Macbeth: Descent Into Madness
Failure can lead to failure. To achieve your goals, it is important to work through any weaknesses. William Shakespeare’s Macbeth plays shows that Macbeth is not perfect and ends up dying. Macbeth’s tragic downfall is due to his moral flaws. He is too ambitious and lacks morality.
Macbeth is too ambitious and self-centered to begin with. He puts his goals first and will do everything to achieve them. Macbeth’s desire to see the prophecies fulfilled is evident at the beginning when he hears them from the witches. This inspires him to take down everything that could hinder his progress, which leads to complete disaster. King Duncan is the catalyst for his downfall. Macbeth hints at the impending failure when he declares “I don’t have any spur/To prick me intent’s sides/Vaulting ambition that o’erleaps/And falls onto th’other-” (1.7.25-25). Although he is driven by his ambition, he can’t go too fast and it could end in disaster. Madness, Magic and Power: Shakespeare’s Macbeth. Frank McGuinness. Macbeth’s hunger to power mirrors his desire for information. He is driven to be king and this drives him away from his morals and conscience. Macbeth struggles at first to decide if King Duncan should be killed. He lists the reasons why it would make sense, including his desire to be king. He also explained why it would violate morality to do so. He said that Duncan is his guest and should be treated with hospitality. Lady Macbeth persuades him to do it. Eventually, he completes the task. Macbeth is unable to control his own thoughts and his inability to recognize his moral responsibilities leads him to ignore his values. He feels guilt after killing Duncan and he continues to aspire to kill any person he perceives as an obstacle. He lacks morals and values, making it difficult to make the right choice. He thinks in evil ways and is unable to think straight. He tells Lady Macbeth that he has many evil thoughts and cannot think straight. Macbeth is not realistic about Duncan’s death, he just believes that he will succeed to the throne. Anyone who is reasonable would be able to see the extreme consequences of killing a person as important as a King. Macbeth’s mental instability means that he cannot distinguish right from wrong.
Macbeth lacks morals and can’t think for his own good. He is easily influenced. He is a slave to his actions and lets others make the decisions. In the play, there are many examples of him letting others control his life and decisions. Another example is him succumbing to Lady Macbeth as she questions his masculinity by saying, “Wouldst have that/Which do thou regard’st the orn of life/And live a cowardly,/Letting “I dare” wait upon “I would”,/Like the poor cat I’ th’ adage?” (1.7.45–49). Lady Macbeth is aware that he will regret not accepting the crown because he is cowardly. Macbeth takes it personally and commits a horrible act in order to prove his worth. Frank McGuinness writes Madness and Magic. Shakespeare’s Macbeth. “Circumstances have changed in Scotland’s politics. Macbeth now hears another language. It is the language of magic and bad magic. Macbeth is now mentally ill, thanks to Lady Macbeth’s and the Witches. He would not have made such a mess if he had chosen a better fate and been less susceptible to negative influences.
Macbeth’s moral weaknesses and other faults such as egotism and lack of conscience, lead to his downfall and demise. William Shakespeare’s Macbeth is tragically portrayed as a man who was a decent person whose character flaws led him into a spiral of madness. It would be interesting to speculate, however, whether Macbeth’s personality flaws alone would have led him to the same path.
