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Safia Hassan

Ms. Figueroa

Senior English

19 March, 2019

Who Is Responsible for Macbeth’s Downfall?

“The human being is a self-propelled automaton entirely under the control of external

influences. Will full and predetermined though they appear, his actions are governed not from

within, but from without. He is like a float tossed about by the waves of a turbulent sea” (Nikola

Tesla). In the “The Tragedy of Macbeth”, Macbeth meets three witches after the war and they

tell him he’ll be Thane of Glamis, Thane of Cawdor, and then king, after that he has thoughts

about killing the king. Lady Macbeth pressures Macbeth into actually killing King Duncan. After

committing the crime Macbeth starts getting paranoid and begins a killing spree. Lady Macbeth

is responsible for Macbeth’s downfall which is portrayed through manipulation and greed.

Lady Macbeth was the primary reason for Macbeth’s downfall because she was overly

manipulative towards him. An example of her manipulation is when she calls him a coward.

Lady Macbeth says, “when you durst do it then you were a man; and to be more than what you

were you would be so much more the man” (Shakespeare 1.7.49-51). She belittles his courage

and emotionally manipulates him to go through with the plan. Another example of her

manipulation is when she tells him how to act when the king comes. She states, “look like the

time; bear welcome in your eye, your hand, your tongue: look like th' innocent flower, but the

serpent under't” (1.5.61-63). She orders him to act innocent so people do not suspect him.

Overall Lady Macbeth manipulates Macbeth for her own needs.

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The reason why Lady Macbeth is so controlling with Macbeth is because she is greedy

for power. An example of her selfishness is when she found out about Macbeth’s prophecy and

his thoughts on it, she immediately thought of a plan to make it come true. She says, “and that

which rather thou dost fear to do, than wishest should be undone. Hie thee hither, that I may pour

my spirits in thing ear and chastise with valor of my tongue all that impedes thee from golden

round which fate and metaphysical aid doth seem to have thee crowned withal” ( 1.5.21-27). She

wants to get rid of Macbeth’s doubts so he can focus on becoming king. She is not thinking

about how Macbeth feelings and is just focused on getting ahold of the crown. Lady Macbeth

says, “art not without ambition, but without the illness should attend it. What thou wouldst

highly that wouldst thou holily; wouldst not play false and yet wouldst wrongly win” (1.5.16-

19). She knows Macbeth is too much of a coward to act on his thoughts, so she wants to help

him. In conclusion Lady Macbeth is encouraging of the murder because of the power that is at

stake.

Lady Macbeth is the main cause of Macbeth’s downfall because she was very controlling

and selfish. Macbeth would have never killed Duncan if Lady Macbeth was not pressuring him

to commit the crime. He originally was going to back out the plan until Lady Macbeth started to

emotionally manipulate him by calling him a coward and making him feel like less of a man. The

only reason she went through all the trouble of getting Macbeth to kill Duncan was so she can

get a sense of power.

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Works Cited

Shakespeare, William. Macbeth. Shakespeare, 1623. Playwright.