Macbeth's Character Flaw example essay topic

Brian Bozarth Bozarth 1 Mrs. Thurmond English IV - 6 February 22, 2001 Macbeth's Tragic Flaw Every one has a character flaw. Some are more serious than others. For instance, some people pick their nose, while others drink milk directly from the carton. After a while a person's character flaws will come back to haunt them. Shakespeare is a master at pointing out one's character flaws and showing how those flaw bring down that person or society in general. In Shakespeare's Macbeth he does just that.

Macbeth is a tragic hero whose character flaws are ambition and avarice. The play opens with Macbeth, a popular noble who quells a military coup against the King of Scotland by a Scottish nobleman, Macdonwald. This is looked at by other nobles as and honorable deed. The King then gives Macbeth the late Macdonwald's former title. In this instance ambition is a good thing: but all's to week for brave Macbeth - well he deserves that name (I ii 16). The king even said "O valiant cousin!

Worthy gentleman" (I ii 24). His ambition was use to do a good thing, but if you stop to think; would any of this happened had he not killed Macdonwald. In the next scene we see the witches doing things that witches like to do. Then enters Macbeth with Banquo.

They spot the witches and Banquo insults them. The witches turn to Macbeth and tell him he will be king: All hail, Macbeth, that shalt be king hereafter (I 50). That single line is what sparks Maspeth's evil ambition. This is the also the point when Macbeth start to turn evil. The witches also tell Macbeth he will become Thane of Cawdor. Macbeth replies to all this: to be king stands not within the prospect of belief (I 75).

At this point Macbeth is skeptical, but then Ross tells him he is thane of Cawdor. Macbeth starts to believe he can become king. He is now successor to the throne of Scotland. Since Macbeth is heir to the throne of Scotland, all he has to do is get rid of King Duncan. In scene IV Duncan names his son the Prince of Cumberland.

Macbeth is outraged: The Prince of Cumberland! That is a step On which I must fall down, or else o'er lap, For in my way it lies. Stars, hide your fires; Let not light se my black and deep desires: The eye wink at the hand; yet let that be Which the eye fears, when it is done, to see (I vs. 48-53). In these lines we can clearly see Macbeth's desire to become King and his willingness to do anything to get there. Now he has to get rid of Duncan and Malcom. Fate has it that Duncan will be staying at Macbeth's castle, Inverness.

Here is where Macbeth and Lady Macbeth plot to kill Duncan. If it were done when 'tis done, then 'there well It were done quickly. If th' assassination Could trammel up the consequence, and catch, With his surcease, success; that but this blow Might be the be-all and the end-all-here, But here, upon this bank and shoal of time, We'd jump the life to come. But in these cases We still have judgment here; that we but teach Bloody instructions, which, being taught, return To plague th " inventor: this even-handed justice Commends th' ingredients of out poisoned chalice To our own lips. He's here in double trust: Strong both against the deed; then, as his host, Who should against his murderer shut the door, Not bear the knife myself. Besides, this Duncan Hath borne his facilities so meek, hath been So clear in his great office, that his virtues Will plead like angels trumpet-tongued against The deep damnation of his taking-off; And pity, like a naked newborn babe, Striding the blast, or heaven's cherub in horsed Upon the sightless couriers of the air Shall blow the horrid deed in every eye, That tears shall drown the wind.

I have no spur To prick the sides of my intent, but only Vaulting ambition which o'er leaps itself And falls on th' other- (I vii 1-28) Macbeth knows he will be condemned to hell if he does it, but he kills Duncan anyway because of "vaulting ambition". Macbeth even says This himself. In the end Macduff kills Macbeth because he is an evil tyrant. Ironically in the beginning of the play, Macbeth is awarded Thane of Cawdor for stopping a traitor from becoming king. He became in the end what he set out to destroy in the beginning. Because of "vaulting ambition", Macbeth's character flaw destroyed him in the end..