Macbeth's True Tragic Flaw

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In the years between 1603 and 1607, the famous playwright William Shakespeare wrote one of his most famous tragedies, The Tragedy of Macbeth. The play tells the story of Macbeth, a Scottish thane that is visited by three witches and told that one day he will be king. With this prophecy in hand Macbeth, urged on by his wife, kills King Duncan and takes the throne. However, he soon descends into madness, murdering anyone that threatens his claim to power. It is only when a rebel army storms his castle that Macbeth’s reign of terror comes to an end. Many argue that Macbeth’s tragic flaw is his unbridled ambition. However, a flaw that is even more glaring is Macbeth’s passiveness. He cannot stand up to his wife and is therefore led into folly by her, and it is this flaw that is the most tragic.
Macbeth’s passiveness and his inability to stand up to his wife is demonstrated as early as the first act. Not long after learning that the king will arrive at Macbeth’s castle, his wife gives him advice on how to proceed: “Look like th’ innocent flower / But be the serpent under’t….and you sha...

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