With the help of his wife, Lady Macbeth, Macbeth was able to kill the Duncan, the king of Scotland, a man whom trusted and loved Macbeth. With Duncan dead and the two princes fleeing, Macbeth was crowned king of Scotland. In the end, Macbeth had fulfilled his prophecies but in doing, he had committed treason against his country. Macbeth's second great crime was committed against his friends, the people around him whom use to admire him. After he had been crowned king, Macbeth believed his greatest obstacle had been overcame but that assumption was far the truth.
This causes... ... middle of paper ... ...characters that are important in contributing to Macbeth’s downfall. The witches are an example of this as they deliver prophecies to Macbeth that are necessary to Macbeth’s change in attitude and which lead to his downfall. The witches cause Macbeth to believe he is destined to be King and that no one is able to stop him. Additionally, Duncan is significant to Macbeth’s downfall. Duncan is murdered by Macbeth in order for him to become King and this murder makes Macbeth more ambition and determined which leads to his downfall.
The murders of Duncan, Banquo and Macduff’s family are proof enough to show that Macbeth’s inner goodness and humanity have been destroyed and replaced by his ambition. When Duncan names Malcolm the Prince of Cumberland, Macbeth decides on the murder of the king. This involves him having to overcome hesitations, but aided by the persuasion of his wife, he undertakes this task. Additionally, Macbeth hires murderers to kill Banquo and his son, due to the witch’s prediction of Fleance becoming king. Finally, the slaughter of Macduff’s household by the same murderers, to ensure he would reach his ambition without obstacles, is a final seal to prove that Macbeth’s sense of ambition drives him to near-insanity.
Macbeth becomes a villain when he discovers he will become King of Scotland. The traditional idea of a villain says that he or she should go by evil methods to get what they want. In the case of Macbeth, he killed Duncan to become King of Scotland. A villain is also cruel and ruthless. The villain may also be a person who commits crimes against the people and is all powerful.
Macbeth certainly had the potential to be a great leader as a thane as well as a king. His potential would be stopped by the ambitious drive towards becoming a king which created a passion within himself to remain the king of Scotland. When tempted by the evil of the three witches Macbeth without doubt seals his fate and leads to his downfall by believing the witch’s prophecy that he will become the king. To further prove that Shakespeare was portraying the character Macbeth as a tragic hero, it can be seen that Macbeth makes his tragic decision to kill Duncan completely out of free will. Towards the end of the play Macbeth actually realizes and acknowledges the incredible amount of terror he has caused.
He is loved for his loyalty to King Duncan, and his bravery on the battlefield. Macbeth further proves his bravery and loyalty when he defeats the rebel, Macdonald. The King rewards Macbeth by naming him Thane of Cawdor. There are many factors which contribute to Macbeth's spiral downfall. The three main factors which contribute greatly to Macbeth's decline is the prophecies told to him by the witches, Lady Macbeth's influence and ability to manipulate Macbeth's judgment, and finally Macbeth's own ambition which drove his desire to be King.
Macbeth had been a military hero, loved and praised by the people, but his blind ambition resulted in his destruction, and all his past greatness and happiness were lost. This essay will explore Macbeth’s path toward destruction and show how he became the epitome of a tragic hero. Macbeth was obviously a patriot and the protector of the king at the beginning of the play. (Slethaug, 13) We imagine him to be a good warrior with extraordinary prowess and loyalty. He defeated the insurgent troops and was highly trusted.
His uncontrollable desires led him to the point of evil, and the ambition is too strong for him to realize the wrong he is doing. In, Macbeth, William Shakespeare shows Macbeth’s ambition to be king by using the influence of others. At the beginning of the play, Macbeth is a respected general, a devoted husband and a loyal subject of the king. (Clayden) What led him to this desire to be king? The first of the witches’ prophecies brought out this ambitious nature.” All hail, Macbeth!
So he went out and killed Banquo. After he killed him, he felt like he had to do more to control his kingdom, and believed that, “I am in blood, stepped in so far that should I wade no more, Returning were as tedious as go'oer”(Mac.3.4.135–137). After killing Banquo, Macbeth's confidence was at an all time high. He then went on to kill Macduff's family because he could not kill Macduff, who he found a threat t... ... middle of paper ... ...his ability to pick out flaws in people, unlike Duncan. Transition word Even though Macbeth was a great military leader, he had many flaws that made him a terrible leader for Scotland.
The play centers itself upon the main character, Macbeth, who is a Scottish general that is consumed by his ambitions to become King after hearing of a prophecy from witches that he will succeed the throne. Blinded by his ambition to be king, Macbeth becomes a tragic hero and commits nefarious acts resulting in his own undoing. Macbeth is a lesson that demonstrates how every action no matter evil or good will result in a reaction that will be just. At the start of the play, Macbeth who is already the Thane of Glamis, was praised as being noble, loyal, and dauntless. After fighting against Norway and the Thane of Cawdor who betrayed the King of Scotland, Duncan, Macbeth is rewarded with the title of Thane of Cawdor while the previous Thane of Cawdor was to be executed due to his betrayal.