Dissecting the Downfall of Great Macbeth
Dissecting the Downfall of Great Macbeth
While Macbeth’s “vaulting ambition” plays the most vital role in the quick end to his newfound empire in William Shakespeare’s Macbeth, exterior forces including Lady Macbeth and the persuasive acts performed by the witches both contribute to the eventual beheading of one of Scotland’s greatest warriors, Macbeth himself. Macbeth loses part of himself the moment he takes the life of a friend, uncle, and respected King, Duncan. Although the witches put the idea of power in Macbeth’s mind, his wife, Lady Macbeth, acts as a much-needed cheerleader in convincing Macbeth to go through with their diabolical plan. Lady Macbeth taunts Macbeth continuously after he confesses his fear that the plan may not yield the results they crave, but “screw [Macbeth’s] courage to the sticking-place, and [they’ll] not fail” (1.7.60-61). The absence of Lady Macbeth’s vindictive dialogue would have kept Macbeth in an internal battle. Lady Macbeth refuses to let her husband abandon the plan, even though he attempts to do so. She makes sure that the evil inside Macbeth triumphs over whatever good intent lived inside him before the murder of Duncan. The witches utilize half-truths to confuse and manipulate Macbeth into making decisions they know will cause him pain and misery. While Macbeth is seen as a noble man by many, the witches are fully aware of the darkness inside him, and this become known when they announce “Something wicked this way comes” (4.1.45-46) as Macbeth approaches them. Their knowledge of Macbeth and his inner darkness gives them the ability to sabotage his life. The witches know that with the proper persuasion, Macbeth will kill Duncan. Knowing this, they provide an instrumental image in the murder of Duncan, the dagger. Macbeth does not know if it is real or simply a vision, “To feeling as to sight? or art thou but a dagger of the mind, a false creation?” (2.1.37-38), but it proves enough to convince Macbeth to
While Macbeth’s “vaulting ambition” plays the most vital role in the quick end to his newfound empire in William Shakespeare’s Macbeth, exterior forces including Lady Macbeth and the persuasive acts performed by the witches both contribute to the eventual beheading of one of Scotland’s greatest warriors, Macbeth himself. Macbeth loses part of himself the moment he takes the life of a friend, uncle, and respected King, Duncan. Although the witches put the idea of power in Macbeth’s mind, his wife, Lady Macbeth, acts as a much-needed cheerleader in convincing Macbeth to go through with their diabolical plan. Lady Macbeth taunts Macbeth continuously after he confesses his fear that the plan may not yield the results they crave, but “screw [Macbeth’s] courage to the sticking-place, and [they’ll] not fail” (1.7.60-61). The absence of Lady Macbeth’s vindictive dialogue would have kept Macbeth in an internal battle. Lady Macbeth refuses to let her husband abandon the plan, even though he attempts to do so. She makes sure that the evil inside Macbeth triumphs over whatever good intent lived inside him before the murder of Duncan. The witches utilize half-truths to confuse and manipulate Macbeth into making decisions they know will cause him pain and misery. While Macbeth is seen as a noble man by many, the witches are fully aware of the darkness inside him, and this become known when they announce “Something wicked this way comes” (4.1.45-46) as Macbeth approaches them. Their knowledge of Macbeth and his inner darkness gives them the ability to sabotage his life. The witches know that with the proper persuasion, Macbeth will kill Duncan. Knowing this, they provide an instrumental image in the murder of Duncan, the dagger. Macbeth does not know if it is real or simply a vision, “To feeling as to sight? or art thou but a dagger of the mind, a false creation?” (2.1.37-38), but it proves enough to convince Macbeth to