Causes That Led To The Downfall Of Macbeth

“Macbeth”,a play written by William Shakespeare, is a horrific story of deterioration of one considered 'hero”. The primary character Macbeth swayed by the concept of malevolent actions,which causes his downfall. In this particular tragedy,which validates the express deterioration that absolute power corrupts absolutely.Macbeth and lady Macbeth are provoked by the evils that power present and then consequently tortured by a guilty conscience.Throughout the play Lady Macbeth and Macbeth's express deterioration on mental states,and this psychological instability motivates them to kill for power and ultimately leads to their demise.
Macbeth mental illness is presented when he hallucinates due to seeing an invisible dagger. One of Macbeth’s
hallucinations was seeing himself kill King Duncan before he actually committed the act.“A dagger of the mind, a false creation, Proceeding from his heat-oppressed brain?” This quote given by Macbeth who is speaking to himself during his hallucination shows that the evil ideas presented from Lady Macbeth caused Macbeth to hallucinate.Also, the second one of Macbeth’s hallucinations was when he saw the ghost of Banquo at the banquet in the palace.
Macbeth hired three assassins to kill Banquo and his son Fleance before they were supposed to arrive at the palace for the banquet later that night, “I’ll call upon you straight. Abide within. It is concluded: Banquo, thy soul’s flight, if it find heaven, must find it out tonight.” (Act 3, scene 1, lines 140-142) At the banquet, the night Banquo was murdered; Macbeth saw the ghost of Banquo and began to act foolish in front of the guests, as if he were talking to Banquo, “Avaunt! And quit my sight! Let the earth hide thee! Thy bones are marrowless, thy blood is cold.” (Act 3, scene 4, lines 94-95) The guilt from having Banquo assassinated on his conscience tricked his brain into seeing a ghostlike figure of Banquo. Finally, the last hallucination that Macbeth has is when he sees the three apparitions appear out of the witch’s caldron. The first apparition warns Macbeth that Macduff is coming for him, “Macbeth! Macbeth! Macbeth! Beware Macduff! Beware the thane of fife. Dismiss me: enough.” (Act 4, scene 1, lines 71-72) The second apparition tells Macbeth he shall not be harmed by a man born by a woman, “Be bloody, bold, and resolute! Laugh to scorn the pow’r of man, for none of woman born shall harm
Macbeth.” (Act 4, scene 1, lines 79-81) The third apparition tells Macbeth he will never be killed until Birnam Wood moves to Dunsinane Hill, “Be lion-mettled, proud, and take no care who chafes, who frets, or where conspirers are; Macbeth shall never vanquished be until Great Birnam Wood to High Dunsinane Hill Shall come against him.” (Act 4, scene 1, lines 90-94) These apparitions appeared to come out of the cauldron because of the evil in Macbeth’s head from the murders he had caused. Thus, the evil in Macbeth's head made the theme of appearance vs. reality pronounced in the play These hallucinations were the doors into the evil in his head.
Lady Macbeth deterioration can be seen towards the end of the play when she is full of guilt, but at the start her mental state was pure evil.
Lady Macbeth evil can be seen at the moment she is dealing with her husband fear of killing Duncan. "O never shall sun that morrow see!Your face... is as a book where men May read strange matters. To beguile the time, Look like the time; bear welcome in your eye, Your hand, your tongue: look like the innocent flower,but be the serpent under't." (act.1scene.5) Lady Macbeth talking to her husband. Lady Macbeth engineered her husbands downfall by urging him to see to the demise of Duncan so that he could possibly rise to become the king. Here she is telling him not to be too obvious by his demeanor, but be the gracious host so as to put off suspicion when the dastardly deed is finally done. This is the first time lady Macbeth is showing her deceiving and scheming side, as well as her sister side and it display one major point greed. Another act that leads to Lady Macbeth downfall is her hallucination."A little water clears us of this deed; How easy is it, then!Your constancy Hath left you unattended...Get on your night-gown, lest occasion call us, And show us to be watchers.Be not lost So poorly in your thoughts." (Act.2.Scene.2) Lady Macbeth is specking to Macbeth in the castle while they are cleaning there hands from blood after the murder had been done. The quote shows that Lady Macbeth begins to unravel after she has
done the murder. She thinks once she washes her hand the imaginary guilt will wash away because the evidence wont be present anymore and the act makes her guilt cloud her judgment and Lady Macbeth doesn't know what right from wrong.The last place you can see Lady Macbeth guilt is near the end of the play.”Out, damned spot! Out, I say!—One, two. Why, then, ’tis time to do ’t Hell is murky!—Fie, my lord, fie! A soldier, and afeard? What need we fear who knows it, when none can call our power to account?”.(Act.5.Scene.1) Lady Macbeth is sleepwalking in the castle and is speaking to herself,but the doctor and gentlewoman are present in the room and over hear what she is saying. Lady Macbeth is recalling the moment that Macbeth and her where washing and hands after they killed Duncan and she clams that nothing can happen to them once they have the crown. Lady Macbeth seems ill at this point and the guilt of the murder seems to put a tole on her as she comes to realization of what she must have done for power. Thus,Lady Macbeth downfall is complete when she commits Suicide.
Macbeth is still meaningful today and to people in this time due to the lessons and human nature. The deterioration that was shown in Macbeth is still reliable to audiences in real life guilt, shame,paranoia, mental illness, psychological,greed, and murder.This play also give us the feeling of how far people will go to if they want it. Macbeth downfall was his hallucination that he had to face through out the play,which lead him death. As for Lady Macbeth dealt with guilt for the crimes she has committed and the leads her to death. Although power is what both lead the hero Macbeth and Lady Macbeth to there ending as it both consumed them in there on way. Absolute power croups it is human nature to have it,but once man gains power it can lead you down the path of decease.