Macbeth - Temptation is the Road to Destruction

Temptation is the Road to Destruction What is to blame for the tragedy of Macbeth? Is it Macbeth’s arrogance, the confusion of his mind by the witches that send Macbeth on a self-destructive path to misery, or both? William Shakespeare’s play “Macbeth” connects witchcraft to Scotland. The play is a storm created by the three “weird sisters”. Indeed, Macbeth’s actions are dominated by the witches’ prophecies. They follow Macbeth throughout the play and direct his actions. The motif of prophecy shows that Macbeth is destined to transform from an honorable warrior into a betrayer of his country. The prophecy awakes Macbeth’s ambition. Before we meet Macbeth, he is portrayed as a heroic and courageous soldier. It is unlikely that he would even think of murdering the king. Macbeth’s first line “So foul and fair a day I have not seen” is a vivid example that he has a potential to become the witches’ victim. His words reflect witches' phrase “Fair is foul, and foul is fair” and establish a connection between them and Macbeth before they encounter. When the witches predict that he will become the thane of Cawdor and then the king, he favors them. The reader’s initial impression of Macbeth i

Thus, Macbeth sets himself on the way to his destruction by making his choice since he isn"tmt able to escape from the prophecy. The second and the third predictions "none of woman born Shall harm Macbeth" and "Great Birnam wood to high Dunsinane hill Shall come against him" give Macbeth an idea that everything may still be well. Macbeth comes across the prophecy, follows it, and fulfills it. Even though he might realize that it wouldn"tmt bring him political benefit, he does kill them out of mad desire to do harm. At this point of the play Macbeth is not a good person, but he is not an evil one yet. There is neither happiness nor escape from the witches' prophecies. Right from the beginning the witches speak in the language of contradiction in their predictions about Banquo: "lesser than Macbeth, and greater". Once their target character decides to fasten the events of the prophecy and makes certain actions, the prophecy takes its turn and has to be fulfilled. The wife and the husband realize that nothing is done to secure their future. Macbeth fails to make a connection between the three apparitions. Macbeth misses the importance of the phrase that tells him that the words have to be literary interpreted. Finally, the procession of kings reveals the future line of kings, all descended from Banquo. Finally, Macbeth"tms misinterpretation of the witches"tm language leads to the false sense of security and his downfall. Blinded by desire for power, he confuses the witches"tm predictions with reality.