Macb eth is h onestly r e sp onsib le fo r h is o w n d ow nfa ll d esp it e th e in flu ence fr o m L ady Macb eth a nd th e F ate s.
I b eli e ve th at w it h h is o w n s e lf is h a m bit io ns t h at w ere fu ele d b y h is dark d esir e s a nd c h ara cte r, a nd w it h h is o ve rc o nfid ence , h e d estr o ye d h im se lf . In th e begin nin g, M acb eth is in tr o duce d a s a n oble a nd lo ya l s o ld ie r a nd h ero w ho h ad co ura geously w on th e w ar fo r S co tla nd b ut b y th e e nd, M acb eth tr a nsfo rm s in to a m arty r and ty ra nt k in g w ho s h a ll k ill a nyo ne th at b eco m es a th re at to h im , n o m atte r h ow d ear th ey were to h is h eart a nd s a dly c re ate s a m asq uera de o f m arty rd om a nd a ffli c tio n. Macb eth is in flu ence d in th e b egin nin g b y th e F ate s th at te ll h im th at h e s h all b eco m e k in g acco rd in g to th eir p ro phecy: “?All h ail, M acb eth ! h ail t o t h ee, T han e o f G la m is ! A ll h ail, Macb eth ! h ail t o t h ee, T han e o f C aw dor! A ll h ail, M acb eth ! T hat s h alt b e k in g here afte r??” ?(I, iii, 5 0-5 5)?? a nd s a dly , w it h out a ny p ro of a t a ll, M acb eth b li n dly c h oose s to belie ve th e F ate s’ p ro phecy in ste ad o f d is m is sin g th e w ord s lik e B anquo. A lt h ough th e Fate s’ p ro phecy is s o m ew hat r e sp onsib le fo r a ffe ctin g M acb eth ‘s m in dse t, th ey d id n ot su ggest th e id ea o f m urd erin g th e k in g. I b elie ve th at th e th ought o f m urd er, fo ul- p la y, a nd betr a ya l m ust h ave c o m e a cro ss M acb eth ‘s m in d a s h is c o ntr it e ness is n otic e d b y B anquo: ” ?Good s ir , w hy d o y o u s ta rt, a n d s eem t o f e ar t h in gs t h at d o s o und s o f a ir ? ..
.??” ?(I, ii i, 54-5 5)??. Afte r h is e nco unte r, M acb eth ‘s ” d ark d esir e s” te rro riz e a nd h orrif y h im a s h e r e fu se s to sp eak o f th em p ublic ly a n d o penly , a lt h ough, h e s e nds a le tt e r to h is w if e , L ady M acb eth dis cu ssin g a ll th at h e w it n esse d. A ft e r r e ce iv in g th e le tt e r, L ady M acb eth e nco ura ges th e id ea o f ” m urd er” a s s h e s e es th at t h is is t h e o ne a nd o nly o pportu nit y to a ch ie ve th eiram bit io n.
S adly , M acb eth a llo w s h is w if e to m anip ula te h im b y te ll in g h im th at h e is n ‘t worth y to b e a ” m an” : ?” ?Whic h t h ou e ste em ‘s t t h e o rn am en t o f lif e , a n d liv e a c o w ard in th in e o w n e ste em , L ett in g ” I d are n ot” w ait u pon ” I w ould ” lik e t h e p oor c at I’ t h e ad ag e???” ?(I, v ii, 4 5-4 8)?? ??and e xp re sse s th at s h e w ould k ill h er o nly c h il d to fu lf il l th eir d esir e s: ” ? ?How t e n der t is ‘ t o lo ve t h e b ab e t h at m ilk s m e; I w ould , w hile it w as s m ilin g in m y fa ce, h ave p lu ck’d m y n ip ple f r o m h is b onele ss g um s, a n d d ash ‘d t h e b ra in s o ut, h ad I s o s w orn??” ?