Who Was Responsible For Macbeth's Downfall

The Downfall of Macbeth
Throughout The Tragedy of Macbeth, the character Macbeth creates his own downfall. Although he first appears as a courageous and brave soldier, he quickly turns into a murderous tyrant. This transformation can be blamed primarily on himself, along with the influence of the three witches and Lady Macbeth. The three witches foretell Macbeth’s future, which leads him to believe that he is truly invincible. Lady Macbeth manipulates her husband, causing him to make decisions he would not have done on his own. Despite these influences, Macbeth is ultimately responsible for his own actions that lead to his downfall.
As the play begins, King Duncan recognizes and awards Macbeth as a war hero. Soon after, he receives a prophecy

from the three witches that depicts his fate. “All hail, Macbeth! Hail to thee, Thane of Glamis! All hail, Macbeth! Hail to thee, Thane of Cawdor! All hail, Macbeth, that shalt be King hereafter! (I, iii, 48-50).” Macbeth believes the three witches without hesitation and becomes consumed with the idea of becoming King. The witches are responsible for influencing Macbeth’s ideas, however his main ambitions materialize from within himself, such as his plan to kill King Duncan. After Macbeth questions his future a second time, the witches send three apparitions to provide him with another prophecy. The first apparition tells Macbeth to beware of Macduff, while the second apparition states that Macbeth will not be harmed by anyone who is born from a woman. The third and final apparition informs him that he will not be defeated until the Birnam Forest moves inside his castle. After Macbeth listens to his fate, he believes that he is invincible and indestructible.
Lady Macbeth plays a significant role throughout Macbeth’s transformation as King of Scotland.

After Macbeth learns his first prophecy from the witches, he writes to his wife, explaining his idea to kill King Duncan. Lady Macbeth supports and encourages his idea, though she knows he will not follow through with his plan. She is aware of Macbeth’s powerful ambitions, yet she knows that he lacks the cruelty to kill the King. “Yet do I fear thy nature; It is too full o’ th’ milk of human kindness To catch the nearest way. Thou wouldst be great, Art not without ambition, but without The illness should attend it” (I, v, 16-19). Lady Macbeth, a character with even more determination than her husband, manipulates him to make decisions that his conscience tells him are not right. She questions Macbeth, asking if he is a coward and even a man. Lady Macbeth further uses guilt to influence her husband’s decisions. “How tender it is to love the babe that milks me, I would, while it was smiling in my face, Have pluck'd my nipple from his boneless gums, And dashed the brains out, had I so sworn as you, Have done to this (I, vii, 55-59).” Lady Macbeth’s manipulative mentality controls Macbeth until he decides to exclude her from his decision making process. Shortly after the death of Banquo, Lady Macbeth begins to loose her mind and she eventually commits

suicide.
Although the witches and Lady Macbeth impacted Macbeth, he was responsible for his own destruction. Immediately after Macbeth learns that he may be King, he becomes overconfident and filled with ambition. As the play progresses, Macbeth continues to fuel his own ambition as he makes decisions that slowly lead to his downfall.