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Malikai Aiono

Mr. Bigelow

English 10

March 21, 2017

Downfall of the Thane of Glamis

Macbeths downfall of Macbeth can be described in many different ways. Some ways could be

things like how he makes poor choices and decisions that break him. His wife, his fate, his peers

anything could really be the root of his problems. In the play Macbeth, written by Shakespeare, Macbeth

has multiple outstanding problems. But really, it was his ambition; his ambition grew as the 3 witches fed

it with prophecies and promises, where then Macbeth slowly but surely fell into the dark abyss of his own

insanity which lead him to his downfall. His wife and his fate should be overlooked for they are not

significant enough to Macbeths downfall.

The 3 witches unrooted and watered and fed the huge ambition found in Macbeth, this is his

downfall that grows on him and then destroys him. The first moment of Macbeth bearing his ambition

was when he first received his prophecies: Glamis, and the thane of Cawdor! / The greatest is behind

(1.3.117). This is where it all starts, Macbeth is now thinking about his future about being the King. His

ambition is growing and it will continue to do so, until theres too much for his own good. The second

time that Macbeth shows his growing ambition was when he witnessed the King lay out the line of

royalty, to his son, Malcolm. Macbeth does not like how Malcolm will receive the crown and he himself

will not, he mocks him: The prince of Cumberland! That is a step / On which I must fall down, or else

oerleap, / For in my way it lies (1.4.50). His ambition is getting the best of him here, and its controlling

him. Macbeth mutters to himself that he must either give up, or somehow surpass him to get to the crown

in any means necessary. Macbeths ambition is growing on him a lot already, even after just one scene.
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Lady Macbeth is an interesting woman, shes controlling and influential, but she is weak. She

first controls Macbeth to do her bidding to make him greater, but then she slowly loses control of herself

and she goes insane as well and Macbeth continues all by himself, and succeeds without her. Lady

Macbeth is just a mere catalyst that drives Macbeth to do deeds that makes him full of evil. Yet she still is

weak, for she has set up Macbeth to kill the king but says to herself Had he not resembled / My father as

he slept, I had donet (2.2.12). Lady Macbeth has sent Macbeth to go murder the King, but she says that

she couldve done it herself, only if he did not resemble her own father. Her own humility got the best of

her. Yet Macbeth still does the did himself where she failed to, Macbeth is independent past this whole

point. Later when Macduff has found the King in his dreadful sleep, Macbeth says, Oh, yet I do repent

me of my fury, / That I did kill them (2.3.102). Macbeth tells everyone in the room that he has killed the

two guards, where Lady Macbeth is shocked and did not plan for this to happen. Macbeth is going on his

own will and Lady Macbeth merely did talk to him and continue to call upon him and ask are you a

man? And that is the true extent of what she has done.

Fate and Destiny go hand in hand and lay out the future of certain things and/or certain people,

but they are not significant in Macbeths downfall. Again, his fate should be overlooked for powerful

reasons of his own fall. Macbeth himself does not take fate or even luck too seriously for when he has

slain McDonaldwald, a captain returning from a battle says this to the King, brave Macbethwell he

deserves that name-- / Disdaining fortuneunseamed [Mcdonaldwald] from the nave to th chops

(1.2.16). This shows that Macbeth can do whatever he wants to whenever he puts his mind to things. So

when the witches told him his three prophecies, he acted like he was told things that he has the power to

do, so he went and did it. Fate didnt do a lick of business in his plans. The second time that Macbeth is

witnessed by the 3 witches he receives more prophecies, one of which tells him to be weary of the thane

of Fife, Macduff. He filled with excitement and speaks: Seize upon Fife, give to th edge o th sword /

His wife, his babes, and all unfortunate souls / That trace him in his line (4.1.152). Here Macbeth seems

disturbed that the witches have told him that the thane of Fife will come to rid him of his place. Macbeth
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plans on going to his residence to kill him, and his whole entire family. He is mocking the power of fate

and is not shaken by it.

Macbeths fall was mainly his ambition that took him down. He got incredibly ambitious and it

only grew as the 3 witches wagged the crown and power and happiness in front of him while playing with

him and making him chasing it endlessly until he couldnt. But fate and his wife was not a significant part

of this situation concerning Macbeths downfall. Shakespeare put together a fantastic play titled Macbeth

and it holds a fantastic storyline.