Javier Real

Mrs.figueroa

Senior English

2/19/19

Downfall at its greatest

Does the responsibility lie on the individuals downfall or the environment around them?

In William Shakespeare's play Macbeth it begins with Macbeth hearing his prophecy and it

starting to come true, once king Duncan made him the thane Cawdor. Three witches sparks his

interest after the first prophecy came true this lead the disturbing thoughts of killing the king for

his throne and getting rid of anything that gets in the way, such as his best friend Banquo and

Fleance. After all these events occurred, Macbeth's sanity instantly goes into this darkness full of

a guilty conscience and illutionations. From feeding Macbeth's gullibility to cleaning his mess,

lady Macbeth plays a big role in executing the prophecy. Lady Macbeth is the reason for

Macbeth's downfall because of her constant manipulation and constant control of every aspect of

his life.

To manipulate means to control or influence a person or situation cleverly. Lady Macbeth

sees the benefits of manipulating her husband to be royalty once she is exposed to the

prophecies.”Glamis thou art, and Cawdor, and shalt be What thou art promised. Yet do I fear thy

nature; It is too full o' th' milk of human kindness to catch the nearest way. Thou wouldst be

great, art not without ambition, but without the illness should attend it” (1.5.15-20). She basically

mans up for the both of them and take the situation in her own hands because Macbeth can’t

follow through. Lady Macbeth shares her crazy vision of the way she wants things to go just like

when eve shares the idea of eating from the tree of good and evil . “Lady Macbeth your face, my

Thane, 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 th' innocent flower, but be the

serpent under't’’(1.5.73-78). Flowers and serpents usual symbolize the story of adam and eve in

which the woman manipulates the man to do what he knows is wrong.

Lady Macbeth shows a great amount of control when comes to the situation that her

husbands in. lady Macbeth punishes her husband by bugging him until he takes action in killing

king duncan. “Art not without ambition, but without the illness should attend it [...] Hie thee

hither, that I may pour my spirits in thine ear and chastise with the valour of my tongue all that

impedes thee from the golden round, which fate and metaphysical aid doth see to have thee

crowned withal”(1.5.15-20;28-33). This is when the true form of Lady Macbeth's control comes

out and she starts to think outside of the box. “You spirits/ that tend on mortal thoughts , under

me here./ and fill me from the crown to the toe top-full/ of direst cruelty” (1,5.38-41). Lady

Macbeth puts her feminism aside in this case do devilish deed.

From a victorious battle to insanity at its greatest the story comes with many uncanny

features. Macbeth shows how one can be manipulated into doing a treacherous act without

thinking. The Foreshadowing in the story Macbeth really helps you understand what lead to his

downfall from the beginning. Because of her constant manipulation and constant control of every

aspect of his life Lady Macbeth influence a lot of Macbeth's actions . All and all, the evidence

makes lady Macbeth the most prominent character in her husband's downfall.

Work cited
Othello: Entire Play, shakespeare.mit.edu/macbeth/full.html.