Act I Questions
1. Why does Shakespeare open the play by showing the witches? Why is it good for Macbeth not to appear first?
In Act 1, Shakespeare opens up the play by showing the three witches. He opens the play with the witches to set the scene and also, to set the mood. The author opens the scene with witches because witches foreshadow evil, conflict, and virulent events. In Act 1, its states, “Thunder and lightning. Enter three witches” (Shakespeare, 7). This evidence clearly shows this scene is going to be about evil. The ghastly witches are mostly seen as fictitious characters in the book. Macbeth does not appear first because Shakespeare didn’t want to start off the play with acclaiming the protagonist because many plays do that so it wouldn’t have been interesting or novel. But introducing the witches kept the audience interested and enthralled.
2. Macbeth calls the day of the battle “foul and fair”. What does he mean by this? How can a situation be both foul and fair?
Macbeth calls the day of the battle “foul and fair”. It states in the novel, “So foul and fair a day I have not seen” (Shakespeare,17). The thing he means by this is the day was both good and bad. This echoes the witches when they say, “Fair is foul, and foul is fair” (Shakespeare,7) in scene one. This also foreshadows what is going to happen later on and also shows that Macbeth is the main focus. Macbeth and Banquo treat the witches with disdain because they weren’t expecting them after a battle which they won. This could be the reason why Macbeth says the day is “foul and fair”. Foul means bad and fair means good. A situation could be both good and bad. Macbeth called this situation good and bad because they won but it was difficult to win, many men died due to fighting in the battle. A situation could be good and bad because to achieve something in life you’ll have to work very hard and sacrifice many things but the outcome will most likely be good which is achieving your goal. This is what Macbeth meant by “foul and fair”. This is how a situation in reality could be good and bad at the same time.
3. How do Macbeth and Banquo differ in their reactions to the Witches’ predictions and the news of Macbeth’s new title? What does this suggest about their character traits?
When Macbeth and Banquo, were on their way to Forres to the king’s court, the enigmatic witches appeared. The witches tell Macbeth he’ll become thane of Glamis and then later on he will become thane of Cawdor. The witches also tell Macbeth that he will be king which enthralled Macbeth. The witches tell Banquo he’ll be “lesser than Macbeth, and greater,” (Shakespeare, 19) and “not so happy, yet much happier” (Shakespeare, 19). The witches later on tell Banquo he will never be king, but his children will be and then they’ll past it done from generation to generation. Macbeth and Banquo differ in their reactions to the Witches’ predictions and Macbeth’s new title. They differ because Macbeth wants to know more, and he thinks he can become king immediately, but Banquo does not he’s skeptical. Macbeth is curious about his prophecy but does not acquiesce them without questioning about them. Banquo wants to wait and see how things happen. Their reactions show how skeptical Banquo is and loyal he is to Duncan, and how rational and patient he is. Banquo is also more prudent and judicious than Macbeth. But Macbeth isn’t patient, he’s emotional, superstitious, and impetuous. Macbeth is also ambitious and zealous about becoming king and wants to know more.
4. After reading her husband’s letter, what does Lady Macbeth say about him? What does this reveal about her character traits and their relationships?
Lady Macbeth receives a letter from her husband Macbeth describing to her what happened with the witches and their predictions about him. Lady Macbeth is thrilled with what the witches told him because that means she’ll become queen. Lady Macbeth doesn’t think her husband has what it takes to make it happen. In the process of becoming king that would mean for Duncan to be murdered. She believes her husband is incompetent. It states in Macbeth, “Yet do I fear thy nature; it is too full o’ th’ milk of human kindness To catch the nearest way: thou wouldst be great, Art not without ambition, but without The illness should attend it” (Shakespeare, 31). Lady Macbeth explains how she is worried that her husband is too benign and soft to go through such a brutal act like murdering in order to become king. She tells Macbeth to be innocuous. This conspicuously shows Lady Macbeth is evil and morbid since murdering to her isn’t as hard. This also shows Lady Macbeth is judicious towards her husband by saying he’s too soft. The way she talks to Macbeth shows who’s in subjugate in the relationship. Lady Macbeth is not as soft as her husband she’s evil and not humane.
