Macbeth Character Flaws

The Complexity of Macbeth's Character

When we dive into Shakespeare's tragedies, Macbeth is like a perfect example of someone whose flaws end up ruining him. Macbeth's character is super complex with all these layers of flaws that lead to his tragic end. In this piece, let's focus on one big flaw: his unchecked ambition.

Ambition Takes the Wheel

You see, ambition is really what drives a lot of the story in Macbeth. From the start, it's clear Macbeth will do anything to grab power and make those witches’ prophecies come true. His ambition blinds him; he can't see the fallout from his actions, which makes him commit some pretty terrible crimes just to get what he wants. And what happens when ambition gets outta control? Well, for Macbeth, it means losing his moral compass entirely. He ends up betraying and even killing those close to him—like King Duncan and his buddy Banquo. It's wild how his thirst for power pushes him to do things he'd never imagine before.

A Fatal Flaw Highlighted by Shakespeare and Critics

The play itself gives us proof that ambition is really Macbeth’s downfall. Check out Act 1, Scene 7: Macbeth admits he's got nothing but "vaulting ambition." The way he talks about it makes it clear he's taking crazy risks because of it—and that's what brings him down in the end. Scholars have also chimed in about this flaw. A.C. Bradley wrote an essay called “The Tragedy of Macbeth” where he says that ambition is what mainly causes Macbeth’s fall. Bradley points out how Macbeth's desire for power fights with his sense of right and wrong.

What About Other Influences?

Sure, you could say Lady Macbeth or the witches have a hand in it too. They definitely play their parts in pushing Macbeth over the edge. But at the core, it's still his own unchecked ambition that's moving everything along and leading him straight into disaster.

The Witches' Role and Lady Macbeth’s Influence

A big part of why Macbeth spirals out comes from those witches’ prophecies. In Act 1, Scene 3, they tell him he'll be king someday—that plants this seed of ambition in him that grows way outta control. Without that nudge toward power and glory, he probably wouldn't have gone so far off course trying to grab the throne.

Lady Macbeth also cranks up his ambitions another notch by being the pushy partner she is. Remember Act 1, Scene 5? She tells him to "look like th' innocent flower but be the serpent under't," urging him to hide his true motives to achieve greatness.

The Supernatural Adds Fuel to the Fire

The supernatural stuff—like witches and their predictions—just makes everything worse for Macbeth’s already raging ambitions by giving him false confidence about being invincible or destined for success no matter what happens next (which totally isn't true).

In conclusion (if I can call it that), while outside influences definitely affect how things play out with our main guy here—they’re not really at fault as much as how unchecked he lets his own desires grow without any brakes on 'em whatsoever! So yeah… maybe keep an eye on your ambitions too?

References

• Bradley, A.C., "The Tragedy of Macbeth", Lecture on Shakespearean Tragedy.
• Shakespeare, W., & Mowat, B.A., "The Tragedy of Macbeth", Folger Shakespeare Library.
• Kermode, F., "Shakespeare's Language", Penguin Books.
• Parker, P., & Hartman G.H., "Reading Literature Through Theory", Wiley-Blackwell.
• Bloom H., "William Shakespeare's 'Macbeth'", Bloom's Modern Critical Interpretations.
• Said E.W., "Culture and Imperialism", Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group.