“Macbeth’s Fall From Power Was Inevitable”

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“Macbeth’s fall from power was inevitable” Discuss. Macbeth, written by William Shakespeare, is sad tale of Macbeth, a righteous man, corrupted by power and greed. “With great power comes great responsibility”, a quote that has been repeated over the ages and said to every person who is in power. Shakespeare in his play reveals to us a message about power, its implications and consequences on human beings. It is in human nature that the more power one desires the more corrupt one’s actions must become to achieve it. The tragedy of Macbeth is about a Scottish noble whose lust for power leads him to do many terrible deeds that in the end lead to his demise. Although Macbeth is ultimately responsible for his fall from greatness, the witches’ prophecies and Lady Macbeth’s manipulation assist in his downfall. Macbeth’s growing character degenerates from a noble man to a violent and paranoid individual. At first, Macbeth and nobility were synonymous terms. This was evident in the way King Duncan spoke of Macbeth, soon after giving him the title of Thane of Cawdor. Macbeth first displayed his greediness after his converse with the three witches. The witches spoke to Macbeth and provided him with a glimpse into the future. This small act awakened the greed that Macbeth had always possessed but never acknowledged. Macbeth afterwards felt he deserved to be crowded king and would stop at nothing to fulfil this dream. This is the first sign that Macbeth’s character is losing control of reality. Furthermore, after honourably receiving the title of Thane of Cawdor, Macbeth, being a greedy character, was not satisfied. With the success of the first prophecy, Macbeth recall’s the second prophecy that he “shalt be king hereafter!” (I, iii, 54). In foretelling that Macbeth will take over as the King of Scotland, the witches lead him to assume that murder is the only way to

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