5. In Act I, scene 6, Lady Macbeth tells her husband, Macbeth, to “look like the innocent flower/But be the serpent under it”(Shakespeare,35). Lady Macbeth wants her husband to look innocent but he needs to do what he needs to do which is murder Duncan. Basically she wants her husband to put on a act. Lady Macbeth doesn’t think her husband has what it takes to make it happen. She wants her husband to look innocent because that’s how people look at him. Duncan knows how Macbeth is so he wouldn’t expect it from him which makes Lady Macbeth’s plan to kill him easier without any suspicion. An example of someone in modern times who puts on a false act would be the American president Donald Trump. Although he swears to the American people that he is making America great again by brainwashing them with his false lies, but in reality his schemes are in order for him to make money. He fuels peoples inner hatred for other races such as the Mexicans and Muslims in order to have a strong base that he knows he can depend on because of the large number of radical supporters he has amassed. He promises false things to his people in order to keep his presidency which allows him to get rich due to the important business/political connections that come with the job. Since becoming president the Chinese government has granted Trump 39 trademarks where many of them had been previously granted by the government since Trump was not president. It also provides him with a platform in which he can promote his own business since he mentioned his businesses more than 35 times during his first year in the oval office. Donald Trump lies to the people by promising to make America better for everyone but in reality he is using his newfound role to make himself rich.
6. Why, in Macbeth’s opinion, is murdering Duncan so wrong? Discuss at least three of the reasons Macbeth provides.
Although Macbeth is hesitant to kill King Duncan his ambitions get the better of him as Lady Macbeth pushes him to do the dirty deed. After the murder Macbeth feels guilty of killing Duncan because he was not a cruel king to his people and did provide Macbeth with a title, he deserved due to being victorious in battle. Additionally, Macbeth is family members with Duncan, and it is a disgrace to kill your own blood in order to elevate your status in society. They are cousins and should be side by side and should not be planning to kill one another. Lastly, the most important reason is that Duncan is a guest in Macbeth’s house, Macbeth says “As his host, / Who should be against his murderer shut the door, / Not bear the knife myself” (Shakespeare,39). As he believed it is wrong for the host to be the one to stab the guest behind his back instead of respecting them and showing their hospitality. No matter how cruel a person is, once they enter your doors they should be respected and treated to the best of the ability of the host.
7. Both Macbeth and Lady Macbeth are ambitious. At this point in the play, what are the major differences between the two characters with regard to ambition?
Macbeth and Lady Macbeth are both ambitious but have major differences regard to ambition. Although, both Macbeth and Lady Macbeth are ambitious in their quest to become king and queen of Scotland there is differences in their ambition. Lady Macbeth lacks the strength in which to carry out her ambition while Macbeth is willing to go to any extreme to help keep his power. In the beginning when Lady Macbeth heard about the prophecy, she knew right away what to do which was to kill Duncan but Macbeth on the other hand did not have the same drive. Macbeth says, “Let not light see my black and deep desires” (Shakespeare,29) as his ambitions are wrong in the sense that he has to kill those dear to him to gain power, but this does not stop Macbeth. He never gives up a fight and ultimately dies but never surrenders as he sees his actions through and through while guilt eventually killed Lady Macbeth who was not emotionally strong enough to deal with the consequences.
Act II Questions:
8. How does Banquo’s reaction to the prophecy differ from Macbeth’s?
In Act I scene iii when the witches give their prophecies to Banquo and Macbeth, we see Macbeth is very interested in making the predictions come true. He has been plotting to commit treason already and when he is told he will be king he is thinking about all the options in which he can become king quickly. It states in the book “And oftentimes, to win us to our harm, The instruments of darkness tell us truths, Win us with honest trifles, to betray In deepest consequence” (Shakespeare, 23) showing that although witches are symbols of evil Macbeth still believed they had the power to see the future and were telling the truth. Banquo on the other hand considers that the reasons for the witches offering such fantastic futures to the men may not be honorable. Unlike Macbeth he is patient and honorable to Duncan and knows that in order for him to have kings Macbeth must die childless. Macbeth is more emotional, superstitious and enthralled by what the witches had to say unlike Banquo.
9. How do Macbeth and Lady Macbeth differ in their reactions to the murder?
Macbeth and Lady Macbeth have different reactions towards the murder of King Duncan. Lady Macbeth who motivated her husband to go on with the deed seems to be unaffected and apathetic by the murder of the king. She does not seem to have contrite for the murder and is only looking at the future for her personal gain. She is not at all in grief that a king has been killed on her doorstep since her thought are on her future as queen. Macbeth on the other hand is in disbelief with his own actions. He cannot believe that he has killed his cousin with his own hands as he lay in his sleep. He says
“Cawdor shall sleep no more, Macbeth shall sleep no more” (Shakespeare,57) since he is going crazy with the thoughts running through his imagination. His guilt is slowly starting to kill him, and he cannot sleep because his hands are dirty with the blood of his cousin. Macbeth looks down at his hands, that have Duncan’s blood, he says his hands look pitiful. He is very regretful of what he did to him. It states, “Will all great Neptune’s ocean wash this blood clean from my hand?” (Shakespeare,59). The blood won’t efface just like his guilt that will always be there. He is scared of his actions and is nervous of the possible upshot of consequences. His wife sees him as a coward due to the way he reacted to the murder since she us untroubled by the death of Duncan.
