Index IntroductionThe causes of Macbeth's fallMacbeth's insecuritiesMacbeth's ambitionMacbeth's guiltConclusionIntroductionIn media such as books, films, plays, etc. there is always a reason why a specific character goes from having a powerful and wealthy status to a weak status with guilt and desperation within them. In the play Macbeth by William Shakespeare, Macbeth, a Scottish general, hears a prophecy that he will one day be king of Scotland according to three witches he has met. Consumed by ambition and convinced by his wife, Macbeth kills the former king of Scotland and takes the throne for himself and at the end of the story Macbeth is guilt-ridden and hopeless, which leads to his death. Macbeth's fall into being a weak person with a sad and desperate personality is caused by many reasons throughout the play. Macbeth's unhappiness and eventual downfall are caused by his insecurities, ambition, and guilt. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essayThe causes of Macbeth's downfallMacbeth's insecuritiesMacbeth is satisfied with his life and did not think of becoming king of Scotland nor does he have any intention of doing so. However, after hearing the witches' prophecies, “All hail Macbeth! Hail to you, Lord of Glamis!” (Macbeth 1.3.50) “All hail Macbeth! Hail to you, Lord of Cawdor!” (Macbeth 1.3.51) “All hail Macbeth! Hail to you, Lord of Scotland! (Macbeth 1.3.52), Macbeth somehow becomes involved in the prophecy. He shows interest in them too when he orders the witches to tell him more about the prediction: “Stay, ye imperfect orators, tell me more…” (Macbeth 1.3.72-80). This explains how Macbeth initiates this other side of himself which is to become a traitor. He believes the witches' words without asking questions and gets very emotional. However, this excitement leads him to become impatient, which is one of the causes of his downfall. Another insecurity of Macbeth is shown in act 1, scene 7, when Macbeth falls for Lady Macbeth's suggestions. In act 1, scene 5, Lady Macbeth reads the letter sent by Macbeth, “They met me in the day of success…” (Macbeth 1.5.2-15), she is more excited and happy than Macbeth himself and begins to plan what she can do for Macbeth to be crowned king. In Act 1, Scene 7 Macbeth tries to disappoint Lady Macbeth, "We will proceed no further in this matter" (Macbeth 1.7.31-35) but Lady Macbeth convinces him by questioning his strengths and using this language towards Macbeth. At the end of the scene, Macbeth says “I am settled and I bend” (1.7.79-82) and agrees with Lady Macbeth. This is one of Macbeth's greatest insecurities, considering he loves his wife so much that he agrees with her to commit a crime. Even though he knows it is not right to betray the king, he is lowering his thoughts and depends more on what people tell him what to do like his wife, who is manipulating him and is willing to kill his baby just so Macbeth can become king “It undoes you…” (Macbeth 1.7.44-49). This is a weakness of Macbeth where he listens to what others tell him what to do instead of listening to himself, which is also why he is ultimately led to ruin. Macbeth's Ambition Throughout the entire play, Macbeth gains power every time he achieves his goal. Now that he is king, he has more power than ever, allowing him to kill anyone who threatens his kingship. After becoming Lord of Cawdor in Act 1, Scene 2, Macbeth is still humble and respectable. However, when he hears the prophecies of the witches in Act 1, Scene 3, he realizes the ambition within himself. He suddenly feels a little powerful and realizeshow rich and contented his life will be. But even after the prophecies, Macbeth is still loyal to the King and has no intention of killing and replacing him. However, when Macbeth tells his wife Lady Macbeth what he heard, she has the opposite reaction to him. Lady Macbeth suddenly feels anxious to become Queen of Scots and for her husband to become king. She is so high that she makes a plan to kill the king without any hesitation, and when Macbeth approaches, Lady Macbeth completely convinces him to use his ambition to gain power and position in act 1, scene 7. After killing Duncan in the act 2, scene 1 Macbeth is crowned king of Scotland in act 2, scene 4 which makes him realize that he has more power than before. He also feels confident and satisfied with the results achieved. However, he is also scared and intimidated when he begins to see Banquo, his noble friend, as a threat to his throne after realizing that Banquo's sons will also be kings. Macbeth's thoughts show the anxiety he has about his throne being taken by Banquo's sons and he is intimidated into killing Banquo and his son, Fleance. In Act 3, Scene 3, Macbeth orders his murderers to kill Banquo. This scene shows the loyalty and respect that Macbeth has lost and how his ambition is getting the best of him. The last murder he commits is when he kills Macduff's family in act 4, scene 2. After hearing that Macduff is preparing to fight him, Macbeth decides to capture and burn Macduff's wife, children and servants to warn Macduff and make him understand how much more powerful he is than Macduff. Every time he commits murder, he realizes that his power and ambition are very high and he is somehow satisfied with the fact that he is very powerful and rich. He is also becoming obsessed with gaining more power by killing those who would expose him. Even after killing Macduff's family, Macbeth wants to kill Macduff too and gain more power than before. Although Macbeth is becoming more and more powerful, he does not know that all this power would suddenly be the cause of his downfall. As a result of their ambition, both Macbeth and Lady Macbeth are distressed and have an incomplete sense of guilt for what they have done. They both realized the consequences of their decisions when in reality they should have thought about it before committing all these crimes. Macbeth's Guilt Lady Macbeth is so guilty and emotionally suffering, that she supposedly kills herself. Lady Macbeth is also one of the reasons why Macbeth loses all hope of keeping his place on the throne. The ultimate cause of Macbeth's downfall is his guilt towards the entire situation. Because of his guilt, Macbeth does not have enough confidence and strength to fight Macduff. Macbeth feels guilty even before killing Duncan. In Act 2, Scene 1, Macbeth's soliloquy, "It is the dagger that I see before me" (Macbeth 2.1.33-61) exposes his guilt towards the situation. Macbeth was hallucinating and saw a dagger floating in front of him, he knew he was hallucinating because every time he reached out to grab the dagger, it moved away from him. He confirms his hallucination when he says “That wasn't like this before. There is no such thing. It is the bloody affair that so informs my eyes.' (Macbeth 2.1.47-49) which means he knows there is no dagger in front of him but the murder he is willing to commit makes him believe he sees one. This soliloquy shows how Macbeth feels about killing Duncan and how much guilt he has within himself. Another scene that shows Macbeth's guilt is in act 3, scene 4, when he sees the ghost of Banquo at the banquet. The ghost that Macbeth sees is also a hallucination, which means that it is.