Although Macbeth does take actions that lead to his downfall, I believe that he is nottotally responsible for what happens.
Although he takes the actions, he would not have done thisif the witches had not told him that he would be king in Act I Scene iii. I believe that it is thewitches are more responsible for the downfall of Macbeth. The witches introduce Macbeths’sfate. At the beginning of the play they plan to meet with Macbeth and they say Fair is foul,and foul is fair, Hover through the fog and filthy air.
This line shows foreshadowing; it makesthe audience know that something unfair and evil will occur. When they meet Macbeth, theygreet him first as Thane of Glamis, then as Thane of Cawdor and then as king. The momentMacbeth hears this, he is confused but curious why these witches had called him king. After heknows that he became Thane of Cawdor he believes that sooner or later he will be king. Thethree witches suggested his destiny. Macbeth’s goal was not to become king until the witchesmade him believe it was his destiny.
In the play, Macbeths destiny was paved out by the witches. Destiny is not somethingthat can be changed. A person has control of his/her destiny. Macbeth’s destiny was suggested bythe witches, he listened to their suggestions and followed them. In Act I, Scene iii, the witches tell Macbeth that he is Thane of Glamis, Thane of Cawdorand that he shalt be king hereafter. Immediately after hearing the witches prophecies that hewill be king, Macbeth thinks that he must kill the current king to become king himself.
I believethat before hearing the witch’s prophecies, Macbeth had never in his wildest dreams thought ofkilling King Duncan to become king himself. In Act IV, Scene iii, Macbeth meets again with the witches, who tell him throughapparitions, Macbeth! Macbeth! Macbeth! Beware Macduff. Beware the Thane of Fife. In thefollowing scene, we see murderers sent by Macbeth enter Macduff’s castle and slaughter bothLady Macduff and her son. The witches are also responsible for this murder, because once again,the witches put ideas in Macbeth’s head. Although the witches can be held responsible for themurder of King Duncan, Lady Macduff and her son, they cannot be held responsible for themurder of Banquo.
The witches only speak of Banquo when Macbeth meets with them for thesecond time in Act IV, Scene i, after Banquo has already been killed. This murder is thecomplete responsibility of Macbeth, because the witches had absolutely nothing to do with it andit was only Macbeth’s own suspicions that brought him to have Banquo killed. If Macbeth hadnot taken action to fulfill the witch’s prophecies, he would probably have been happily living asthe thane of Glamis and Cawdor at the end of the play. Macbeth is not controlled by fate; instead he is the one who decided to listen and wants tomeet the witches again. He thought about becoming king, but was not totally sure of it.
His wifecontrolled him in the decisions he made so that these could benefit her, encouraging thisdecision. Macbeth controlled his life when he does not want to kill his king. After he talks toBanquo the day he was supposed to kill the king, destiny enters in his life. Macbeth sees a daggerand imagines that it is a sign for him to kill Duncan.
Is this a dagger which I see before me, The handle toward my hand? As this which nowI draw. . . And such instrument I was to use. Macbeth feels as if the dagger was placed as well asits handle toward him because it was meant for him to become king. If the witches had not metMacbeth, he would not have become king.
His ambition grew more after they told him he wouldbecome king of Scotland. The witches seem to have been planning on meeting him because theyknew he was going to the impossible in order to become king. If the witches had never metMacbeth, he would remain being Thane of Cawdor. Macbeth would have continued to be loyaland would have not betrayed God, the King, Scotland and himself.
Macbeth would not haveacted paranoid and see his life as an empty meaningless charade. Macbeth is filled with different issues that were of great interest during Shakespeareantimes. Turning your back towards the king must have been a shock to the audience as well as thedeath of him. Fate was another thing that captured the audience’s attention because it is asupernatural force that can not always be controlled. These two subjects were the most appealingand most obvious throughout the story.
It could be said that he was responsible for his owndownfall. However, Macbeth only took action after hearing the witch’s prophecies, so I believethat Macbeth cannot be held totally responsible for what happens to himself. I believe that ifMacbeth had never heard the witch’s prophecies, he would have lived a happy, full life, andperhaps he would have become king anyway.
