Haiden Shanahan

Mr Bigelow
English 10
10 March 2016
The Tragic Flaw of Macbeth (My boy)
Many people have tragic flaws. They are what make humans, well humans. In many
books and works of literature the main character of it will have some type of flaw to them. Thats
what the book is usually based around and makes the plot more developed and seems more
interesting. This is the case in the play known as Macbeth written by William Shakespeare. The
main protagonist of the play is Macbeth, at first glance he may seem like a courageous man and a
brave soldier and general but he is not what he cuts out to be. He is told prophecies by witches
after a war, these prophecies bring out his tragic flaw for the audience of the play to witness. His
susceptibility to manipulation is what his flaw is. Throughout the first acts he is being
manipulated by his wife and by the prophecies themselves forming the rest of the play based off
of his actions during these acts. He was not brought down to his fall by his ambition or by fate.
Since his actions are what set the play into what we have read/seen.
Many people of today have tragic flaws; some of these are brought onto literature and
pop culture. Even in classic literature there are references to tragic flaws. Many authors use
tragic flaws to both express more depth into character and usually fuel the plot. One that
expresses this extremely is the character named Macbeth. Hes a very cocky, easily manipulated
man who is one of the generals for King Duncan. 3 witches take advantage of his susceptibility

to manipulation by telling him prophecies. The witches say All hail, Macbeth! Hail to thee,
Thane of Glamis! /All hail, Macbeth! Hail to thee, Thane of Cawdor! /All hail, Macbeth, That
shalt be king hereafter (1.3.47-50). By using these 3 prophecies they peer pressure Macbeth but
very slowly and methodically, since the prophecies come up for the remainder of the book. And
by having a lingering idea above a person soon enough theyll take action to try to make it
happen. His wife also comes into play making Macbeth even more succumb to the prophecies by
having a manipulative woman who makes fun of him and authorities his actions. Lady Macbeth
says Art thou afeard/ To be the same in thine own act and valor/ As thou art desire? Wouldst
thou have that/ Which thou esteemst the ornament of life, / And live a coward in thine own
esteem, (1.7.39-34). His wife tells him this shortly before he kills Duncan all the while the
prophecies still linger in Macbeths mind causing his to be pressured into killing Duncan. His
wife even makes him seem like hes worthless to her if he doesnt get the crown and hes not a
man because he wont take what he wants. Ultimately causing a downfall for Macbeth and Lady
Macbeth. Giving proof that Macbeth is pretty susceptible to being manipulated and pressuring
into things he wouldnt do.
It is not Macbeths ambition or even Macbeths fault for his fall. It is the people who
manipulated him into committing these acts. Many people today would be peer pressured into
many things if their friends and loved ones tell them to do it. In fact many of the population
today are being peer pressured without even knowing it. But if Macbeth had wanted the
prophecies to be true he would have done all of the planning and everything on his own without
the extra pressure from his wife. He also wouldnt have felt guilty for killing Duncan Will all
great Neptunes ocean wash this blood/ Clean from my hand? (2.2.37-38). The guilt he feels
after murdering the king is not what an ambitious person would have done if they had wanted to

be king so badly. Ambitious people tend to want something so badly that they would do anything
for it and they wouldnt care after they had committed the acts. Think of this part of the play as
turn point for Macbeth, this is his mental breakdown as a being. He after this part of the play
never feels guilt and doesnt show any other attitude towards anything but cockiness.