Who Is Responsible For Macbeth's Downfall

Shakespeare’s tragedy Macbeth ends in the utter downfall of its characters. The beginnings of their decline can be traced back to the antagonist, Lady Macbeth. With her cunning deeds and deceptive language, she is clearly the central villain of the play. Lady Macbeth has the most significant impact on the story due to her influence on other characters, ruthless actions giving rise to key events, and serving as a catalyst that drives the plot of Macbeth.

Lady Macbeth is responsible for Macbeth’s drastic character transformation, and is the reason he was consumed by his ambition. She was the original voice that urged "Art thou afeard to be the same in thine own act and valour as thou art in desire?" (Shakespeare 1.7.44). In other words, Lady Macbeth pressures her husband to apply the same heroic traits he

But, it is at this point when the notion of chasing these wishful dreams became mandatory. By asking “art thou afeard”, a clear contradiction to what Macbeth is reputed to be, she is insinuating that if he fails to pursue ambition, he is nothing but a coward. In fact, pressing him to consider this fed into an aspiration buried deep inside of him, causing him to flirt with the fantasy of absolute power. Shakespeare even praises Macbeth’s noble qualities, providing a direct contrast to his initial refusal and indecision on the topic. Here, in response to his wife words, Macbeth reconsiders his initial resistance and decides to abandon reason, internally vowing to do whatever it takes. He loses his original level headedness, ability to analyze and asseess, as well as the tether to his conscience. The more frequently he sins, the further he drifts from his authentic self. Macbeth’s character becomes almost unrecognizable