"For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul in the process?"(Mark 8:36), a quote from the bible that William Shakespeare used as inspiration for Macbeth. During the course of Macbeth, the noble thane and valiant warrior starts to "gain the world". Tragically, as his stature grows, he gradually begins to lose himself in a world of treachery, deceit and brutal death. Before one can recognize it, the once righteous Macbeth deteriorates into a hideous monster that is responsible for his own downfall, through his blinding ambition, immense guilt, and insatiable greed.

Through the prophetic preachings of the three witches, Macbeth's ambitious nature begins to reveal his true self, thus leading to his tragic ending. After the first meeting, Macbeth's noble personality suddenly darkens, as his mind begins to cloud with evil thoughts. As Spencer says, "[In] King Lear… the main character loses his bad qualities; in the course of Macbeth, the main character develops them" [Theodore Spencer 153]. The transformation in Macbeth is slow; yet, the reader can clearly see his ambitious side "develop" as he mercilessly kills all those who stand in his way. With Duncan, Macbeth's first victim and the witches' third prophecy, Macbeth kills him in his sleep. After the body is discovered, he murders the guards that were watching Duncan, claiming, "O, yet I do repent me of my fury,/That I did kill them." (Shakespeare II. 3.121-122). Once he's been crowned king, Macbeth begins to fear Banquo and Fleance, for one of the witches' other foresights had been, "Thou shalt get kings, though thou be none" (I. 3. 68). Magill describes it best as he claims, "Macbeth is so determined that Banquo would never share in his… glory that he resolved to murder Banquo and his son" [Frank Magill 486]. Yet, through all of this, Macduff is convinced Macbeth is guilty of the bloody killings that have taken place. Everyone is then witness to Macbeth's actions. From there, his downfall becomes definite and he dies on the battlefield.

Owing to his guilt, Macbeth slowly becomes insane, which leads to his fall from grace. As soon as he kills Duncan, the feeble side of Macbeth is shown. His consciemce, heavy with guilt, can't go through with the plan to frame the guards for the murder. Lady Macbeth is then forced to take matters into her own hands, following through with the plan. It's only after he kills Banquo, that the full extent of his guilt strikes him, as he conjures up the image of Banquo's ghost. Seeing this apparition causes him to go mad and Lady Macbeth is forced to claim, "my lord is often thus,/And hath been from his youth:/The fit is momentary;" (III. 4.54-55). Macbeth's final guilt trip is then executed when he discovers his wife has died. Once word of her death gets to Macbeth, he states, "I 'gin to be a-weary of the sun,/And wish the estate o' the world were now undone" (V. 5. 49-50), and gives up his desire to live. Eventually, his burdened conscience gets the best of him and what had previously fuelled him, suddenly shrivels and dies alongside him.

Inevitably, by trying to secure his position of power as the king of Scotland, Macbeth's lust for power becomes a key element in his downfall. One of the many ways Macbeth tries to maintain his kingdom is by visiting the three weird sisters again. He is told:
Beware the Thane of Fife…
The power of man, for none of woman born/
Shall harm Macbeth…
Macbeth shall never vanquish'd be, until/
Great Birnam wood to high Dunsinane hill/
Shall come against him.

(IV. 1. 72, 80-81, 92-93)


Subsequently, because he thinks he's invincible, he continues to harm all those that stand in his way. Sadly, he makes a crucial error in killing Macduff's family ("Seize upon Fife; give to the edge o' the sword/His wife, his babes, and all unfortunate souls/That trace him in his line.") (IV. 1. 151-153), and he ends up making an enemy in Macduff. Macbeth underestimates the prophecy of the witches, "for…[no man] of woman born/ Shall harm Macbeth" (IV. 1. 72), and when he discovers that Macduff is truly the person that would vanquish him, the realization that he would not come out victorious suddenly dawns on him and he is slain.

Macbeth is truly one of Shakespeare's greatest tragedies. By being both protagonist and antagonist, Macbeth is a key example of a tragic hero. Through his desires, gluttony and remorse, Macbeth sets himself up for his own fall and dreadfully, no one was around to catch him when he hit the ground. So, what does it profit a man to gain the world but lose his soul?

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