In your opinion, how responsible are the witches for Macbeth’s downfall? ‘All hail Macbeth, that shalt be King hereafter.’ Act 1 Scene 3 The witches played a crucial part in Macbeth’s downfall; however, I firmly believe that they should not be solely responsible for it. They were the wood, set up and ready for ignition. Lady Macbeth was the kindling, her enthusiasm for her husband to do the wrong thing, caused Macbeth to do what he knew he shouldn’t. And finally, Macbeth’s own ambition was to blame.
The witches give Banquo the prediction of “‘Thou shalt get kings, though thou be none’ ” (Shakespeare 9). The reason to blame the witches is because before this prediction Macbeth and Banquo were best friends. Then when Macbeth becomes king he fears that Banquo will try to kill him because he knows that Banquo’s heirs will some day have the crown. Macbeth no longer trusts Banquo and is driving crazy thinking that his friend will come after just to make sure that Macbeth’s heirs will never get the crown, so Macbeth orders the death of both Banquo and his son to make sure that there is no one else to take the crown away from him. The only reason Banquo is murdered is because Macbeth becomes paranoid after the witches prediction.
The truth is that many of these decisions that Macbeth makes or follows is based on what the witches told him. One example of this is when Lady Macbeth convinces him to kill Duncan in order to become king. She specifically says, “Glamis thou art, and Cawdor, and shalt be / What thou art promised. Yet do I fear thy nature / … / That I may pour my spirits in thine ear, / and chastise with the valor of my tongue” (1.5.16-17, 27-28). In this quote Lady Macbeth is thinking about the witches prophecy and how she can make it come true.
“I’m alive though, and no woman will rule me” (50). This quote is used by Kreon in the play Antigone to show how he won’t go against his law for anything or no one. Kreon has to deal with this situation about Antigone wanting to burry her brother by kidnapping her and putting her into a cave till she dies. Kreon thinks that his plans about Antigone are going to work until he realized that she hanged herself because she wanted to be with her brother. Many problems start happening after Antigone dies because everyone though that it was tragic to lose her.
His willingness to slaughter the man for so weak a reason is frightening though. It helps to show how twisted Chillingworth truly is. During the end of the novel though, Dimmesdale thwarts Chillingworth’s revenge plot by telling the Puritan community how he had an affair with Hester. This act absolutely ruins Chillingworth because he no longer possesses the power over Dimmesdale. All the horrible acts he had done in the past were undone, because Dimmesdale "Hast escaped me!"(228).
One of the main messages he is trying to deliver to us is to always weigh what you achieve to what the consequences will be. This especially holds true for Macbeth, as when first contemplating if he should kill Duncan, not once did he think of how he could be punished. Also, when Macbeth first hears the witch’s prophecy of him being a king, he jumps directly to the idea of murder. This kind of thinking is exhibited in Macbeth’s monologue in scene 5 act 5, where he discus’s the uselessness of living, and this attitude towards life made him go mad. This also points to how unintelligent Macbeth really was.
/ And oftentimes, to win us to out harm, / The instruments of darkness tell us truths,/ Win us with honest trifles, to betray’s/ In deepest consequence” (I.iii.121). Macbeth ignores Banquo’s idea, and instead further investigates the concept that he may one day be King. He considers whether the crown will fall into his hands, or if he will have to complete a dark deep in order to obtain it. The witches successfully plant the destructive idea into Macbeth’s head. Macbeth has a huge character flaw.
One reason why I chose that it was an ultimate act of betrayal is because it’s very mean to shoot and kill your best friend. That’s called being a traitor. When you are suppose to be their for your friend, you cant jus turn around and stab them in the back. Just picture it like this, put yourself into George’s position and put one of your best friends into
It was such a shame that Lennie’s life had to be taken away for George to be happy. To show, one last time, that George killed Lennie for reasons of self-preservation, I will end with a quote. Quida, an English novelist, once said “Intensely selfish people are always very decided as to what
Also, Abby accuses Mrs. Proctor of witchcraft for her own self-interest. She wanted Mrs. Proctor to be killed so she could have Mr. Proctor to herself. Lastly, Arthur Miller underscores the magnitude of personal indiscretion in influencing social upheaval. During the witch trials, people were afraid of their own sins being exposed and they tried anything they could to keep it a secret. John Proctor tried to keep his affair with Abigail from the court as long as possible until he pretty much had to break down and confess it.