Flaws In Macbeth

Every human being has a weakness and that weakness is pride. ‘Whoever exalts himself shall be humbled; and whoever humbles himself shall be exalted (Matthew 23:12, The Bible)’. Pride is a natural flaw that most people do not realize. Some can control it, while others let their pride blind them from logic and truth. Naturally, Macbeth has this attribute and he demonstrates it throughout the play. Shakespeare purposely introduces Macbeth as a proud character. The witches’ prophecies give him his confidence. And as his confidence grows, so does his pride until it eventually consumes his power-crazed mind.

In William Shakespeare’s The Tragedy of Macbeth, Macbeth, a once honored and valiant Thane, abandons all virtue after three meddling witches prophesize his ascent to the Scottish throne. Consumed by his ambition and encouraged by his malevolent wife, Macbeth sets forth on a downward spiral of murderous treason and tyranny that subsequently leads to his own demise. This Shakespearean tragedy explores betrayal, manipulation and the blood lust that adjoins a relentless climb for power. Hovering behind the narrative are various supernatural forces and visions that seem to be present during each terrible act. Subsequently, a question prevails whether Macbeth’s downfall is result of his own flaw or if these forces possess a vice-like hold over

Lady Macbeth's primary flaw in the narrative is that her ambitious nature leads her to force her husband into difficult situations which cause him mental hardship. Macbeth receives a prophecy informing him that he is destined to become King, and this is something his wife takes tremendous interest in. Macbeth is certainly interested in being King, but his wife wants him to take more initiative to make that dream a reality. Lady Macbeth entertains him with the idea of killing King Duncan and usurping the throne, but Macbeth is uncomfortable with this plan. Lady Macbeth continues to press him, and in the process uses very strong language which attacks Macbeth on personal levels.

Lady Macbeth makes him kill King Duncan immediately. In the play it also quotes about Macbeth’s ambition in him: “I have no spur/ To prick the sides of my intent, but only/ Vaulting ambition, which o’erleaps itself/ and falls on the other.” Macbeth is telling her to be honest and admit that there was not a good reason to kill Duncan. Knowing that Duncan was never in the wrong path, yet on the right one.

The Life Lesson that Macbeth, Montag and I learn is you learn more from your failures than your successes. If you don’t follow this life lesson two things will happen to you. First, you will never improve at improving yourself. Second, you will be afraid of making mistakes. In Act 1 of Macbeth, Macbeth makes the mistake of trusting the witches.

As a virgin to The Shakespeare Theatre, I was pleasantly surprised when my recent encounter with Macbeth was a stimulating and enjoyable excursion. The two and a half hours I had predicted to be less than enchanting were filled with symbolism, and an overall attitude towards the Shakespeare classic that I had never contemplated before.

    "...Go pronounce his present death,/ And with his former title greet Macbeth."  (Act 1, Scene 2, 64-65)     Though the word "death" in this sentence refers to the former thane of Cawdor's demise, Shakespeare uses the clever trick of foreshadowing Macbeth's downfall by coupling the word "death" with the word "Macbeth" so early in the tragedy.  The quote has another importance  it introduces the ideas of treachery and personal gain from less-than-legitimate means, two characteristics Macbeth picks up on as the story advances.  We are introduced to Macbeth as a hero, a slayer of the Norweyans, even "Bellona's bridegroom, lapped in proof" (Act 1, Scene 2, 54), but by the end of the play

Macbeth cannot be fully blamed for gaining this new ambition though, Lady Macbeth and the witches contributed mightily to tainting his ambition. However, Lady Macbeth never blatantly tells Macbeth to do anything he does, she strongly persuades and eventually talks him into doing the things he does. She does call him out as a coward and questions his manhood and bravery. This comes into play when Macbeth tells her he will not murder Duncan, she replies: "How tender 'tis to love the babe that milks me: I would, while it was smiling in my face, Have pluck'd my nipple from his

At times man is prone to call into states of disillusionment, whether it be their own fault, or that of others, and this may cause them to commit grievous errors. The character of Macbeth suffers from a delusional view of the world. The diluted ways in which he interprets many of the prophecies foretold by the witches brings forth a detrimental effect upon many of his peers and acquaintances and leads him to execute grave mistakes. It is Macbeth’s choice to interpret things in a more literal meaning, rather than a prophetic one, that becomes the downfall of many characters in the story. The meddlesome witches can not be left dry of blame, for it was their prophetic truths that led Macbeth to take such a literal

Macbeth is a powerful, brave soldier who does not like how his wife is questioning his manhood. Lady Macbeth knows her husband will not like her comments, and this gives Macbeth the drive to prove himself to her. Throughout the play, Lady Macbeth doubts his character and builds him up, this leads to his poor decisions. Furthermore, Lady Macbeth continuously makes remarks to Macbeth that make him feel fearless, as she wants him to feel very confident. Lady Macbeth talks about how they will not fail in their plans when she tells Macbeth to “screw [his] courage to the sticking place, And [they’ll] not fail” (1.7.61).

The line above is from a song that I think would fit the character of Macbeth. In the the play the audience gets to see if Macbeth is sane, his shame for his wrong doings, and the fact that he knows what he is doing is wrong. In the play the viewers gets to see all the elements of a tragic hero, as well as experience a sense of hope for Scotland.

The historical play Macbeth written by Shakespeare tells a story of a man who succumbs to his ambitious demons and consequently develops a manic-depressive persona. After studying Macbeth and reading various criticisms I can conclude that Macbeth is a slave to his overarching ambition. The ambition was always there but when he encounters the “weird sisters” who tell him half-truths as a prophecy his weak mind choses to believe it and thus begins his journey to his own demise. The critics I will be referencing are John Charles Bucknill (1858), Vassilki Markidou (2003), Bert O. States (1985). Each critic argues that Macbeth’s ambition is ultimately responsible

She tells him that his face is a place where “men may read strange matters” (I.V.53-540) and that he looks “like the innocent flower. ”(I.V.56-57). Then shortly after she tells him that he must kill the king and he must be as “the serpent under’t” (I.V.58) meaning she wants him to be as a snake in the grass ruthless to those who don’t see him approach. She complements him and makes him proud of himself. Her seduction allows Macbeth to believe her and follow her into the darkness of her ambition to be queen.

    Since The Tragedy of Macbeth was written there has been speculation about the cause of Macbeth's downfall.  Readers ponder whether Macbeth's fall was caused by a flaw in his character, Lady Macbeth, or an outside force of evil.  Although the witches set a certain mood and Lady Macbeth exerts a certain influence on him, Macbeth's downfall is caused by his own character.

In life, there are two types of people: those who do the right thing and those who don’t. In the play Macbeth, by Shakespeare, the main character Macbeth is given a prophecy by three witches that says he will become king; however, there is no descending line of kings of his own blood. With the knowledge of the Witches’ prophecy, Macbeth’s ambition, and manipulation from his wife, Lady Macbeth, Macbeth is quickly dragged into a never-ending, bloody murder rampage to obtain the crown and get rid of those who stand in the way of obtaining it as well. Macbeth constantly battles with his moral dilemmas; however, he easily falls victim to influences that go against his morals. Influences on major characters emphasize how easily one’s decision making can be negatively affected, resulting in one going against his or her morals/integrity.