10. Why are Malcolm and Donalbain suspects in their father’s murder? What motive is attributed to them? How does their reaction to flee the scene complicate matters?
Malcolm and Donalbain are suspects in their father’s murder because they have been set up by Macbeth. As they flee for safety since their lives are in danger they are accused by Macbeth as being the ones who killed King Duncan. Being the sons of Duncan, they can rise to power if they were not suspected of killing the king but since they are feeling it seems as if they are guilty. Duncan had named “Our eldest Malcolm… the Prince of Cumberland” (Shakespeare,29) meaning that Malcolm would have been the next heir to the throne but now since the people see him as guilty the right of being king falls onto Macbeth who is a war hero and was loved by Duncan.
11. As described in Scenes 3 and 4, how does nature reflect human events? What idea is emphasized by these references to nature?
Throughout the novel nature is reflected through human events. Based on the account of Lennox, he had never witnessed such a strange night such as the one at the time of Duncans passing. He says “The night has been unruly, as they say, lamenting heard i’th’air, strange screams of death / And prophesying with accents terrible / Of dire combustion and confused events, / New hatched to the’woeful time. The obscure bird/ Clamoured the livelong night. Some say, the earth / Was feverous and did shake”(Shakespeare,65). In a symbolic way black birds, strange sounds and earthquakes are all correlated with death and time of distress. In addition, Ross and the old man had seen strange things occurring such as horses eating one another and owls killing falcons which are events are do not occur in nature. Due to the death of the king, the order of nature was altered since there were such dark motives behind his cruel death.
Act III Questions:
12. As Scene 1 opens, how does Banquo feel about Macbeth? Why does he feel this way?
As act 3 scene 1 opens Banquo is suspicious of Macbeth and his rise to power. He begins to think about the prophecies of the witches, and he knows that Macbeth will be a “fruitless crown” (Shakespeare,85) meaning he will not have sons to be an heir to the throne. He is very careful and fears that his life and his Fleance’s life are in danger because Macbeth might seek to kill them in order to keep power. He realizes the ambitions and motivations of Macbeth and has good reason to suspect he killed Duncan and will now come after him. This is how Banquo feels about Macbeth. Also this is why he feels this way.
13. In his soliloquy in Scene 1, lines 52-76, what is upsetting Macbeth? Why does it upset him so much?
Macbeth is upset that he does not have a son to carry on his reign. He says, “No son of mine succeeding” (Shakespeare,85) and realizes that all the work he has done will go to waste as he only imagines Banquo’s sons on the throne. He is very jealous that Banquo can produce offspring and he summons people to kill Banquo and his son out of the anger and jealousy that Macbeth has inside. He starts to lose his sense of humanity and loses he cuts his connection with his benevolent friend who he now plans to kill. This is upsetting Macbeth in Scene 1, lines 52-76. This is why it upsets him so much.
14. Macbeth has a conversation with the two murderers which isn’t really clear to the audience but Shakespeare makes it look like their was.
In the novel, it states, “Well then, now Have you considered of my speeches? Know That it was he, in the times past”(Shakespeare,87). In Act 3, scene 1, Macbeth tries to convince the murderers that it was Banquo who is responsible not him. Macbeth tells them Banquo is responsible for their misfortunes not Macbeth. Macbeth explained to them how they were deceived, how they were crossed, who was working against them and the evidence used against them which convinced them that Banquo is to blame not him. Macbeth convinces the Murderers to kill Banquo. One real world example of people implying this strategy Macbeth uses which is reverse psychology is Julius Caesar in an attempt to get his legions to fight in North Africa. When Caesar was installing Cleopatra in power he had legions camped outside of Rome waiting to be discharged and waiting for the bonus pay he promised but he took too long to return so they began looting cities. Caesar knew that he did not have enough money to pay them all and needed them to come back to fight in Africa. He showed up in person and most of the veterans were embarrassed for their role in the mutiny since they had been loyal to Caesar for 15 years. He said they were to be discharged immediately and would be paid after war. Although he knew he would need them he knew they were fiercely loyal to him and would never imagine Caesar not needing them. They then begged Ceasar to take them with him and when he said he would suffer bringing them alone they all cheered that they would be going to fight for Caesar once more. His use of reverse psychology allowed him to take 4 legions to war without spending money on them.
