Macbeth Scenes Essay, Research Paper

Although Macbeth does take actions that lead to his downfall, I believe that he

is not totally responsible for what happens. Although he takes the action that

leads to his downfall, he perhaps would not have done this if the witches had

not told him that he would be king in Act 1 Scene 3. I believe that it is the

witches are more responsible for Macbeth’s downfall than he is. In Act 1, Scene

3, the witches tell Macbeth that he is thane of Glamis, thane of Cawdor and that

he "shalt be king hereafter". Immediately after hearing the witches

prophesise that he will be king, Macbeth thinks that he must kill the current

king to become king himself. I believe that before hearing the witch’s

prophecies, Macbeth had never in his wildest dreams thought of killing King

Duncan to become king himself. In Act 4, Scene 1, Macbeth meets again with the

witches, who tell him through apparitions, "Macbeth! Macbeth! Macbeth!

Beware Macduff. Beware the thane of Fife." In the following scene, we see

murderers sent by Macbeth enter Macduff’s castle and slaughter both Lady Macduff

and her son. The witches are also responsible for this murder, because once

again, the witches put ideas in his head. Although the witches can be held

responsible for the murder of King Duncan, Lady Macduff and her son, they cannot

be held responsible for the murder of Banquo. The witches only speak of Banquo

when Macbeth meets with them for the second time and Act 4, Scene 1, after

Banquo has already been killed. This murder is the complete responsibility of

Macbeth, because the witches had absolutely nothing to do with it and it was

only Macbeth’s own suspicions that brought him to have Banquo killed. If Macbeth

had not taken action to fulfill the witch’s prophecies, he would probably have

been happily living as the thane of Glamis and Cawdor at the end of the play. It

could be said that he was responsible for his own downfall. However, Macbeth

only took action after hearing the witch’s prophecies, so I believe that Macbeth

cannot be held totally responsible for what happens to himself. I believe that

if Macbeth had never heard the witch’s prophecies, he would have lived a happy,

full life, and perhaps he would have become anyway.