Loss Of Power In Macbeth

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In William Shakespeare’s ‘Macbeth’, there were numerous factors that accumulated to lead up to the tragedies that occurred. The Weird Sisters were not catalysts for these tragedies, as they only acted as a mirror to reflect and reveal man’s true nature and flaws. A Shakespearean tragedy is when character flaws become so dominant that they lead up to a number of tragic events, and eventually the downfall of the characters themselves. This was demonstrated in the play when, after being foretold by the Weird Sisters that he would soon be King, Macbeth’s true nature began to surface. His desire for power eventually overpowered his morality and caused him to perform a series of violent murderous acts. Lady Macbeth’s vaulting ambition was also partially…show more content…
Macbeth’s ambitious nature was the catalyst for the deaths of many characters, including his own. At first, in order to gain absolute power, Macbeth performed regicide to become King and receive the top position on the ‘Great Chain of Being.’ However, it was found that he was afterwards plagued with insecurity, as he claimed, ‘To be thus is nothing, but to be safely thus.’ Macbeth would be unsatisfied until he had absolute security over his power. As Macbeth’s insecurity and fear of losing power grew, the degree of his violence amplified. It drove him to the murder of his own friend, Banquo, the murder of the Macduff family, which involved innocent women and children, and in the end, another civil war. In addition, Macbeth’s naivety was also responsible for the tragedies, and his own downfall. He was a literalist, and thus failed to decipher the Weird Sister’s prophecies above the literal sense. The Weird Sister’s words, such as ‘none of woman born shall harm Macbeth,’ were not meant to be taken literally. Macbeth’s inability to read into the hidden meanings was his fatal flaw. It caused him to carelessly believe in his own invincibility, and eventually resulted in his own

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