Table of ContentsIntroductionThe Causes of Macbeth's DownfallMacbeth's InsecuritiesMacbeth's AmbitionMacbeth's GuiltConclusionIntroductionIn media like books, films, plays, etc., there is always a reason why a specific character goes from powerful and wealthy to weak with guilt and despair in them. In the play Macbeth by William Shakespeare, Macbeth, a Scottish general, hears a prophecy that he will one day be king of Scotland from three witches he has encountered. Consumed by ambition and persuaded by his wife, Macbeth kills the former king of Scotland and takes the throne for himself. At the end of the story, Macbeth is full of guilt and left without hope, which leads to his death. Macbeth's downfall as a weak person with a sad and desperate personality is caused by many reasons throughout the play. Macbeth's misery and eventual downfall are caused by his insecurity, ambition, and guilt. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay The Causes of Macbeth's Downfall Macbeth's Insecurities Macbeth is satisfied with his life and he has not thought about becoming king of Scotland nor does he intend to do so. However, after hearing the witches' prophecies, "All hail Macbeth!" Hello, Thane of Glamis! (Macbeth 1.3.50) “All hail Macbeth! Hello, Thane of Cawdor! (Macbeth 1.3.51) “All hail Macbeth! Hello, Thane of Scotland! (Macbeth 1.3.52), Macbeth allows himself to be somewhat drawn into the prophecy. He also takes an interest in them when he orders the witches to tell him more about the prediction: “Stay, you imperfect speakers, tell me more…” (Macbeth 1.3.72-80). This explains how Macbeth begins this other side of him which is becoming a traitor. He believes the witches' words without any questions and becomes very excited. However, this excitement leads him to become impatient, which is one of the causes of his downfall. Another insecurity of Macbeth is shown in Act 1, Scene 7 when Macbeth falls in love with Lady Macbeth's suggestions. In Act 1, Scene 5, Lady Macbeth reads the letter sent by Macbeth: "They met me in the day of success..." (Macbeth 1.5.2-15), she is more excited and happy than Macbeth himself and she begins to plan what she can do to have Macbeth crowned king. In Act 1, Scene 7, Macbeth attempts to disappoint Lady Macbeth: "We will go no further in this matter" (Macbeth 1.7.31-35), but Lady Macbeth persuades him by questioning his strength and using such language towards Macbeth. At the end of the scene, Macbeth says "I sit and lean" (1.7.79-82) and agrees with Lady Macbeth. This is one of Macbeth's biggest insecurities as he loves his wife so much that he agrees with her to commit a crime. Although he knows it's not right to betray the king, he lets go of his thoughts and depends more on people telling him what to do, such as his wife, who manipulates him and is willing to kill his baby just so that Macbeth could become. king “Destroys you…” (Macbeth 1.7.44-49). This is a weakness in Macbeth where he listens to what others tell him what to do instead of listening to himself, which also leads to his downfall. Macbeth's Ambition Throughout the play, Macbeth gains power each time he succeeds. its objective. Now that he is king, he has more power than ever, allowing him to kill anyone who threatens his kingship. After becoming Thane of Cawdor in Act 1, Scene 2, Macbeth is still humble and respectable. However, when he hears the witches' prophecies inAct 1, scene 3, he realizes the ambition within him. He suddenly feels a little powerful and realizes how happy and rich his life is going to be. But even after the prophecies, Macbeth remains loyal to the king and has no intention of killing or replacing him. However, when Macbeth tells his wife Lady Macbeth what he heard, she has the opposite reaction from him. Lady Macbeth suddenly wants to become Queen of Scotland and see her husband become king. She is so high that she hatches a plan to kill the king without any hesitation, and when Macbeth approaches, Lady Macbeth fully persuades him to use his ambition to gain power and position in Act 1, Scene 7 . After killing Duncan in Act 2, Scene 1 Macbeth is crowned King of Scotland in Act 2, Scene 4 which makes him realize that he has more power than before. He also feels confident and satisfied with the achievements he has made. However, he is also frightened and intimidated when he begins to view Banquo, his noble friend, as a threat to his throne after realizing that Banquo's sons will also be king. Macbeth's thoughts show his anxiety about his throne being taken by Banquo's sons and he is intimidated into killing Banquo and his son, Fleance. In Act 3, Scene 3, Macbeth orders his murderers to kill Banquo. This scene shows the loyalty and respect that Macbeth has lost and how his ambition is getting the better of him. The last murder he commits occurs when he kills Macduff's family in Act 4, Scene 2. After hearing that Macduff is preparing to fight him, Macbeth decides to capture and burn the wife, children and Macduff's servants to warn Macduff and make him understand how much more powerful he is than Macduff. Every time he commits a murder, he realizes that his power and ambition are very high and he is somewhat satisfied with the fact that he is very powerful and rich. He also becomes obsessed with gaining more power by killing those who might denounce him. Even after killing Macduff's family, Macbeth also wants to kill Macduff and gain more power than before. Although Macbeth becomes more and more powerful, he does not know that this power would suddenly be the cause of his downfall. Because of their ambition, Macbeth and Lady Macbeth are distressed and feel guilty for what they have done. They both realized the consequences of their decisions when they should have thought about them before committing all these crimes. Macbeth's Guilt Lady Macbeth is so guilty and emotionally suffering that she would commit suicide. Lady Macbeth is also a reason why Macbeth loses all hope of retaining his place on the throne. The final cause of Macbeth's downfall is his guilt over the whole situation. Due to his guilt, Macbeth does not have enough confidence and strength to fight Macduff. Macbeth feels guilty even before killing Duncan. In Act 2, Scene 1, Macbeth's soliloquy, "Is the dagger that I see before me" (Macbeth 2.1.33-61) exposes his guilt over the situation. Macbeth was hallucinating and saw a dagger floating in front of him. He knew he was hallucinating because every time he reached for the dagger, it moved further and further away from him. He confirms his hallucination when he declares: “Which was not the case before. There is no such thing. It is the bloody affair which informs Thus in my eyes. (Macbeth 2.1.47-49) which means that he knows that there is no dagger in front of him but that the murder he is ready to commit makes him believe that he sees one. This soliloquy shows how Macbeth feels about killing Duncan and how much guilt he has within him. Another scene that shows Macbeth's guilt is in Act 3, Scene 4 when he..