Examples Of Character Flaws In Macbeth

Throughout the play Macbeth by William Shakespeare, characters openly demonstrate positive and negative aspects of their personality and morals. Macbeth’s evil character flaws overpower his pleasant characteristics, resulting in extremely malicious thoughts and actions through the play. His first character flaw, ambition, leads Macbeth to arrange and commit multiple violent, bloody murders. Macbeth is very naive during the play, showing that his second character flaw, gullibility, allows other people surrounding him to easily manipulate his beliefs. Macbeth's third character flaw, paranoia, develops through the course of the play and motivate him to imagine false situations. These character flaws cause Macbeth to become mentally unstable and

This is an extremely critical point of realization for Macbeth, he confesses that his ambition overpowers his mental state causing him to develop very hateful thoughts. Macbeth’s desire to become king switches his consideration of killing King Duncan to being unquestionably ready to kill the king. Macbeth now knows that he is willing to do anything to get what he wants. By this point, Macbeth’s ambition controls his outlook on his capabilities and morals as a human being. This change of character within Macbeth is the beginning of the path that leads him to his downfall. As Macbeth starts to walk towards Duncan’s room, he thinks to himself, “I go, and it is done. The bell invites me. / Hear it not, Duncan, for it is a knell / That summons thee to heaven or hell” (2.1.62-64). Macbeth’s ambition to become a powerful king pushes him over the edge and causes him to follow through with the most shockingly evil crime. Killing King Duncan gives Macbeth the greatest opportunity to become the king and gain a new power. He misuses this power during his time as king, which results in many people distrusting their new leader. Macbeth’s decision to kill Duncan is the initial factor that leads him to his downfall.

After Macbeth kills Duncan, he fears that Banquo is suspicious, “To be thus is nothing, / But to be safely thus. Our fears in Banquo stick deep, and in his royalty of nature / Reigns that which would be fear’d” (3.1.49-52). Macbeth assumes that Banquo is wary of the recent murder. He is very worried that Banquo suspects he has something to do with Duncan’s death. Macbeth does not want to get caught and face harsh consequences for killing a great king, so he devises a plan to kill Banquo. Many people become suspicious after there are two very violent murders close to one another, making Macbeth look more guilty. Immediately after Macbeth murders Duncan, he says to himself, “Methought I heard a voice cry, ‘Sleep no more: / Macbeth does murder sleep’ “ (2.2.38-39). Macbeth feels guilty immediately after he kills Duncan, paranoia causes him to hear voices inside his head. As the play progresses, these voices grow stronger and more powerful, they begin to take control of Macbeth and cause him to act and think delusionally. This results in his peers losing respect and loyalty towards him. Macbeth fears there are spies around him, so he tells Ross, “I hear it by the way, but I will send. / There’s not a one of them but in his house / I keep a servant feed” (3.4.130-132). Macbeth imagines Macduff has sent spies to watch everything he is doing. This shows that Macbeth is