The Destruction of Macbeth At the beginning of the play, The Tragedy of Macbeth, Macbeth is simply a nobleman and a Scottish general in King Duncan's army. Macbeth later becomes the deserving Thane of Glamis and Cawdor and the undeserved King of Scotland (Domenico 255). At first Macbeth is a man of good intentions and a good heart; sometimes he simply has trouble following his good instincts and his heart. Macbeth's ambition and his wife's persuasion lead him to commit numerous horrible deeds. Macbeth is brave, kind-hearted, disobedient, easily persuaded, overly ambitious, literal-minded, and unimaginative (Scott 281). Throughout the play, Macbeth is a character who displays extreme courage. The reader can see his courage through his efforts and victories on the battlefield. The Captain speaks of Macbeth's courage when he describes Macbeth's triumph over Macdonald and his mighty forces: "But all is too weak, / For brave Macbeth - well he deserves that name - / Disdaining fortune, with his steel brandished / That smoked with bloody execution,/As Valor's servant dug his passage". . .(Ii5). The captain then goes on to tell how Macbeth and Banquo successfully fought against an onslaught of new Norwegian troops. Macbeth is obviously a loyal general who fights hard and bravely for his country. Macbeth shows his courage when he kills Duncan and Duncan's two guards. Killing someone is in itself a courageous act. To actually carry out the act of killing someone takes a lot of courage. Killing a person is an act that requires courage to commit, but it also requires courage to face the consequences if you are caught. Another example of Macbeth's courage is when Macbeth fights... middle of paper... against him. Just because three witches tell Macbeth about his future, does not mean it is a true prophecy (Scott 281). All in all, Macbeth is a good man who is too easily persuaded by his wife to commit several horrible deeds. Macbeth's ambition and disobedience get him killed. It is true that Macbeth is prophesied to become king, and it is true that his wife exerts pressure, but it is his ambition that kills him in the end. Macbeth is a brave and kind-hearted man, who possesses a weak mind that allows his ambition and his wife's persuasion to lead him down wrong paths, ultimately leading to his destruction. Works Cited Dominic, C. Catherine. Shakespeare's characters for students. Detroit - New York - Toronto - London: Gale Research, 1997. Scott, W. Mark, ed. Shakespeare for students. Detroit - Washington, DC: Gale Research, 1992.