Essay on The Responsibility of Macbeth for his own Actions

In the Elizabethan Era, society was highly suspicious of the power of supernatural forces and it was commonly accepted that one’s life was governed by fate and was predetermined. Shakespeare’s Macbeth challenges the Elizabethan ideology of fate by privileging that although Macbeth was a victim of his â€Å"vaulting ambition† (1:VII 27), he was ultimately responsible for his villainous actions. Shakespeare has foregounded certain events to privilege that a person has free will and a concience and the cosequences of going against ones conscience, thus challenging the assumption of the Elizabethan Era. The audience is invited to sympathise with the protagonist, Macbeth, and see him as a tragic hero. Before his descent into evil, Macbeth†¦show more content†¦Macbeth then began a series of murders to retain his fruitless crown (3:I 67), â€Å"to be thus is nothing, but to be safely thus† (3:I 54). It was Macbeths latent ambition for power that cau sed his descent into evil. Shakespeare foregrounds that Macbeth was aware of and resposible for his actions, through conscience and free will, to illustrate that he was not a victim of supernatural forces. By doing this he is challeging the assumptions of the Elizabethan Era that supernatural forces and supernatural soliciting predetermine ones destiny. The hallucinations and ghostly apparitions are foreground not to illustrate supernatural interference, but to foreground Macbeth’s guilty conscience. Macbeth struggles with his conscience, this humanises him and invites the audience to relate to him. Even before Macbeth had committed murder, his conscience was causing him to have qualms. One example of this is in Act One Scene 7, before the regicide of Duncan. â€Å"We will proceed no further in this business. (Duncan) hath honoured me of late, and I have bought golden opinions from all sorts of people, which would be worn in their newest gloss, not cast aside so soon.† Macbeth was disincl ined to murder â€Å"gracious Duncan† as he believed him to be a â€Å"good king† (4:III 163), however he still made the decision to commit regicide. This foregrounds the internal struggle Macbeth endured with his conscience that makes him a tragic hero. Supernatural elements exist toShow MoreRelated MacBeth is Responsible for His Downfall Essay690 Words   |  3 PagesMacBeth is Responsible for His Downfall    There were many wrongs committed in MacBeth. But who should bear the major responsibility for these actions? The witches prophesising? Lady MacBeths scheming and persuasion? Or should MacBeth himself be held responsible? 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