Who Is Responsible For Macbeth's Downfall

A tragic play is a play where the main character starts from the top and has a tragic downfall after a series of events. Shakespeare often wrote tragic plays. One of his most famous of plays is about a man who throws himself into his own tragic downfall. Macbeth, the name of the play and the central character was in a high position in power, but his desire for power drove him to his tragic downfall, his free will being his downfall. Macbeth didn’t have a downfall all to himself. Others had contributed to his downfall with words of “wisdom”.
The Witches were one of the main people to contribute to Macbeth’s downfall. In the beginning of the play, Macbeth was loyal to his country and killed with a valid reason. Macbeth met the Witches untimely

in the play. They had given him three prophecies: one for the past, one for the present, and one for the future, in which Macbeth would be King. After the first two prophecies had happened, Macbeth knew he would become king. “All hail, Macbeth, that shalt be king hereafter! (1.3.51).” This can be depicted as The Witches implanting the idea of becoming king in Macbeth’s head. The witches know that Macbeth desires power so they inflame his burning desire to be in power more. Banquo could even see past The Witches’ tricks and tried to warn Macbeth of this, but Macbeth didn’t listen to Banquo out of his desire to be in power. The Witches also contributed at the end of the play where they gave him more false prophecies. The Witches sent out apparitions that gave Macbeth prophecies that would trick him. One of which was “Be bloody, bold, and resolute. Laugh to scorn/ The power of man, for none of woman born/ Shall harm Macbeth (4.1.79-81).” After all of the prophecies, Macbeth was confident that his reign of power was going to remain strong. This was all out of free will because Macbeth listened to these prophecies and chose not to act upon them. Macbeth could have protected himself for the worst to happen, but he believed the prophecies. This drove Macbeth insanity and anxiety. The beginning of Macbeth’s downfall was listening to the people that contributed to his downfall.
Lady Macbeth was a contributor to the downfall of Macbeth because he had listened to her. As soon as Lady Macbeth heard of Macbeth being prophesized to be King, she manipulated him into doing what they wanted but quicker. Macbeth, at first, wanted to leave fate take its course for him to be King. Macbeth wasn’t going to kill King Duncan because he thought it was wrong. “First, as I am his kinsman and his subject,/ Strong both against the deed; then, as his host,/ Who should against his murderer shut the door,/ Not bear the knife myself. Besides, this Duncan/ Hath borne his faculties so meek, hath been/ So clear in his great office, that his virtues (1.7.13-18).” Lady Macbeth didn’t like Macbeth’s excuses and manipulated him by calling Macbeth “not a man” and a “drunk”. This made Macbeth regretful for not wanting to kill Duncan because this was a strike to his manly pride. Out of pride for himself, Macbeth chose to “be a man” by killing Duncan. Macbeth did this by his own freewill. During the 1600s, women had little to no say how things were done. Lady Macbeth’s words really didn’t matter. It was a patriarchal society and Macbeth was the man of the house. He could have told Lady Macbeth he wasn’t going to do it. This can be perceived as Macbeth’s desire for power over powering his common sense.
Macbeth’s common sense was another factor that caused his tragic downfall.

Killing King Duncan was only the beginning of his downfall. Macbeth’s common sense slowly left him after the killing, and then anxiety and insanity filled Macbeth’s head. Macbeth started to see hallucinations before killing King Duncan, one of which was a floating dagger. “Is this a dagger which I see before me,/ The handle toward my hand? Come, let me clutch thee./ I have thee not, and yet I see thee still./ Art thou not, fatal vision, sensible/ To feeling as to sight? or art thou but/ A dagger of the mind, a false creation, (2.1.32-37).” This hallucination brought Macbeth to commit his first non-battle murder. Soon after, other murders committed by Macbeth followed out of his fear and insanity. He murdered the guards of King Duncan and ordered a murder against Banquo. Although Macbeth hides the evidence that he committed these god-forsaken crimes, the people of Scotland accuse him. This piece of evidence characterized Macbeth as a ruthless tyrant to the audience and the people of Scotland. Macbeth’s obsession for the power brought his downfall. Once Macbeth was King, he killed many people. This ensures to the audience that he is power greedy and that he would do anything to keep his

power.
Although Macbeth was in a high position in power from the beginning of the play, his desire for more power drove him to his tragic downfall, his own free will. Macbeth’s downfall was assisted with The Witches implanting the idea in his head and giving him false prophecies. Lady Macbeth also manipulated Macbeth into believing he had to kill King Duncan to be a man. Most of all, it was Macbeth’s insanity that brought his tragic downfall.