Xun Kuang, the wise philosopher once stated that “Human nature, evil and goodness are caused by intentional activity.” William Shakespeare’s The Tragedy of Macbeth perfectly illustrates this. This book examines the human condition from a different perspective, showing the darkness and lightness of humans, as well the inevitable fate. Macbeth is a prime example human nature. It demonstrates that humanity’s flaws are not what makes us human. However, our actions and choices determine our destiny. Macbeth’s tragic flaw is over-ambition. It leads him to his ruthless impulsive bloodshed. But there’s light, even where there’s darkness. Banquo’s light and loyalty, as well as his ambition and discipline were contrasted with Macbeth’s corruption and darkness. Both are flawed as human beings, but their choices ultimately reflected their human natures. These flaws, which are unique to each person, are highlighted when they cause a villainous personality. Macbeth was a symbol of evil, and this tragic flaw was what caused his fall. This is clearly evident in Macbeth’s contemplation of killing King Duncan to fulfill the prophecy. Macbeth said that he had no spur and would not prick my intentions, but only his ambition. Aristotle explains the three main ways that tragedy can occur: ignorance, personality flaw, or the consequences. Macbeth realizes that his sole motivation for killing Duncan was ambition. Macbeth is aware of his excessive ambition but ignores it. This causes him to fall. Hecate and the three witches, together with Hecate, can see, expose, exploit, and capitalize on this flaw. Macbeth doesn’t notice their symbolism for evil and supernatural elements, so he is easily fooled. This is evident when Hecate, ruler of the witches plans to exploit Macbeth’s weaknesses to drive him to self-destruction. “He will turn his back on fate, disregard death, and bear” / His hopes are ‘bove grace, wisdom, and fear. / You all know that security is mortals’ greatest enemy. Macbeth was deceived multiple times throughout the play. This fatal error leads Macbeth to be deceived by the apparitions of witches. They give him false security and make him believe he is unbeatable. He was told that Birnam Wood would defeat him and that no one from a woman can take his place. He continues to fight, even after realizing that they are falsehoods and that he was being deceived. This play shows Macbeth as just one of many characters with flaws. Lady Macbeth is also driven to power and greed. This leads to her guilt, which eventually leads to suicide. The letter from Macbeth was received by Lady Macbeth. She became anxious to see Macbeth be crowned and chastises him with the valour of her tongue. She writes, “Hie Thee Hither / That my spirits may be poured in thine ear/ And I will chastise thee with my tongue’s valour / All that hinders you from the golden round / What fate and metaphysical help doth seem / To crown thee.
Lady Macbeth has a strong belief that Macbeth will succeed her and she is determined to convince him that he will make the right decisions that will bring her the greatest benefit. She didn’t consider the morality or consequences of her actions. This led to her becoming insane and committing suicide. Macbeth fell into madness after he had been cautious. Her actions had a negative impact on others, resulting in severe consequences. Aristotle has a perfect explanation for her tragic flaw. It is obvious that all people have flaws. As shown by King Duncan’s flaws, even his trustworthiness to others gives the Thanes at Cawdor an opportunity to betray him. King Duncan refers to the betrayal and omission of the old Thane. It is obvious that one cannot see the aspirations and intentions of another person by looking at their face. Duncan was completely trusting the Thane, but he couldn’t predict his disloyalty/treason. Nobody can see inside a person’s head. Duncan did not listen to his intuition and when he appointed Macbeth to the role of Thane in Cawdor and allowed him to stay at his castle, Macbeth subsequently murdered him. This example of disloyalty does not occur in isolation. Macbeth is also hurt when his army takes out his army at Birnam Wood. Conclusion: Macbeth’s corrupted rise and the actions of all those he met along his path prove to modern society that every human being is flawed in some way.
Macbeth, a dynamic character, shows that human flaws have an impact on people greatly. Macbeth’s best friend Banquo and Macbeth perfectly represent the distinct fates their actions led to. Both were exposed to the prophecies of witches but their decisions after that encounter led them to different paths. Macbeth becomes worried that Banquo might discover his dark methods. He then says, “Our concerns in Banquo stick deep/ And in the royalty of his nature reigns the fear.” Both men were good people who were welcomed with neutral words by The Weird Sisters. However, the moral value they placed into those words is what set them apart. Banquo was careful and suspected Macbeth’s “foul plays” after recent events. However, he did not let his ambition slip his mind. He’s Macbeth’s light and he was his only friend. His over-ambition led to Macbeth’s inability to see reality clearly, which caused him to kill his best friend. The torch Banquo carried as he passed away was his light. It went out with him after his death. This unneeded action did not alter Banquo’s prophecy about his kin taking over the throne. It also displayed the absurdity of Macbeth’s decision-making. Macbeth was not just responsible for Banquo’s fate, but also those of his kin like Macduff. His free will, once he had become corrupted by greed, shows how he ignored all morals in order to gain power. Macbeth, who murdered Macduffs family, later met him at the battlefield and stated “Of every men I have avoided them / But get thee home; my soul’s too full / With bloody thine already.”
Macbeth was so enraged by his guilt that he refused to let Macduff get any more blood. He indirectly caused this battle and the entire Battle of Dunsinane. Malcolm is seeking to avenge Macbeth and reclaim his throne. Macduff was determined to exact revenge for his family’s brutal murder. Macbeth also murdered the servants without thinking, proving his mistakes had led to this tragic end. Macbeth’s actions weren’t the only ones that had an impact. Lady Macbeth was also driven by power and her inability to think clearly, leading to unsound decisions that impacted the entire play. This is demonstrated when Lady Macbeth reads Macbeth’s letter regarding the witches. But I fear thy natural; It is not as it seems to me. She is the one that guides Macbeth in his self-destruction. We can see in this that she doesn’t think he’s kind enough to give up on the right chances to do so and she plans to manipulate him to get her power. He is forced to kill Duncan by her, and she does not feel any guilt or sympathy for him. She was then the victim of an overabundance in bloodshed that resulted in her and Macbeth being killed. She made Macbeth insane and mad, as well as over-ambition. This could have been avoided, but they were forced to accept it.
The witches are what ultimately influenced Macbeth and the play. Banquo talks to Macbeth following their encounters with the witches. Macbeth was also inadvertently controlled by the Three Witches throughout the play through deception. Banquo speaks this in irony. The audience knows that witches’ prophecies can be very unjust and not fair. The witches planted King’s idea in Banquo’s head. This sparked an inner ambition that was set up to fail. They made him believe he was immortal by telling him half-truths about Burnam Wood and women born of women. This made him forget the fact that no man is ever immortal. These deceitful and evil acts show how gravely flawed human nature was created.
“What is done can’t be undone.” Macbeth’s atrocious acts are a powerful reminder of the power of tragic flaws. However, each act is a true example of the goodness and evil of human nature. It is impossible to undo the evil of Lady Macbeth as well as Macbeth. It was so powerful that they both were exterminated, and others were also destroyed. These messages still hold true today and demonstrate that evil cannot be tolerated by human nature. They encourage people to be aware of their flaws and make informed decisions. Macbeth, which uses satire to draw attention the supernatural elements and to demolish order, is crucial. To show that peace can be found, it uses light and dark, good and bad, clarity and obscureness. Macbeth is a symbol of humanity.