(I, v ii, 6 0-6 4)??, ?? ye t M acb eth d oes n ot in te rfe re to p re ve nt th e m urd er-p la n e ve n th ough h e w as p hysic a lly a nd m enta lly a w are . W hen L ady M acb eth d ie d, s u rp ris in gly Macb eth s h ow ed n o p it y n or s a dness w hic h r e fle cte d h is r u th le ssn ess: ?” ?She s h ould h ave die d h ere afte r; T here w ould h ave b een a t im e f o r s u ch a w ord . T o-m orro w , a n d to -m orro w , a n d t o -m orr o w c re ep s in t h is p etty ” ( V , v , 2 0-2 5).?? ??Surp ris in gly , L ady Macb eth w as th e o ne to h elp M acb eth m ain ta in h is r e puta tio n d urin g h is m enta l b re akd ow n afte r s e ein g th e g host o f B anquo w hic h s h ow ed h ow m uch s h e s ym path iz e d w it h h is co ndit io n: ?” ?Sit , w orth y f r ie n ds: m y lo rd is o fte n t h us, a n d h ath b een f r o m h is y o uth : ‘p ra y y o u, k eep s eat; t h e f it i s m om en ta ry ; u pon a t h ought h e w ill a g ain b e w ell… ….??” (III, iv , 6 6-7 0)?? ??but a fte r h er d eath , a ll h e d id w as m ock h er fo r c o m mit tin g s u ic id e a nd c la im th at h e w ill d ie a m ore ” h o nora ble ” d eath : ?” ?At le ast w e’ll d ie w it h h arn ess o n o ur b ack??” (V , v , 5 7) Sadly , a ll o f th ese e ve nts h appened w hile h is c o nscie nce t r ie d to w arn h im o f th e d ow nfa ll sta ggerin g in th e v ic in it y . In ste ad o f a ckn ow le dgin g h is c o nscie nce , h e tr ie s t o ig nore a nd fo rc ib ly p ut a n e nd to h is g uilt th en c o ntin ues w it h h is a m bit io n. F or in sta nce , M acb eth ‘s in to xic a te d m in d th at’s fu ll o f m urd er le ad h im to th e k in g’s r o om : ?” ?Is t h is a d ag ger w hic h Isee b efo re m e, t h e h an dle t o w ard m y h an d? c o m e, le t m e c lu tc h t h ee.
I h ave t h ee n ot, an d y et I s ee t h ee s till… “??(II, i, 4 0-5 5) ” ?I g o, a n d it is d one; t h e b ell in vit e s m e // H ear it n ot, D uncan , f o r it is a k n ell t h at su m mons t h ee t o h eave n , o r t o h ell” ( II, i, 6 9-7 1)??. ??Afte r m urd erin g D unca n, W e d is co ve r th at M acb eth lie s to th e a sse m bly a nd a bandons h is o nce d early h eld p rin cip le s a nd lo ya lt y . By th e e nd o f th e p la y, M acb eth b eco m es s tu bborn a nd r e ckle ss. When th e F ate s u tte r to h im th e s e co nd p ro phecy: “? ?Macb eth ! M acb eth ! M acb eth ! b ew are Macd uff; B ew are t h e T han e o f F if e . D is m is s m e: e n ough!” ??(IV , i , 7 8-7 9), “??Be b lo ody, b old , a n d r e so lu te ; la u gh t o s co rn t h e p ow er o f m an , f o r n one o f w om an born s h all h arm M acb eth !” ( V , v , 8 6-8 8), “B e lio n-m ettle d , p ro ud , a n d t a ke n o c are W ho c h afe s, w ho f r e ts , o r w here c o nsp ir e rs are : M acb eth s h all n ev er v an quis h ‘d b e u ntil G re at B ir n am w ood t o h ig h D unsin an e hill s h all c o m e a g ain st h im??” ?(V , v , 9 9-1 03)?? M acb eth is t h en c o nvin ce d a nd d ece iv e d in to belie vin g th at h e is ” in vin cib le “. In th e b egin nin g, M acb e th h ad n ot c o nsid ere d th e F ate s’ c ry p tic w ord s a t a ll b eca use it w as weig hed d ow n b y h is c a re a nd lo ya lt y .
A lt h ough, n ow M acb eth ju st lis te ns to th e fir s t th in g th at s u it s h is e go. M acb e th k n ow s th at h e’s a tte m ptin g d esir a bly s e nse le ss t h in gs, b ut s in ce his e go h as c o nvin ce d h im th at n o h arm c a n c o m e to h im , w ha t d oes it m atte r? T o co nclu de, I b elie ve th at M acb eth s h ould ‘v e r e m em bere d th at a li f e s e rv e d w it h a s w ord , is bound to e nd o n th e p oin t o f o ne.