15. Why doesn’t Macbeth tell his wife about his plans for Banquo’s murder? What does that tell you about their relationship?
Macbeth does not let Lady Macbeth know about his plans to kill Banquo. Macbeth needs his wife to put on a great performance in front of his guests so that they are not suspicious of the attempted murder. Since Lady Macbeth is in an unstable condition if he told her then there is a possibility, she would give away the plan and then the both of them would be in danger. Another possible reason is that Lady Macbeth previously questioned his manhood and now he has something to prove to her. In an attempt to make her proud he keeps this information from her. He says “Be innocent of the knowledge, dearest chuck, Till thou applaud the deed” proving that he wants to surprise his wife with the murder of Banquo and his son so that the prophecy does not come true and is facade. This shows that Lady Macbeth is the dominant in the relationship as she pushed him to carry on the plans previously and because he feels that he needs to prove something to her to be good enough and manly enough for her.
16. How does Macbeth react to the news of Fleance’s escape? Why does he react this way?
Once Macbeth hears the news of Fleance’s escape he is terrified. The witches prophesied that although Macbeth will be king, Banquo “shalt get kings” meaning that he is the father of kings. Since Fleance escaped this poses a threat to the kinghood of Macbeth as Fleance has the potential to be the next future king if the prophecy is correct. Once he hears this news, he says “Then comes my fit again: I had else been perfect” (Shakespeare,99) because if Fleance was eliminated there was no risk to his future. He reacts in this manner because Macbeth does not have children, so he has no one to pass the throne to yet and wants to eliminate any potential threat to his power. Fleance stands as a beacon of hope in dark times as he has the possibility to bring his people to the light in times of blood, war and betrayal.
17. How many people can see Banquo’s ghost during the banquet? Explain the significance of this.
At the banquet there is only one man missing at the table. Banquo has just been murdered by Macbeth and as the ghost of Banquo appears at the table, he is the only one of many people there that witnesses the ghost. As the ghost appears, he says “Avaunt! and quit my sight! Let the earth hide thee!” (Shakespeare,105) because he is being haunted by his never ending guilt. Although Macbeth has gotten used to murder, he is troubled by his actions deep down. His heart is becoming darker and colder as he just killed his closest companion and his conscience is making him go crazy. In addition, the ghost sits on the throne which is foreshadowing to show the uncertain future of the blood thirsty reign of Macbeth. Since he is the only witness to the ghost it’s a clear sign of his degrading mental state and the start to the end of his reign.
18. How does Lady Macbeth react to Macbeth’s outburst at the banquet? What does she do to try to save the situation?
In an attempt to hide suspicion from her piers at the banquet, Lady Macbeth tells the guests that “My lord is often thus, And hath been from his youth: pray you” (Shakespeare,103). She urges her husband to forget the ghost and his past actions because they are making him look like an unfit king. When Macbeth does not listen and asks if anyone else is seeing the ghosts, she urges all the lords to leave because their presence is making him worse and tells Macbeth to sleep his hallucinations away. She does this in an attempt to hide the truth from the lords because they would otherwise become suspicious and want a new fit ruler. This is how Lady Macbeth reacts to Macbeth’s outburst at the banquet. This is what she does to try to save the situation.
19. What information does Scene 5 provide about Hecate’s plan for Macbeth?
Based on the information presented on scene 5, Hecate wants to use the witches to create illusions, something that isn’t lucid, that will help Macbeth make bad decisions that ultimately lead to his downfall. Hecate sees Macbeth as a “wayward son, spiteful and wrathful… loves for his own end, not for you” (Shakespeare,111) meaning she sees him as an arrogant and selfish individual who is only worried about gaining power for himself. Hecate is mad at the witches for not consulting with her before telling Macbeth his prophecy. She says that they are nothing without her and says that the only way to make up for telling him without her permission is to help her bring him down. This is what the information Scene 5 provides about Hecate’s plan for Macbeth.
20. Some of the nobles feel that Macbeth is a evil tyrant and needs to be defeated to get peace and freedom in scene 6.
Act IV Questions:
21. Apparition What is Said Macbeth’s Reaction
Armed Head
Warns Macbeth that Macduff is coming back to Scotland to ruin him
He is initially worried about losing his power and knows that he must do something in order to defend his crown.
