William Shakespeare is a very well known author of many plays, ranging from comedies, to histories, to tragedies. Perhaps one of his most famous play's in the tragedy genre, is Macbeth. Macbeth conforms to the image of the tragic hero by portraying a flaw and dying because of it. His flaw of being led too easily is evident through the actions of characters who influence him. The tragic plot of once worthy and loyal to the King who encounters a supernatural evil which slowly leads to his death. During the play Macbeth gradually becomes over ambitious which causes immense tragedy throughout the play. In this play Shakespeare illustrates that evil will never prevail, it can only create destruction. Macbeth does not accept this as true and sells his soul, thinking he will live a prosperous life as the King of Scotland. The character of Macbeth is a classic example of a tragic hero for many reasons. There are several points which contribute greatly to Macbeth's downfall; the prophecy which was told by the three witches, lady Macbeth's influence which manipulated his judgment, and finally Macbeth's long time ambition which drove his desire to become king into destruction which took the lives of many as well as his. Macbeth's prospering, noble character, declines as he falls into the trap of greed.
             By playing the witches game, every action he picked revealed a key role in his downfall. The witches and their prophecies are a major influence on his action. The witches tell Macbeth "Thane of glamis...Thane of Cowdor....that shalt be king hereafter" (307, 46-49). He is lured in the fact that he will be king. As a result of the prophecies this aroused Macbeth's curiosity of how he could be king of Scotland. "By sinel's death I know I'm thane of glamis, but how of cowdor"(307, 71-72)? As the play progresses, Macbeth slowly relies on the witches prophecies. Shakespeare uses them as a remedy for Macbeth's cu...