MACBETHS DOWNFALL

A detailed Summary of MACBETHS DOWNFALL

Upon hearing the witches prophecies, Macbeth is set on a path of deterioration that causes him to become blinded by ambition. Lacy Macbeth aids in his downfall, as she pushes him to become so ambitious that it eventually kills him. Lady Macbeth's

icy-ness acts as the horse which takes him down the path he can't return from. He suffers mentally, at first, by getting tormented by his power-hungry wife. Then, when she dies, it is her soul that causes Macbeth to get tormented by his own over-ambitious self. Macbeth encounters the three witches while on a journey with his companion Banquo. They tell Macbeth of future titles he is to have, yet he doesn't believe them. They hail Macbeth, calling him "Thane of Cawdor" and tell him he "shalt be kind hereafter". This perplexes Macbeth because such titles seem far from the truth. At this point Macbeth does not crave the titles as he later will. After the witches tell Banquo his sons shall be kings, Macbeth becomes interested in his supposed fate because the Thane of Cawdor lives and Macbeth finds it impossible to perceive himself as Thane or Cawdor and even more impossible as king.

Banquo sees the prophecy about Macbeth becoming king coming true and then he proceeds to warn Macbeth th

Lady Macbeth takes control and tells Macbeth to "put this night's great business into my[her] dispatch" and to leave the rest to her. It is Lady Macbeth who dominates Macbeth. Macbeth doesn't object to her plan of murder either. His better nature fights against his desires and he tells Lady Macbeth that he is the king's kinsman, subject and host. This makes it evident that Lady Macbeth pushes Macbeth into doing what he knows is wrong. Lady Macbeth, on the other hand, has lost all compassion at this point and the seed of her fierce masculinity has been deeply planted.

Lady Macbeth's evilness finally takes her over and forces her to commit suicide. Macbeth is now forced to carry out the rest of the plan alone. Banquo knows of Macbeth and his quest for power. He is the one that tells Macbeth that the instruments of darkness only cause harm and betrayal. Macbeth makes this statement true by betraying Banquo whom he once trusted. Banquo suspected Macbeth's guilt and out of fear of being caught Macbeth sends out two murderers to kill Banquo. Macbeth is guilty of betrayal, but he doesn't commit the act himself which shows how weak he really is. After Macbeth has Banquo killed, he hallucinates and thinks he sees Banquo's ghost because the malevolent deed is burdening his conscience.

When the king greets Macbeth with gratitude, all Macbeth can think about is the prediction that he will become king. It is now that the poison of desire begins to seep into Macbeth's mind. After the king announces that his son, Malcolm, will become king Macbeth starts to ponder murder. Macbeth can't wait and allow the prophecy to take its course and hopefully come true- he must take action and force it to become a reality. "That is a step on which I must fall down, or else o'erleap, for in my way it lies." Macbeth compares Malcolm to a st

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Approximate Word count = 1233
Approximate Pages = 5 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: English