The Losses of the Macbeths

In the play Macbeth, by William Shakespeare, Macbeth and Lady Macbeth

risked all for power and gained nothing. They eventually lost everything. Macbeth's

greed, his false sense of security, and Lady Macbeth's extensive persistence are the

causes of their failure.

Macbeth's greed is caused by the three witches. The witches, who appear at

various times during the play, tell Macbeth that he will be Thane of Cawdor and

later the king of Scotland. At first he scoffs at the possibility, but later on he

receives word that the Thane of Cawdor has died and that Macbeth will take his

place. After a day of being the Thane of Cawdor, he decides that he isn't getting

anywhere waiting on King Duncan to die, so he takes matters into his own hands.

That night, while Duncan sleeps, Macbeth walks up to his room and kills him. In

doing this, he risks his credibility, his sanity, and his life to gain power. When he

kills Duncan, he also kills sleep. This is revealed when Macbeth says "Methought I

heard a voice cry, 'Sleep no more!/ Macbeth hath murdered sleep'" (2.2.35-36).

Eventually, after the many more murders he commits, he kills his credibility and his

sanity.

Macbeth's false sense of security was his biggest cause of downfall. An

apparition brought forth by the witches (a bloody child) tells him that there is

nothing to fear when he says

Macbeth! Macbeth! Macbeth!

... Be bloody, bold and resolute; laugh to scorn

The power of man, for none of woman born

Shall harm Macbeth. (4.1.77-81)

Even though another tells him that the only person to fear is Macduff, he only

listens to the part about him not being able to be harmed by any man born of

woman. Macbeth gets into numerous life threatening situations without worry,

because he knows that he can't be harmed by a man born of woman. Macduff and

Macbeth have a sword fight at the end of the play. Macbeth confidently says that

Macduff will die because no man born of woman can harm him. Macduf tells him

that he was torn from his mothers womb. He had forgotten about the prophecy that

Macduff could kill him. This ends with Macduff carrying Macbeth's head away.

Lady Macbeth's extreme persistence is another factor that killed everything

they had and crushed their dreams. If not for Lady Macbeth most, if not all, of the

killing would have gone undone. She demonstrates this when she gives her plans

with this statement

What cannot you and I perform upon

The unguarded Duncan? what not put upon

His spongy officers; who shall bear the guilt

Of our great quell? (1.7.69-72)

The murder is too much for even her, though, because she also kills sleep, sanity,

and eventually herself.

The Macbeths risk their lives and sanity to gain power. Since they are

struggling the entire time, their power is never found. They lose everything, starting

with their sleep, then their sanity, their credibility, and eventually their lives. Greed

overcomes them and engulfs them in a whirlpool of confusion that costs them

everything.

Primary Source

Shakespeare, William. Macbeth. William Shakespeare - The Complete Works. Ny:

Random House Value Publishing, 1975. 1045- 1070.