Macbeth Causes His Own Downfall

In the story, Macbeth is ultimately responsible for the actions that lead to his fate .It could be argued that Macbeth is not totally to blame for his own destruction, allowing himself to be influenced by others. First, Macbeth ignores the voice of his own mind. He knows what he is doing is wrong even before he murders Duncan, but he allows Lady Macbeth and greed to cloud his judgment. Secondly, Macbeth willingly listens to the witches with no proff to believe if what they were saying was true. Macbeth could have dismissed the prophecies like Banquo did but instead he chose to believe in those miss-interpreted predictions, which ultimately lead to his own downfall.

Although the witches’ predictions are somewhat responsible for influencing Macbeth’s thoughts, no one tells Macbeth to kill Duncan. Macbeth is responsible for putting power into the hands of Lady Macbeth and letting her influence him. Finally, Macbeth acknowledges his guilt of wrong doing and is thereby responsible for his actions.. Although the witches’ predictions initiate Macbeth’s desire to become king, . When the second prophecy becomes a reality, Macbeth immediately thinks of murdering Duncan. “I am of Cawdor: If good, why do I yield to that suggestion / Whose image doth unfix my hair” (I, iii, 143-145). For the first time in the story, we see a dark side to the brave and courageous Macbeth.

Macbeth sees himself kill his ruler. Macbeth is horrified by the idea but his thoughts of going after his destiny still remain. Another example of Macbeth’s early thoughts of treachery occurs when Duncan formally names his son Malcom as his successor. “Stars, hide your fires; / Let not light see my black and deep desires: / The eye wink at the hand! yet let that be, /” (I, iv, 57-59). Macbeth is vexed at Duncan’s choice of successor and wishes to overleap the situation with murder. “This night’s great business into my dispatch; / Which shall to all our nights and days to come / Give solely sovereign sway and masterdom” (I, v, 75-77). Macbeth could have told his Lady to stop her plans. Instead, he lets himself be influenced. Macbeth puts power into the hands of Lady Macbeth by letting her arrange Duncan’s murder. “Will it not be received, / When we have mark’d with blood those sleepy two / Of his own chamber, and used their very daggers, / That they have done’t?” (I, vii, 82-85). Macbeth agrees with the plan, determined to win the throne. If Macbeth truly did not want to commit evil, he could have refused his Lady’s arrangements. Instead, Macbeth accepts the plans and goes further by asking Lady Macbeth to “mock the time with fairest show” (I, vii, 91). Although sometimes Macbeth wants the murder of Duncan, other times his thoughts show the contrary. Macbeth recognizes the thoughts of killing Ducan are immoral. Macbeth’s is conscious that is thoughts are evil, yet he does nothing to correct the situation. “My thought, whose murder yet is but fantastical, / Shakes so my single state of man that function / Is smother’d in surmise; and nothing is / But what is not” (I, iii, 149-152).

Macbeth shows that he has a conscience and that he can differentiate good from evil. In privacy, Macbeth re-thinks his plans to kill Duncan. Macbeth, reveals that he knows what he is about to do is immoral, and that justice will be repay him with evil.