‘Macbeth Is Totally Responsible for His Downfall’. Discuss.

‘Macbeth is totally responsible for his downfall’. Discuss.

The play Macbeth, by William Shakespeare, is an anecdote of one man’s thirst for power, the extent he (Macbeth) will go to achieve his vision for himself and the events that unfold in the journey for this power. Macbeth’s cascade into depravity was hardly stemmed completely from his own malpractices; however it is for the most part, Macbeth’s fault. Macbeth’s crimes were the start of the end for his Kingship. Macbeth’s insanity was the pinnacle height of his undoing. However there is no doubt that fate had its way with Macbeth and altered the course of his life.

Macbeth undeniably started the pitiful downfall of his power as soon as he lusted after it. Macbeth tried so hard to get to the place in which he wanted to be that he took matters into his own hand which ultimately altered his destiny negatively. Macbeth knew the consequences of what tempering with his future may do “Let not light see my black and deep desires” and this shows that he knew what he was doing was wrong and had negative connotations. This is followed by Macbeth saying “that but this blow might be the be-all and the end-all-here, but here, upon this bank and shoal of time, We’ld jump the life to come” and this shows that Macbeth knew once he had committed the crimes, there was no turning back. Doubt crept into his mind “If we should fail?” and this doubt meant critical mistakes were being made such as not leaving the daggers in the King’s Quarter’s with the Chamberlains. This doubt was most characteristic of Macbeth as explained by his wife “Yet I do fear thy nature; It is too full o’ the milk of human kindness to catch the nearest way” and this means Lady Macbeth knows that Macbeth’s doubt will be his undoing. Macbeth had full knowledge of what his corruption may cause and the intent was evident leading to his denouement and therefore his craziness.

Insanity is a major theme within Macbeth and it relates entirely to Macbeth’s...