Macbeths Tragic Flaw

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Macbeths Tragic Flaw: Ambition

Ambition is usually a strong force in everyone’s life, some leads to success and others to disaster. Macbeth’s tragic flaw is ambition, but is it really ambition that made him kill the king? It was more external forces that made him do this tragedy. The witches, Lady Macbeth, and his personal greed made him commit the murder.

The witches were the first pushes to make Macbeth even consider committing murder. When the witches say to Macbeth, “All hail, Macbeth! Hail to thee, Thane of Cawdor! All hail, Macbeth! that shalt be king hereafter!” (Iiii 52 & 53) He is very confused with this, since he has never met the witches before. Later in the scene Ross and Angus come to announce that Macbeth is Thane of Cawdor. This again is surprising to Macbeth that the witches were right. “This supernatural soliciting cannot be ill, cannot be good. If ill, why hath it given me earnest of success commencing in a truth? I am thane of Cawdor If good, why do I yield to that suggestion whose horrid image doth unfix my hair and make my seated heart knock at my ribs, against the use of nature? Present fears are less than horrible imaginings”. (Iiii 143-151) This is where the witches premonitions start to get into his mind about becoming king and get him to think about killing the king.

Lady Macbeth was the second and strongest push against Macbeth. She continuously called Macbeth a coward and made fun of his manliness which got to Macbeth. “Art thou afeard to be the same in thine own act and valor as thou art in desire? Wouldst thou have that which thou esteem'st the ornament of life, and live a coward in thine own esteem, Letting “I dare not” wait upon “I would,” Like the poor cat i' th' adage?” (Ivii 43-49) and “What beast was 't, then, that

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