Who Was Responsible For Macbeth's Downfall

Responsibility, no one ever wants to be burdened with it, especially if it is for something negative. Holding responsibility means you will be taking the blame for things that could or could not be as a result of your actions. In the play Macbeth, the character Macbeth was a loyal member of the king Duncan, however he was told by three witches of his prophecy, that he would become the new king if he kills Duncan. Macbeth, with a little convincing from his wife, goes through with what the witches say and kills Duncan. Eventually, after a series of events Macbeth and his wife dies. The person to be held accountable for Macbeth and his Lady Macbeth’s fate should be themselves because they are responsible, for desiring power, not being able

to handle the guilt, trusting the prophecy too easily, and not caring about consequences.
In the play, one reason for the demise of Macbeth and Lady Macbeth is due to their ambition of desiring power, becoming the new king and queen respectively.

When Macbeth brings up his prophecy, Lady Macbeth replies to him by telling him to kill Duncan. Despite Macbeth questioning the consequences, “If we should fail” (1.7.68), Lady Macbeth replies with, “We fail? / But screw your courage to the sticking place / And we’ll not fail. When Duncan is asleep / (...) Will I with wine and wassail so convince” (1.7.69-74). This explains that Lady Macbeth desires the power of the queen so much that she would go as far as to persuade her husband to kill him despite the consequences of murder even drafting a plan to kill King Duncan. It is also Macbeth’s fault for going through with the plan instead of trying to argue back against Lady Macbeth, which shows that both of both responsible for their

peripeteia.
Another reason Macbeth and Lady Macbeth are to be held responsibility for their peripeteia is because they did not realize how guilty they would feel, or consequences of murdering someone.

After murdering Duncan, both characters feel guilty. For Macbeth, killing Duncan forces him to realize: “But wherefore could not I pronounce “Amen”? / I had most need of blessing, and ‘Amen’ / Stuck in my throat. (...) Methought I heard a voice cry ‘Sleep no more! / Macbeth does murder sleep’ -the innocent sleep, / Sleep that knits up the raveled sleave of care” (2.2.42-4). This shows the guilt Macbeth feels after murdering a man, especially the king of his country, that he cannot even pray to God or sleep peacefully anymore, because he will be having nightmares of murdering Duncan. Lady Macbeth, too, starts to feel guilty. While Lady Macbeth sleepwalks she says, “Here’s the smell of the blood still. All / the perfumes of Arabia will not sweeten this \ little hand. (...) What’s done cannot be undone. To bed, to \ bed, to bed (5.2.53-72). Eventually Seyton tells Macbeth, “A cry within of woman \ What is that noise? \ Wherefore was that cry? \ The Queen, my lord, is dead (5.5.9-19). It can therefore be inferred that Lady Macbeth commits suicide from the guilt and nightmares she experienced from murdering Duncan. Macbeth, and Lady Macbeth did not know the consequences of murdering someone, and how guilty it would make them, which caused their

peripeteia.
Though it may seem that the witches and prophecy are at fault for enticing Macbeth, it is Macbeth’s fault for being arrogant and not interpreting his prophecy correctly. One such example is when Second Apparition tells Macbeth, “Be bloody, bold, and resolute. Laugh to scorn \ The power of man, for none of woman born \ Shall harm Macbeth” (4.1.90-3). This prophecy makes Macbeth so arrogant that he believes nothing would have killed him, because most living things are born from a mother. This arrogance causes Macbeth’s downfall, because had Macbeth remained being cautious, he would not have been killed by Macduff, who tells him, “Despair thy charm, \ And let the angel whom thou still hast served \ Tell thee Macduff was from his mother’s womb \ Untimely ripped (5.8.17-20). This explains that Macbeth downfall is caused by him underestimating everyone going from being a King to dead.
The people who are responsible for the peripeteia that Macbeth and Lady Macbeth experience are in fact themselves. Their greed for power, ignorance, and arrogance were the main reasons why they even had a downfall. There were numerous ways Macbeth and Lady Macbeth could have avoided their, notably from ignoring what the witches’ prophecy. However, Macbeth and Lady Macbeth were both greedy for power ultimately leading to their demise. People have the power to control their own fates, and in Macbeth’s case instead of controlling it himself, he chooses to let other people manipulate him into doing what they wanted him to do, such as the witches prophecy and Lady Macbeth.