Who Was Responsible For Macbeth's Downfall

Many people tend to believe that an individual with spur or ambition are destined to fall, as these character traits will soon lead them to do anything to achieve their goal. In the case of Shakespeare’s Macbeth, Macbeth is not the only individual who is at fault for following their ambition. While analyzing the play, an individual will come to the realization that Macbeth and his characterized ‘ambition’ are not the sole reasons for his downfall, attesting to the fact that an individual who has ambition will progress into a cursed path.

Shakespeare’s Macbeth took place in a Scottish society during the 11th century, and the beliefs of this society had a major impact on Macbeth actions, as well as those who surrounded him. A belief at that

An example of this belief in the novel is when a bloody soldier had reported, “For brave Macbeth--well he deserves that name--disdaining fortune, with his brandish’d steel, which smoked with bloody execution, like valour’s minion carved out his passage till he faced the slave…” (Macbeth 1.2.17-23) Macbeth is being praised for how fierce and brave he was on the battlefield, and further being given the title, ‘Thane of Cawdor’. All Macbeth had to do was kill to attain power, which was was exactly what he did to become the king later on. An individual analyzing Macbeth can see this outcome, along with the general system of becoming king to be flawed as the only ones who are able to achieve that position are in the family line, even if there are others better suitable for the position. Macbeth should not be blamed for his actions, as the society that surrounded him implored the thought of achieving any amount of power for yourself, and going by any means to attain that, which he simply followed. Macbeth is not so different than any other main characters in the novel, such as Banquo and King Duncan. Further into the story one can see that Banquo

When Macbeth is about to murder the king, he says, “I have no spur to prick the sides of my intent, but only vaulting ambition, which o’erleaps itself. And falls on the other.” ( 1.7. 24-28) Macbeth is shown to be reasonable, and realizes that what he is doing is useless, and only out of a greed for power. He realizes that his ambition is just becoming rebellious, saying, ‘vaulting ambition, which o’erleaps itself and falls on the other’. This demonstrates how Macbeth acknowledges what he is doing and further considers backing out of murdering the king, but only later to pursue his actions when Lady Macbeth convinces him to pursue the murder. Through all of the influences that Macbeth is being given, he starts to listen to them and let loose his ambition, which leads him to become lost in his bloody trail. Macbeth says, “I am in blood stepp’d so far, that should I wade no more, returning were as tedious as go o’er.” (3.4. 167-170) Macbeth says this after his murders of his cousin King Duncan, and his noble friend Banquo. In this quote, Macbeth is comparing his bloody path of murder to a bloody river, when he says ‘wade’, this could represent the struggle of moving and getting away from his crimes, such as wading in water. He understands the horrid actions that he has made as a result of his ambition and his acts to attain power, yet believes that he has done so much wrong, that he cannot come back from the murders. Near the conclusion of the novel where Lady Macbeth