How Macbeth Character Changes

Macbeth is a tragic hero in William Shakespeare’s play Macbeth due to his tragic flaw and the events leading to his death. Macbeth evolves as a character due to his tragic flaw of unchecked ambition. Macbeth’s ambition changes drastically throughout the events leading to his demise. The prophecies of the Weird Sisters are interpreted differently by Macbeth and the Weird Sisters. A series of uncontrollable events affect Macbeth and his future kingship. Macbeth’s lineage is threatened by Banquo and his sons after the Weird Sisters warned Macbeth he would not pass down the thrown. Along with the prophecies of the Weird Sisters, an outcry of rebellion is born against Macbeth. Macbeth’s death solidifies him as a tragic hero due to the events surrounding
his demise. Macbeth’s flaw of unchecked ambition qualifies him as a tragic hero due to the many murders he committed or supported during the fight for the throne ending in his demise. Initially, Macbeth’s tragic flaw of unchecked ambition leads him to make many drastic decisions.Though Macbeth was always ambitious, his rise to the throne leads to the evil and corrupt decisions of his kingship. The Weird Sister’s prediction of Macbeth becoming king corrupted both Macbeth and Lady Macbeth. Macbeth takes fate into his own hands and kills King Duncan and his guards in order to take his thrown. After the murder of King Duncan, Macbeth becomes obsessed with keeping the thrown at all cost.

Macbeth views Banquo as a threat to his kingship and hires murderers to kill Banquo and his son Fleance. Macduff’s disappearance resulted in the slaughter of his wife and many children after Macbeth became anxious of Macduff’s disloyalty (“Macbeth” 2006). Secondly, the Weird Sister’s prophecies were interpreted differently by Macbeth and the Weird Sisters. The Weird Sisters predicted that Macbeth could not be killed by any man born of a woman, told to beware of Macduff, and claimed that Macbeth will be unharmed until The Great Birnam Woods move to Dunsinane Hill. Macbeth felt as if he were invincible and would never be harmed ever again. He quickly disregarded Macduff as a threat to himself and became less anxious and worrisome of losing the throne. Macbeth found it impossible that Birnam Woods could move to Dunsinane Hill and disregarded that the prophecies might not have been completely literal. The Weird Sisters warned Macbeth of Macduff because Macduff was the main power of the rebellion against Macbeth. Macduff convinced the English crown to help overthrow Macbeth and return the throne to Malcolm. Macduff was also not born of a woman, but was instead born through a surgical procedure instead (Cohen 2011). The Great Birnam Woods could not move to Dunsinane Hill by itself but they were manipulated to look as if they did. The soldiers rebelling against Macbeth were commanded to break a branch from a tree of Birnam Woods and carry it in front of them as they marched to Dunsinane Hill, thus making Birnam Woods march to Dunsinane Woods. Macbeth was furious and in awe when he was alarmed of the supposed marching Birnam Woods. The marching of Birnam Woods enabled Macbeth of harm by another person just before his castle was broken into by the rebels who sought vengeance upon Macbeth.

However, Macbeth is not convinced of his vulnerability because of his passionate belief that all men were born of a women. This belief leads to the continuation of disinterest of Macduff and his danger to Macbeth (“Macbeth” 2010). In closing, uncontrollable events affect Macbeth and those around him after his unchecked ambition causes consequences for his actions.
With Macbeth’s lineage on the line, he makes decisions to try and kill those who could take the throne from him. The deaths make no effect on the future as Macbeth will never have an offspring to pass the throne to. As the Weird Sister’s prophecies were shown to be less literal than Macbeth had believed, the rebels got closer to Macbeth. Lady Macbeth could no longer sleep due to her depression and self-hatred for her place the murders of those she cared for. Lady Macbeth became so regretful and agony filled that she killed herself. Macbeth was unconcerned and even somewhat relieved after learning of the death of his wife (V.V.19). After the castle was attacked by the rebels, Macbeth killed Young Siward and declared that he was still invincible and could not be harmed. Macduff then encounters Macbeth and Macbeth tells Macduff that he is not worried of him, for he can be harmed by no man born of a woman. Macduff then explains that he was born like a Cesarean and not of a woman. The two then fight and Macbeth is beheaded by Macduff, thus returning the throne to Malcolm (Ramsey
2009). Macbeth’s flaw of unchecked ambition leads him to commit and support the murders of many for personal gain until his ultimate demise and loss of the throne qualifies him as a tragic hero.
Macbeth’s unchecked ambition leads him to take fate in his own hands and bring upon his own demise. The prophecies of the Weird Sister gave Macbeth a very narcissistic view and

twisted Macbeth’s sense of power. Uncontrollable events caused the downfall of Macbeth after his unchecked ambition caused him to be too power hungry. William Shakespeare’s play Macbeth shows the demise of the tragic hero Macbeth after his unchecked ambition leads him to ultimate
death.