MAC BETH .
Mac Beth was a true Shakesperean tragic hero. Although he had many noble qualities, he had several tragic flaws as well. He was a courageous noble man who was haunted by superstition, moral cowardice and overwhelming ambition. This caused Mac Beth to progressively become more and more corrupt. His corruption came from three main sources, his involvement with the witches, lady Mac Beth, and Mac Beth's ambition to be king.
The prophecies, which were told by the witches, were one of the factors, which contributed to the degeneration of his character. If it had not been for the witches telling him that he was to be Thane of Cawdor, Thane of Glamis, and King of Scotland, perhaps blind ambition would not have mastered his mental state. Mac Beth would still be his noble self. As a result of these prophecies, Mac Beth's desire to become King of Scotland is aroused. As the play progresses, Mac Beth slowly relies on the witches prophecies. Shakespeare uses the witches as fuel for Mac Beth's evil ambition. This contributes to the corruption his character.
The influence of Mac Beth's wife, Lady Mac Beth also contributed to the degeneration of his character. Lady Mac Beth's character, in the beginning of the story, reveals that she is a lovable person. Lady Mac Beth fails in her attempt to kill King Duncan herself. She could not murder the king because he reminded her of her father. This demonstrates that she has a heart that lacks the evil ambition of Mac Beth. Lady Mac Beth plays an important role in this play in that she created a plan for Mac Beth's desire to ascend to the throne. This plan caused Mac Beth to assassinate King Duncan. After killing King Duncan, Mac Beth regrets on his wrongdoing. His first murder was a trying experience for him, however after this murder, killing seemed to be the only solution to maintain his reign of the people of Scotland.
