Macbeth’s demise comes about through a mixture of his own character flaws and his predefined future.
Macbeth’s own character helps fuel his actions that eventually undo him. He has “vaulting ambition” (1.7.27) that both he and his wife, Lady Macbeth, acknowledge. Macbeth also suffers from a great amount of indecisiveness; he isn’t sure whether he should or shouldn’t go through with the murder of the king. This indecisiveness, mixed with a strong moral sense, causes his guilt over the murder. Macbeth’s suggestible mind also allows Lady Macbeth to manipulate him, pushing him to follow through with killing Duncan; “Art thou afeard to be the same in thine own act and valour as thou art in desire?” (1.7.43-45) Even Macbeth’s active imagination works against him. This ties in with the deep seeded guilt he feels over the murder of Duncan and Banquo, which manifests itself as bloody daggers and ghosts. These constant struggles with his guilt and ambitions result in Macbeth’s mental deterioration, which is witnessed throughout the play, as he becomes more hardened, tyrannical, and detached from life.
Fate is also able to precisely control Macbeth because of these character flaws. Three witches, the symbol of fate in the play, correctly predict Macbeth’s future greatness. They call him Thane of Glamis and Cawdor and say he “shalt be king hereafter!” (1.3.53) When the title of “Thane of Cawdor” is bestowed upon Macbeth, as Fate promised, he becomes intrigued. His hungry ambition and the assurance he feels from Fate, causes Macbeth to dream of gaining even more power and becoming king. Macbeth realises he may have to kill Duncan. With such a deep-rooted belief in fate, he follows through with the murder of Duncan in order to become King. Fate’s control is also evident in Banquo’s life. The three witches state that Banquo “shalt get kings, though thou be none.” (1.3.70) (Historically, It is clear that this predication is correct because King James, who was Shakespeare’s patron, traced his roots back to Banquo.) In this case though, Banquo doesn’t prod Fate forward (unlike Macbeth when he murder’s Duncan); his lack of imagination and his great feelings of loyalty prevent Banquo from taking action. Yet, the prediction still comes true. This indicates that Fate also acts independently, regardless of the characters action or lack of action.
It becomes clear that Fate has great influence over Macbeth and shapes his life, causing many problems, but this influence would not be present if it weren’t for Macbeth’s inane character flaws.
