How was it possible for such an admirable and noble man, so established in society, to fall so greatly into a dilemma, full of murderous plots and deceit? In William Shakespeare's Macbeth, the idea of one character becoming both victim and villain is introduced. Macbeth falls prey to others' deception, and is supplanted with greed and hate when he is tricked by three witches. When told that he is going to be King of Scotland, Macbeth does whatever he can to ensure his prophecy. In Macbeth's quest for power, he gains a flaw that ends in a deteriorated relationship with Lady Macbeth, and his eventual defeat.

"All hail, Macbeth, that shalt be King hereafter!" (I.iii.50) The three witches, with their "prophetic greeting" (I.iii.78) gear Macbeth's drive for power. They embody the supernatural element of this tragedy. With the

ir imperfect predictions, they play on Macbeth's security and nourish the seed of his tragic flaw, which flourishes in their manipulative prophecies and drives him into becoming the King of Scotland. But the Scottish aristocracy comprises of King Duncan, his two princes Malcolm and Donalbain, and various other thanes and nobles, including Macbeth's friend, Banquo. His desire for position on the throne overrides his respect for the King and his own dignity, leading Macbeth to slaughter him, and murder all those who serve as obstacles in his treacherous pursuit of the throne.

Macbeth's fall from grace into sheer misery is truly tragic in it's nature. Even his soliloquies, notable for magniloquence and marked by voluptuous word-painting, show more the stages of his corruption than its causes - the need for action to cover his lack of poise in awaiting developments and the ne

Some common words found in the essay are:
Lady Macbeth, Malcolm Donalbain, IIIi115-117 Macbeth, Banquo Macbeth, Shakespeare's Macbeth, , Scotland Macbeth, Ivii25-28 Macbeth, Scotland Scottish, lady macbeth, King Duncan, king scotland, murderous plots,
Approximate Word count = 595
Approximate Pages = 2 (250 words per page double spaced)