by telling him half-truths about his prophecies. As a result of this new "half-true" knowledge, Macbeth makes rash decisions that lead him to paranoia, grief, and eventually his downfall.
Over 400 years ago, Shakespeare wrote a play full of false impressions, deception, duplicity, and just plain lies. That is why Macbeth is still popular and the point of the story is easy to understand today (with help of NoFear Shakespeare). There is a high price to pay for lying and cheating your way to the top. Shakespeare was especially worried about lies and duplicity in politics. He felt that especially leaders like kings and those at court must show honesty in their lives as an example for the people. From the title, right away we know that Macbeth is not a king. He is simply a famous military man whose strong belief in unreliable sources led him to corruption, murder.
The play Macbeth is a Shakespearean tragedy; therefore, fate plays an extremely important role in Macbeth’s downfall through its inevitable characteristics and use foreshadowing. The majority of the characters die because of the hero and their flaw which leads them to make bad decisions. Hence, it is destined for Macbeth to commit evil acts such as murdering King Duncan, his good friend, and plotting against his fellow thane as a result of his tragic flaw, excessive ambition. Additionally, in a Shakespearean tragedy, there is always an aspe...
Macbeth’s tragic flaw is his ambition and it consequentially leads to his downfall and ultimate demise. Macbeth is a tragic hero who is introduced in the the play as being well-liked and respected by the general and the people. He brings his death upon himself from this tragic flaw. His strengths turn into his weaknesses and his ambition drives him to the edge and sets himself up for his tragic death.
William Shakespeare’s Macbeth, first published in 1606, is an endearing tale outlining the dangers of unchecked ambition and moral betrayal. In the subsequent centuries after first being performed, Macbeth's critics have been divided upon whether Macbeth himself was irrevocably evil, or if he was guided by the manipulation and actions of the women in the play to his ultimate demise. Although Lady Macbeth and the witches were influential with their provocations in the opening acts, it is ultimately Macbeth’s inherent immorality and his vaulting ambition, that resulted in the tragic downfall. It was Macbeth’s desire for power that abolished his loyalty and trustworthiness and led him down a path of murder. It is evident through his actions and words throughout the play as to how he led himself through a path of betrayal leading to his inescapable demise.