Sharing the Blame in Macbeth The great Shakespearean tragedy Macbeth is the story of a Scottish Thane, Macbeth, who, apparently according to a witches' prophecy, becomes Thane of Cawdor and King. And because Macbeth gained his throne through deceit and unfair methods, he loses it. The blame for Macbeth's downfall falls on Macbeth himself, Lady Macbeth, and the witches. Enter act one, scene two. We see the good King Duncan and his Thanes, we speak of the outcome of a war well won. All men seem to praise good Macbeth. One gets a first impression that Macbeth is a good man, not a traitor." "For brave Macbeth - well he deserves that name -" "1:2, 16 He receives the praise of his peers and is highly respected. What could turn a man like this into evil behavior? Only his ambition, his pride could have dragged him down the dark path. But something, or someone, must have incited him." "FIRST WITCHHail, Macbeth! Hail to you, Lord of Glamis! SECOND WITCH Greetings to you, Macbeth! Hail to you, Lord of Cawdor! THIRD WITCH All hail Macbeth, who will henceforth be king!"" 1:3, 57-59 Here we receive the prophecy of the Three Witches. Saying goodbye to Macbeth Thane of Glamis is nothing new. Macbeth is already Lord of Glamis. Macbeth has not yet heard of the betrayal of the Thane of Cawdor, how he has betrayed the people of Scotland (as stated earlier in the Act), and therefore does not expect to be acclaimed Thane of Cawdor. Greeting Macbeth as king is an entirely different thing. How could he be king? They already had one, to speak of him as a king's replacement was to commit the greatest betrayal of the kingdom. Yet the witches spoke the prophecy. At first Macbeth is not... middle of paper... hcock, 1987. Curry, Walter. Shakespeare's philosophical models. London: Mass Peter Smith, 1968. Epstein, Norrie, The Friendly Shakepeare, New York, Viking Publishing, 1993. Harbage, Alfred, Macbeth, Middlesex England, Penguin Publishing, 1956. Magill, Masterplots- Volume 6, New Jersey, Salem Press , 1949.Schlegel, August Wilhelm. Criticism of Shakespeare's tragedies. A series of lessons on dramatic art and literature. London: AMS Press, Inc., 1965.Shakespeare, William. Tragedy of Macbeth. Ed. Barbara Mowat and Paul Warstine. New York: Washington Press, 1992.Staunten, Howard, The Complete Illustrated Shakespeare, New York, Park Lane Publishing, 1979.TW Shakespeare, the Critical Heritage. vol. 5. London: Routledge & Kegan Paul, 1979.Wills, Gary. Witches and Jesuits. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1995.