Bloody Child
Tells Macbeth that no man born of a woman can do him harm.
It gives Macbeth great confidence that noone has the power to kill him. He says, “Then live Macduff: what need I fear of thee?”
(Shakespeare,125) since he is no longer worried about the threat of Macduff since he cannot be killed by anyone “woman born”
Child Wearing a Crown
“Macbeth shall never vanquish’d be until
Great Birnam wood to high Dunsinane hill
Shall come against him”(Shakespeare,127)
Macbeth is happy at the news and is no longer worried about losing power because he thinks it is impossible for the Birnam wood to come to Dunsinane.
22. What are Lady Macduff’s feelings about her husband’s absence? What is the significance of this scene?
Lady Macduff feels betrayed and abandoned due to her husband’s absence. Although she is someone who is experienced in the political life, her husband has left her alone as he goes on a difficult journey. She is left with all the important tasks in the community and she also has to take care of her many children. She says, “He loves us not” (Shakespeare,133) which means that she feels unloved by her husband. She believes that he puts his political life before the safety and happiness of the family. He should not have to choose between politics and those he loves the most. This abandonment shows the close connection between the political world and the personal. Lady Macduff and her kids have to meet a cruel fate because her husband is off trying to help the people of Scotland escape tyranny.
23. Describe how Malcolm tests Macduff’s loyalty and intentions. Why does he do this? Explain how Macduff passes the test.
Malcolm decides to test Macduff’s loyalty and intentions to make sure that Macduff will stand by his side against Macbeth. He wants to make sure that Macduff does not want the crown for himself because of an inner greed that he might posse. Malcolm decides to test his loyalty by giving out a list of his bad qualities that include being “Lustful”, “greedy” and having “no desire to be king” in order to see if Macduff suggests that he would be a better option. Macduff suggests that Malcolm has other great qualities, but Malcolm responds by saying “But I have none” (Shakespeare,145) but even though he is making it clear that he would not be a fit king Macduff is still by his side and has not turned his back on him. Macduff doesn’t take the bait, but he does mention he doesn’t want to be king and supports Malcolm. Since Macduff did not suggest himself to be the king, he passed the test and proved his loyalty.
24. Describe Macduff’s reaction to hearing about his family’s gruesome murder? What does he intend to do as a result?
After hearing that his family has been attacked, he is shocked and mourning the loss of his loved ones. He asks many times if “all of my chicks” have been slain since he had many children, but Macbeth slaughtered them all brutally. It has come to his realization now that he made the mistake of leaving his family completely alone when he knew there was a tyrant that would do anything to keep his power. Macduff is told by Malcolm that there will be time for his grief but now was the time to take down Macbeth. Macduff swears vengeance on Macbeth and wants to kill him for all the suffering he has caused him personally but also Scotland. This is Macduff’s reaction to hearing about his family’s gruesome murder. This is what he does as a result.
Act V Questions:
25. In Act V, Lady Macbeth starts to sleepwalk and the Doctor and Gentlewoman witness her doing that. The Doctor or Gentlewoman won’t tell anyone what they’ve seen or heard. Doctor and Gentlewoman saw, Lady Macbeth rubbing her hands and speaking about the blood at Duncan’s murder. In the novel Lady Macbeth says,” Yet who would have thought the old man to have had so much blood in him” (Shakespeare,163).After witnessing in that scene, the Doctor suggests to the Gentlewoman she needs a priest rather than a physician. Lady Macbeth can’t stop thinking about the things she’s done which shows she’s remorseful. The Doctor or Gentlewoman won’t tell anyone what they’ve seen because Lady Macbeth admitted she murdered someone.
26. How is her hand-washing symbolic? How does her behavior compare to that of Macbeth after he killed Duncan? How does her behavior contrast with her comments to Macbeth after he killed Duncan?
Hand washing is symbolic because it is a symbol for “washing away one’s sins” (Shakespeare,59). Lady Macbeth was equally responsible for the murders because she is the one who motivated her husband and now, she is trying to wash the guilt of blood from her hands. She says, “Water will wash away the blood/murders off our hands” (Shakespeare,59) but in reality, this is not the case as she continues to suffer from guilt after to a point where she commits murder as the guilt is too much to deal with. Before Macbeth killed Duncan, she did not care too much about the possibility of guilt as she was just focused on becoming queen and she was questioning Macbeth’s manhood. Now she is drowning in guilt and is not strong enough to deal with the emotional consequences of her actions.
