ipl-logo

Self Destruction In Macbeth

477 Words2 Pages

In William Shakespeare’s tragedy, Macbeth, the namesake protagonist is caught in the ever present struggle between right and wrong. Throughout the play, many characters are seduced by the corruption of power. Macbeth’s fate is decided when he makes a series of bad choices to follow his ambitions towards power and sends him on a path of self destruction.
Throughout the play, Macbeth’s actions are controlled by either his quest to gain more power, or by the manipulative power that his wife, Lady Macbeth, holds over him. When the play begins, the reader sees that Macbeth is already a man of great power, for he is a successful General and the Thane of Glamis. His pride is fueled once he receives a prophecy from three witches, who tell him that he will become King of Scotland. This intensifies his ambitious desire for power and he will do anything to gain it. At the threat of his dignity as a man, he is persuaded by his wife to pursue the prophecy. Under strict orders from his wife, he is forced to murder the current King. It is shown that Lady Macbeth truly holds power over him, for when Macbeth hesitates to murder the King, Lady Macbeth calls him a coward and that he is not a man. Through the murder of the King, Macbeth’s growing lust for …show more content…

Without these events, the entire play would lose its meaning. If Lady Macbeth had not made him kill King Duncan, there wouldn’t be a play. However, this did not happen, and this caused Macbeth to be thrown onto the path of self destruction which was intensified by his blind ambition for more power over others, he wants to be in control over as many people as possible. This overconfidence caused by his fatal flaw led to his demise. The power blinded him, and only continued to poison him as the play progressed. The constant struggle for power caused many unnecessary deaths, and it ruined his once perfect

Show More
Related

  • Similarities Between As I Lay Dying And Macbeth

    1158 Words  | 5 Pages

    In As I Lay Dying and Macbeth, certain characters naturally readjust the extent to which they reveal their true selves to the outside world following the demise of their leader. This culminates in a shift of power and leads the characters on a distinct and troubling journey. The death of a matriarch or patriarch in both As I Lay Dying and Macbeth shifts the power by revealing individual agendas and the justification of unsavory actions. In As I Lay Dying, Addie’s death as the matriarch of the Bundren family shifts the power by uncovering the true intentions of Anse, her husband.

    Read More

  • Lady Macbeth Corruption

    403 Words  | 2 Pages

    Macbeth is initially displayed as an experienced man of most likely settled character, effective in specific fields of action, and appreciating an advantageous notoriety. One must not presume that every one of Macbeth 's activities is unsurprising. Macbeth 's character is made out of possibilities and nature, and nobody, not even Macbeth, can know the greater part of his extreme self-esteem. Macbeth is dictated by a yearning for worldly and impermanent great.

    Read More

  • Examples Of Self Destruction In Macbeth

    203 Words  | 1 Pages

    Throughout Shakespeare's play, Macbeth, it becomes apparent that both Macbeth and Lady Macbeth have been led into their own undoing by their own self-justified actions rather than by leaving everything up to fate. For Macbeth, the most self-evident example of his destruction is by interfering with the Weird Sister's prophecy by hiring murderers to exterminate Banquo and his son Fleance. Even after killing Duncan and receiving the title of the King, he is still not satisfied as he realizes that all of his efforts would benefit Banquo and his sons without them even having to do anything. Rather than standing by and letting them benefit off of his endeavors, he decides to disrupt the fate of Banquo: "To make them kings, the seed of Banquo kings!

    Read More

  • Lady Macbeth Research Paper

    1027 Words  | 5 Pages

    Although Macbeth may be responsible for his own downfall, Lady Macbeth’s actions are to blame since her desires and attitude have influenced Macbeth in a negative way, ultimately leading him down the wrong path. Lady Macbeth’s support for the dark arts as well as her criticism of her husband’s “unmanly” and vulnerable behavior have served to draw out the ambition and avarice apparent in Macbeth. Macbeth’s ambition and desire to be king may have been large factors in corrupting his outlook, but it was Lady Macbeth who released those desires emanating from him. Macbeth even seems reluctant about holding such an ambition and hoping that the king is murdered.

    Read More

  • Macbeth Quotes Analysis

    682 Words  | 3 Pages

    Macbeth is the Shakespearean play that features the triumphant uprise and the inevitable downfall of its main character. In this play, Macbeth’s downfall can be considered to be the loss of his moral integrity and this is achieved by ambition, despite this, Lady Macbeth and the witches work through his ambition, furthering to assist his inevitable ruin. Ambition alone is the most significant factor that led to Macbeth’s downfall. The witches are only able to influence his actions through Macbeth’s pre-existing and the three witches see that Macbeth has ambition and uses it to control his action. Ambition alone is displayed throughout the play to be the most significant cause for Macbeth’s downfall.

    Read More

  • Lady Macbeth Quotes

    491 Words  | 2 Pages

    After the rebellion war, Macbeth was given the title of “Thane of Cawdor” just by chance and not by his actions. Macbeth started getting ideas that maybe he could receive the title as king. In the 1st act of Macbeth, due to Macbeth’s desire to become king and Lady Macbeth’s urges, led him to kill Duncan. But Macbeth attempts to withstand these urges with his own reasons why he shouldn’t. Lady Macbeth is an external force for Macbeth’s final decision to kill Duncan.

