Macbeth
William Shakespeare's fourth tragedy, Macbeth, involves a character whose ambitious nature is the cause of his tragic flaw. Macbeth's growing involvement with the evil three witches, his self-deceptions with hallucinations, and his mental torture force him to succumb to temptation. William Shakespeare also had a hand in Macbeth's tragic flaw. Macbeth's belief in the three witches and evil were the main causes of his destruction. The three old women stir up an evil pensiveness by persuading Macbeth to become King. For Macbeth to become King, he must slay his cousin, Duncan. In Act I, scene IV, lines 144-145 Macbeth contemplates murdering Duncan, "If chance will have me King, why, chance may crown me, without my stir." Furthermore, the witches boosted his aspirations, "All hail, Macbeth, that shalt be king hereafter" (I.3.50). Also the evil sisters cause Macbeth to change his life. Macbeth's ambition converts the blessings of nature into a curse when he becomes King Macbeth as a result of the murder he committed (Bloom 166). The curse supports his tragic flaw because of his, "foolish wish of ambition" (Ludowyk 55). However, after killing Duncan he realizes, "What's done cannot be undone" (2.2.
Equally important to his practice of evil, Macbeth's imagination and self-deception cause his downfall. "Macbeth defines a particular kind of evil- evil that results from a lust for power" (Knights 87). Inevitably Macbeth loses sleep over the crimes he has committed to earn the throne and puts himself through agony trying to live on with his life. As the playwright, he created Macbeth to be the ambitious prince who tried to succumb fate, but had his ambitions become his downfall. Lady Macbeth even has trouble sleeping and begins to sleep walk, revealing information of events, which have occurred. After he murders Duncan, Macbeth become guilt-ridden and hallucinates four apparitions. The crazy sisters allow Macbeth to believe in everything that they tell him. William Shakespeare also had a hand in Macbeth's tragic flaw. Although Macbeth cannot control his life, "Shakespeare went beyond ideas of fortune and retribution for crimes committed, to exploit further possibilities in the theme of the ambitious prince" (Swisher, 40). Both Lady Macbeth and Macbeth try to predict their destiny from the impressions the witches gave him and their own desires for Macbeth to become King, but they do not realize their destiny is completely uncontrollable.
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