27. Discuss why Macbeth responds with such indifference to the news of Lady Macbeth’s death.
Macbeth responds with an indifference when he hears the news of his wife’s passing because although they love one another and are willing to do anything for one another it was better for Lady Macbeth to die since she had gone mad and Macbeth’s world was crumbling on him. The two of them looked out for one another and motivated each other to reach levels they would have not imagined such as being king and queen. They did things for one another such as Macbeth killing Banquo to surprise Lady Macbeth because he thought it would prove his manhood. The two of them were a unit. When she dies, he responds by saying “She should have died hereafter” (Shakespeare,177) and wishes he had time to mourn over her, but he does not. He is fighting for his own survival as there’s an army on the way to defeat him. He also realizes that all the work they have done has not succeeded and ultimately has led to nothing but bloodshed and hasn’t ameliorated anything. It is better that she died than to see the world Macbeth was going to experience.
28. How does Macbeth change throughout the play? Can you give a real-life example of the corrupting nature of power?
Towards the end of the novel, Macbeth has changed compared to the beginning of the novel. Macbeth has become what his wife wanted him to become which is a an evil tyrant. He is later on killed for his crimes. Macbeth was willing to do anything in order to satisfy his paranoia. Characters believed that Macbeth was a “tyrant whos sole name blisters our tounges/ Was once thought honest”(Shakespeare,139) and he caused Scotland to “bleed, bleed poor country, poor country! Great tyranny! Lay thy basis for sure”(Shakespeare,141). An individual in history who has “fallen from grace” would be the dictator of Albania, Enver Hoxha. Initially he was welcomed to power as he was a great public speaker who the people enjoyed seeing on TV and he promised to bring the country out of its dark times and transform it into an industrial powerhouse in the Balkans. Although he built many factories, large plantations and one of the most powerful armies in the balkans at the time, he did it in in the most cruel way possible in order to keep power. In a country where he banned religion and immigration, 25 thousand people were killed while tens of thousands were sent to labour camps in a place with a population of 3 million. When the death of the communist leader came the people initially mourned his death but after they learned the truth about the cruel things his regime did the people toppled his statue and now to this day they talk with hatred towards him. After his regime the communist party soon feel as the people realized it was not the right way to govern.
29. Explained how each of the three prophecies is fulfilled. Use as many details as possible.
The first prophecy told Macbeth to be wary of “The Thane of Fife!” as the witches presented him an “armed head”. This prophecy came true because Macduff who rules Fife allied with Malcom to dethrone Macbeth and swore revenge after the cruel murder of all his children and other family members. Macduff eventually beheaded Macbeth making the prophecy true. The second prophecy says, “None of women born will harm Macbeth” (Shakespeare,125) and eventually is fulfilled when Macduff harms Macbeth because he was not born in the traditional sense but was born through a C-section. The third prophecy says that Macbeth will not be vanquished until “Birnam Wood to high Dunsinane Hill/ shall come against him”(Shakespeare,127) and this comes true through the use of a military strategy. Malcolm’s men break down branches and cover themselves to hide their true numbers so in reality it looks like the leaf covered soldiers are the Birnam woods moving towards Dunsinane.
30. What flaws in Macbeth’s character lead to his downfall?
One major character flaw that led to Macbeth’s downfall is ambition. His ambition caused him to go way too far which was killing Duncan so he can become king. His ambition was out of control it led him to being an evil tyrant at the end. The effect the flaw had on him is it caused him to get killed. Macbeth says “ I have no spur, To prick the sides of my intent, but only, Vaulting ambition, which o’erleaps itself ,And falls on the other” (Shakespeare,41) meaning that he knows he had no good reason to kill Duncan since he was a fine ruler but he wanted that power to himself. An example of an individual whose ambitions got the better of him was Adolf Hitler. Although he had control of all of Germany and turned it into a dominant powerhouse industrially and militarily not only in Europe but in the world that was not enough for his greedy ambition. He pushed his superior armies outside the German borders into lands that he claimed were the German peoples and were given to him by the allies initially. This was not enough to stop his ambitions as he led campaigns in Russia, England, France, and North Africa in an attempt for global conquest. His ambition got the better of him as the allied forces teamed up and he could not fight a war in two fronts and then was eventually defeated. As a result of his ambition millions of people perished from the face of the earth as the ground was littered with dismembered people and the rivers ran red from blood.
You can find hundreds more example Macbeth essays here.
...(download the rest of the essay above)