Macbeth is called one of Shakespeare’s most “Greek” plays, and it represents a man who destroys his life through a row of sinful and unfair choices. However, there are several discrepancies between a traditional Greek play and Shakespeare’s Macbeth. For example, the majority of Greek plays are based on the main character’s flaw of pride. In the work of the British writer, the readers face a flaw of ambition that controls the actions of the main character.
In the play, several factors can be mentioned as the triggers of Macbeth’s ambition. The thing that takes control over the main character’s mind is the prophecies made by witches. Each time Macbeth hears one of these predictions, he believes that they are true. “Thou shalt get kings, though thou be none: So all hail, Macbeth and Banquo!” (Shakespeare, n.d.). Therefore, the great suppositions about his future were the catalysts for the rise in Macbeth’s ambitions. Although these prophecies generally turn out to be true, it is hard to understand whether they are the result of the fate of the character’s actions and manipulations.
In addition, Macbeth’s wife played the central role in him becoming a murderer and killing Duncan. She advised her husband to forget his conscience, guilt, moral pain, frustration, and fear of killing. Although the main character has always had his ambitions and desires and strives for power, lady Macbeth is the one who provoked the release of her husband’s hidden wishes and ambitions. “If he do bleed, I’ll gild the faces of the grooms withal; for it must seem their guilt” (Shakespeare, n.d.). Therefore, the integration of three main factors such as Macbeth’s ambition and strive for power, his wife’s manipulative character, and the predictions of the witches, brought the man to killing and becoming a murderer. Moreover, as a result of Macbeth’s surroundings supporting his violence, the main character cannot control his strive to murder people and continues to kill.
Reference
Shakespeare, W. (n. d.). The Tragedy of Macbeth. The complete works of William Shakespeare. Web.