Macbeth's Downfall Literature Essay Example

Power is the root of all evil. In, Macbeth, by William Shakespeare, it tells of the tragedy of Macbeth, and how his thirst for power ultimately led to his death. However, this thirst was caused by another evil, the witches. The witches caused Macbeth’s demise. Their prediction of the future and deceiving apparitions made Macbeth’s last moments a living hell. 

Macbeth was the Thane of Cawdor before the witches told him that he was to become King. Macbeth had a high reputation and was praised well as he secured a victory in a battle. However, when the three witches had said, “THIRD WITCH. All hail, Macbeth, that shalt be king hereafter!” (Shakespeare 1.3.50), Macbeth got influenced to murder King Duncan in order to secure his crown. Without this information about him becoming King soon, Macbeth would have not slain King Duncan, he would have remained as is with his already high reputation. These witches used their power to manipulate Macbeth into making his life miserable.

They continue to manipulate Macbeth by twisting their apparitions to deceive him. When he returns to the three witches to know more of his fate, the witches deliver by summoning three apparitions to tell him of what is to come. The second one said, “SECOND APPARITION. Be bloody, bold, and resolute! Laugh to scorn the pow’r of man, for none of woman born shall harm Macbeth.” (Shakespeare 4.1.79-81). The apparition conjured by the witches says that no one born from a woman will harm Macbeth. This made Macbeth believe that no one will impede him. However, the way the witches worded this prophecy was a hoax. Macduff, the man who eventually murdered Macbeth in the end, was not naturally born from a woman, but rather, born via caesarean section. The trick from the witches made Macbeth believe he was invincible, thus causing him to be arrogant and lead to his downfall. 

Some may say that Macbeth himself is the cause of his own demise. However, this is not true because if Macbeth did not know that he was to become King, he would have never murdered Duncan in the first place. According to the night before King Duncan was taking residence at Macbeth’s place, Macbeth said, “MACBETH. We will proceed no further in this business: He hath honored me of late, and I have bought golden opinions from all sorts of people, which would be worn now in their newest gloss, not cast aside so soon.” (Shakespeare 1.7.31-34). In this, Macbeth is expressing his fear of killing the King. He says that he will not proceed with the crime and that the “golden opinions” are people’s acclamations of him. He also knows that King Duncan values him deeply, which is why King Duncan wanted to stay at his house in the first place. Without the influence of the witches’, Macbeth would have never assassinated King Duncan, and therefore would not have led himself to his death.

The tragedy of Macbeth written by William Shakespeare tells the tale of how the witches manipulate Macbeth and of his downfall. Their cryptic prophecies and telling of the future made Macbeth murder people and changed him to become an unpleasent person, one that led to him being killed.