There will be many moments throughout life when a individual experiences troubles. In most cases, the challenges presented will be internal and the biggest enemy ends up becoming themselves. How a person decides to handle as well as react in certain situations can either break them down or build them up for the betterment of themselves. In the literature of Macbeth by William Shakespeare, Macbeth is responsible for his own downfall because of the selfish ways he possessed and his greed for power. The author proves this point by using the strategy of placing imagery throughout the poem to emphasize the emotion within the play.
Shakespeare is consistent with the use of dark scenarios placed in the story to describe Macbeth’s train of thought. In the beginning of the play, Macbeth is perceived as a great hero who is liked by every townsperson in Ireland but after coming to the realization that he is not impressed with the role he holds in his community, he journeys on a daring and risky trail in hopes of gaining more power than he already has. At this point in the story, Macbeth is the Thane of Glamis, who gets promoted to the Thane of Cawdor for his brave actions and ways of leadership during important battles. After meeting with the witches, Macbeth soon starts to wonder about where he could be if he called the shots instead of following through with them, “That is a step. On which i must fall down or else o’erleap. For in my way it lies. Stars, hide your fires, let not light see my black and deep desires” (1.4.55-59). He then goes on to say that, “If chance will have me [him] King, chance may crown me [him], without my [his] stir” (1.3.142). After avoiding his temptations to kill the king for a better spot in the tiers, he fails to listen to his moral as well ethical instincts and follows through with killing the king anyways. Shakespeare uses a vivid description and sense of imagery within all of these parts of the play to show that ultimately Macbeth views himself as a king and it is evident that he will keep this ambitious mindset regardless of the outcome because his ending goal is be the one with all of the power over the land of Ireland.
While the tale of Macbeth uses more symbolism than imagery, the placement of the battle between light and dark, as well as good versus evil is visible within the play because of imagery, “I have no spur to prick the sides of my intent, but only vaulting ambition, which o’erleaps itself and falls on the other” (1.7.25-28). Macbeth acknowledges his internal conflict of choosing between the good side and the bad side when he speaks about how most of his choices have been difficult to make due to his blurred intentions because of his insane drive for power. From the start of the play to the end of the play, we see the good in Macbeth’s character overturn to bad. The change in his character is very evident with the use of imagery in Act 5 when it is revealed that Lady Macbeth has just died, “And all our yesterdays have lighted fools, The way to dusty death. Out, out, brief candle! Life’s but a walking shadow, a poor player that struts and frets his hour upon the stage, and then is heard no more; it is a tale told by and idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing” (5.5.23-35). Macbeth is absolutely emotionless when he is told about the passing of his wife, and he then explains how life means practically nothing, in order to emphasize that it is nothing to live then to die as he has done with his very own persona. Macbeth goes from being extremely reliable, loyal, and ethical to someone just down-right evil and ill spirited who cares nothing about the idea of life.
The demise of a once great hero and the way things played out is Macbeth’s fault. The witches’ prophecies given to him were nothing more than predictions as well as Lady Macbeth and other characters egging him on. The circumstances and the role that the characters played in the plot were only some of the many factors that make Macbeth think about doing the things that he did. These characters were not a solid approval of violence anywhere in the story, except for the time when Lady Macbeth tries to convince Macbeth to listen to his mind and kill Duncan. Even at this point, there is no excuse or way to place the blame on anyone else other than Macbeth himself. When he was given the chance to make the right or ethical decisions, he was the one who chose to go with poor decision because he believed they would help fulfill his desire for power. Many will kill for or want for something without considering how it can affect those around them once they get it.