Essay About Tragedy in Macbeth

The idea of tragedy begins with a successful person being brought down by their flaws and imperfections. Tragedy in William Shakespeare’s Macbeth reveals the fatal flaws and imperfections that the characters inherit. The characters that face tragedy in the play are Macbeth, Lady Macbeth, and Banquo.

One of the characters that undergo a tragic death in the play due to their flaws is Macbeth. In Act 1 Scene 7, Lady Macbeth constantly questions Macbeth’s manliness as he is too afraid to proceed with the operation to kill King Duncan in order to gain power over Scotland. “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.” (I.VII.49-51) This quote along with Macbeth’s actions shows that one of Macbeth’s weaknesses is that he gets too easily manipulated. Lady Macbeth’s provocation toward Macbeth makes him proceed with the deed of murdering King Duncan. This ultimately leads to Macbeth’s tragic death. Because he continued to murder many other people his mental state started to take a toll, thus making it easier for other characters such as; Macduff and Banquo to grow suspicious of him. In Act 1 Scene 7, Macbeth says, “I have no spur/To prick the sides only/Vaulting ambition, which o'erleaps itself/And falls on the other.” (I.VII.25-28) After the three witches prophesied that Macbeth would one day rule as king, Macbeth started to develop

murderous thoughts. One of them being regicide in order to take the throne. This quote shows that one of Macbeth’s weaknesses is his vaulting ambition. It explains that his vaulting ambition drives his actions. Ultimately, his ambition fueled by the witches leads to his tragic death because of the multiple murders that he has committed, including Macduff’s family, which leads to the final battle between Macbeth and Macduff.

Another character that undergoes a tragic death in the play due to their fatal flaws is Lady Macbeth. In Act 5 Scene 1, Lady Macbeth is trying to wash the imaginary blood off from the countless murders that she has assisted Macbeth in during her sleep.“Here’s the smell of blood still: all the/perfumes of Arabia will not sweeten this/little hand. Oh, oh, oh.” (V.I.50-52) This quote shows that one of Lady Macbeth’s fatal flaws is her guilt. Her guilt for the murders that she has aided Macbeth in contributes to her insanity and ultimately drives her to her tragic death. She commits suicide in Scene 5. In Act 1 Scene 5, Lady Macbeth reads a letter from Macbeth that talks about the three witches’ prophecies. Because she knows that Macbeth would not be willing to commit the deed of killing King Duncan, she calls upon the supernatural to fill her with evil. “Under my battlements. Come, you spirits/That tend on mortal thoughts, unsex me here, /And fill me from the crown to the toe top-full /Of direst cruelty. Make thick my blood. /Stop up the access and passage to remorse.” (I.V.41-44) This quote displays her greed for power. Like Macbeth, one of her fatal flaws is her vaulting ambition. She tries so hard to become the queen that it ends up killing her. After Macbeth murders King Duncan, she becomes content with her position. Later on in the play, she starts to regret assisting Macbeth in King Duncan’s murder. As a result, she starts to develop psychological problems and ends up committing suicide. Another character that undergoes a tragic death in the play due to their fatal flaws is Banquo. Macbeth and Banquo have a conversation in Act 2 Scene 1.  “If you shall cleave to my consent, when ‘tis,/It shall make honour for you.”(II.I.25) Banquo replies, “In seeking to augment it, but still keep/My bosom frachis’d, and allegiance clear,/I shall be counsell’d.” (II.I.26-28). In this conversation, Macbeth is asking Banquo to stay loyal to him no matter what, to which Banquo agrees. At this point in the play, Banquo is already suspicious of Macbeth. He fears that Macbeth will murder King Duncan in order to gain power. Once Macbeth does kill Duncan, Banquo decides to remain silent and not tell anyone about his suspicion. His hesitancy to tell anyone is one of his fatal flaws. If Banquo had told others about his suspicion after King Duncan’s death, many other murders would have been avoided, including his.  In Act 3 Scene 1, Macbeth expresses his fears about Banquo. He says, “He hath a wisdom that doth guide his valour” (III.I.53) Macbeth is acknowledging that he fears Banquo's goodness and wisdom. Both of these characteristics act as Banquo’s fatal flaws. Because Macbeth already feels that Banquo may be suspicious of him for killing the king, he fears that he would spread the word to others. He knows that Banquo knows too much about the prophecies and has murderers execute him on his behalf in Scene 3.

In conclusion, the tragic deaths that occur in Shakespeare's Macbeth highlight the character’s fatal flaws and imperfections. Shakespeare’s plays are never complete without tragic endings. Macbeth does a wonderful job of displaying the characteristics that lead up to the characters’ deaths.