Macbeth's Own Demise
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A serious play with a tragic theme, often involving a heroic struggle and the downfall of the main character would be classified as a tragedy. Shakespeare's Macbeth is one of the most famous tragic plays ever written. The tragedy of the play is quite ironic in the way that Macbeth causes his own demise through his conscious choices leading up to Banquo's death and his horrible guilt after he commits the crime.
Macbeth makes quite a few decisions while plotting the death of King Duncan and Banquo. Although his wife, Lady Macbeth, has much influence on his decisions, Macbeth still chooses to perform these acts on his own accord. The murder of King Duncan is plotted by Macbeth and his wife in order to gain power over the kingdom. In the beginning of the play, three witches told Macbeth and Banquo that Macbeth would become the new king of Scotland, and this advances his greed to a point where he is willing to kill the king in order for Macbeth himself to take the king's place.
Lady Macbeth by George Cattermole.
Macbeth Consulting the Vision of the Armed Head. B...
English: Poster of Thos. W. Keene in William Shake...Macbeth becomes nervous about committing the crime and he begins to fall back from the plan, but Lady Macbeth pushes him to commit the act and it is done. Macbeth could have made his own choice to ignore his wife's influence and let King Duncan live, but instead he falls into temptation and commits the murder (Act 2). "Macbeth emerges with his hands covered in blood, and says that the deed is done" (Sparknotes.com). This quote is clear evidence that Macbeth committed the murder with his own hands. Macbeth then allows his wife to murder all of the chamberlains just in case they heard anything while the king was being killed. This is the second conscious act made...