Macbeth: Characteristics Of Macbeth That Led To His Downfall

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Macbeth: Characteristics of Macbeth That Led to His Downfall

Rickford Foo

Tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow...” Sometimes tomorrow never comes and as for Macbeth, tomorrow meant another day of inner torment and guilt. This victorious Thane literally got the better of himself as soon as he started to believe in the witches. After the prophesies, Macbeth's popularity seems to take a turn for the worst as well as his mental state. Even though the witches did tempt him with the idea of becoming king, and Lady Macbeth helped him with his natural hesitation of committing murder, Macbeth chose the crown over is honor. Moreover, I believe that Macbeth caused his own downfall. There were people like the witches and his wife who influenced him, but it was his choice to choose over salvation of the next world and material gain of this one.
Ambition is always good...to an extent. An overambitious person, Macbeth is too intrigued by the witches' prediction that he ignores all of the years of loyalty and ethics to his king for his own selfishness. And in the end, apparently,
Macbeth's ambition is stronger than his conscience.
In addition, Macbeth's ambition caused him to do desperate things.
Desperation. in my opinion, dug Macbeth's own grave. When the subject of
Macduff arrives, I don't think that he would have been so bitter towards Macbeth if he hadn't killed his wife and children. Killing Macduff's family gains nothing for Macbeth and tries to get at Macduff indirectly. This act of desperation and spitefulness gives a good reason to now fear Macduff.
Also, as Macbeth took the throne, he really didn't trust anyone except his wife, Lady Macbeth. Paranoid, due to King Duncan's murder, Macbeth let's his delusional state of mind get to him. Therefore, from his original guilt of murder causes Macbeth to become paranoid and kill some more. Killing Macduff's family was definitely an act of desperation. He also plants spies showing again how paranoid and desperate he was seeing his enemies, real or imagined, everywhere. Lastly, I thought that Macbeth showed some very important traits that we should all learn from.

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