Macbeth Tragic Flaw Essay

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A tragic flaw is defined as a character flaw that ultimately leads to the character’s downfall. One of the most iconic examples of how a tragic flaw leads to a character's downfall is in the drama, Macbeth. Macbeth is a drama written by William Shakespeare that follows the actions and consequences of the protagonist, Macbeth after he kills the king. After Macbeth kills the king, his whole world spirals and he finds himself unable to control his lust for power. He then does everything that he deems necessary to remain in control of the kingdom. However, the question of what ultimately leads to Macbeth channeling his tragic flaw is one that is highly debated. Some people believe that Lady Macbeth, Macbeth’s wife, is responsible for Macbeth’s …show more content…

She excuses his strange behavior to everyone else by saying “My lord is often thus and hath been from his youth ”(Shakespeare 3.4. 56-57.) and then further reassures them by saying “this fit is momentary; upon a thought he will be well again.”(Shakespeare 3.4.58-59.) This act of excusing Macbeth’s behavior leads him to go mad with grief. When Macbeth learns later in the play that Lady Macbeth has committed suicide, he finally decides that he can no longer live with the remorse that is inside of him. He accepts MacDuff’s challenge to a fight, one he knows is not in his favor, and ultimately sacrifices himself for the greater good of the kingdom. This act of self-sacrifice is the climax of the play and is what shows that Macbeth is accepting the responsibility for his …show more content…

Without Lady Macbeth and her scheming that lead to the first murder being committed, none of the rest of the play would have ever happened. Lady Macbeth’s constant encouraging and nagging on Macbeth is what causes him to go through with an assassination plan that he never wanted to go through in the first place. After the first murder is committed, Macbeth finds himself unable to stop in his lust for power. After murdering his best friend, Banquo, Macbeth starts to feel guilty and expresses his guilt to a room full of people at a dinner party, this expression is quickly thwarted by Lady Macbeth’s excuses that Macbeth has been like this ever since childhood. Without the actions of Lady Macbeth, Macbeth’s tragic flaw never would have seen the light of day, and the story of Macbeth would never have been

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