    Read More

  • External Forces In Macbeth

    967 Words  | 4 Pages

    Of all the failures human beings experience none are as crushing as those that are a result of following someone else’s desires. In Shakespeare’s play Macbeth, the protagonist self-destructs because of his external forces as well as his own poor choices. An external force that influenced Macbeth includes Lady Macbeth’s strong goals, which she forced on her husband. Additionally, the witches impacted Macbeth’s choices by offering him their tricky prophecies. The blind greed that took over Macbeth’s life also impacted his choices.

    Read More

  • Hunger For Power In Macbeth

    760 Words  | 4 Pages

    Power is always coveted in any society and the world of Shakespeare’s Macbeth is no different. In the play, Macbeth, a noble lord, shows his hunger for power with thoughts to remove an heir to the throne from power. Macbeth’s impatience to be king leads him to stain his honor by using murder. Macbeth travels further down the path of evil by arranging the assassination of a friend.

    Read More

  • Lady Macbeth's Strong Character In Act I Scene V

    780 Words  | 4 Pages

    Lady Macbeth is power hungry for the throne and she will do anything to achieve her goal. Her pleasure of having the thought of killing Duncan is revealed. These murderous thoughts that run through her mind shows how desperate she is to acquire power. Although it is the beginning of the play, her dark ambitions sets a dark tone for her character in the play. This coincidentally adds to the assurance of Macbeth’s prophecy which is that Macbeth will become king, but King Duncan is still alive.

    Read More

  • Reversal In Macbeth

    1008 Words  | 5 Pages

    William Shakespeare’s great tragedy, Macbeth, tells of the flawed hero of the same name whose ambition brings about his ultimate demise. Set in Scotland, the play follows Macbeth after he dangerously learns of a prophecy which claims he will become King of Scotland. After murdering the current king, Duncan, in pursuit of fulfilling the prophecy, Macbeth’s life and the life of his wife, Lady Macbeth, changes forever. Throughout the tragedy, the Scottish King Macbeth and his wife undergo a complete personality reversal. Lady Macbeth transitions from dominance to belittlement to aggrievement, while Macbeth transitions from insecurity to condescendingness to impassiveness.

    Read More

  • Internal Conflict In Macbeth Essay

    1064 Words  | 5 Pages

    Shakespeare's tragedy, Macbeth, analyzes the tragic downfall of a man who pursued his prophecy given to him by three witches, and suffered the downfall because of it. Told his power was inevitable, Macbeth explores the idea of murdering the King to achieve his goal of becoming King himself. Macbeth continually faces this, contemplating the moral issue of committing murder to in turn, fulfill his powerful destiny. While facing this internal conflict, Lady Macbeth developes an influence over Macbeth as well. Driven by her own desire to be Queen, Lady Macbeth persuades Macbeth to commit the murder, by challenging his manhood and often reminding him that it is, in fact, his destiny.

    Read More

  • Internal And External Forces In Macbeth

    1241 Words  | 5 Pages

    Macbeth’s ambition is what is causing him to intervene with his prophecy and pursue his goal (rather than leave it to chance). In a way, it is Macbeth’s own “black and deep desires” that make him kill in the first place as the witches never tell him to do so. Furthermore, apart from ambition, it is Macbeth’s own weak will and moral system that causes him to do the actions that result in his downfall. Macbeth’s weak will is undeniable and is illustrated before killing Duncan. “I have of spur/To prick the sides of my intent, but only/Vaulting ambition, which o'erleaps itself/And falls on the other” (I, VII, 25-28).

    Read More

  • Fleance And Banquo's Ambition In Macbeth

    580 Words  | 3 Pages

    In play Macbeth, Shakespeare reveals that an individual’s great desire for power will lead him/her to perform consequential deeds that will scar his/her conscience and change the outcome of his/her life eternally. Macbeth is informed by three witches that he is going to become king and this initiates Macbeth’s thought of becoming powerful. Macbeth doesn’t act on his thoughts until he tells his wife, Lady Macbeth, that he could become king. Lady Macbeth is extremely power hungry and does all she can to convince Macbeth to be just as desirable as her. Together, they come up with a plan to murder King Duncan, so that Macbeth can become king like the witches foretold.

    Read More

  • Causes Of Macbeth's Downfall

    876 Words  | 4 Pages

    Macbeth started off as a valiant and courageous soldier, who would do anything for the king. By the end of the play, Macbeth was a tyrant and a horrible leader who killed those who trusted him to maintain the throne. It takes many factors to take a strong man and transform him into an evil monster. Macbeth’s downfall was caused by the deception and temptation of the witches and their prophecies, Lady Macbeth’s greed and aspirations for her husband to be king, and Macbeth’s own greed, jealousy and ambition.

    Read More

  • Macbeth's Strengths And Weaknesses

    824 Words  | 4 Pages

    At the beginning of William Shakespeare’s ‘Macbeth’ the protagonist Macbeth is described as ‘brave’, ‘noble’ and ‘honourable’, however Lady Macbeth’s and Macbeths desire for power consumes them. Macbeth’s ambition overrides his conscience and transformed his greatest strength into his greatest weakness. Macbeth’s inability to resist temptations that led him to be greedy for power, Macbeth’s easily manipulative nature which allowed his mind to be swayed, Macbeth having no self control and his excessive pride was what allowed him to renew his previously honourable and celebrated title into one of an evil ‘tyrant’. Macbeth is led by the prophecies of the witches after they foretell he will become the Thane of Cawdor. Not only the witches, but also his wife easily manipulate Macbeth as she attacks his manhood in order to provoke him to act on his desires.

    Read More

More about Self Destruction In Macbeth

Open Document