Question

Which of the following statements best describes the main idea of The Tragedy of Macbeth by William Shakespeare?

Greed can be the undoing of a person, leading him or her to ruin.
Even a noble and heroic person can fall into depravity and ruin.
Murder can only lead to emotional illness.
Lies and false prophecies can lead even a noble person to destruction.

Answer 1

Even a noble and heroic person can fall into depravity and ruin

Macbeth is about how blind ambition can lead to the downfall of even honorable people. Macbeth and Lady Macbeth are tragic heroes in the play; they show that things could have ended differently only if they made different choices.

Lady Macbeth felt guilt toward the end, and Macbeth faced Macduff even though he knew he would probably lose the fight and die as a result.

Answer 2

In my opinion, the best option is A. Greed can be the undoing of a person, leading him or her to ruin. Macbeth's ruin was triggered by greed. He had a choice: to believe or not to believe the weird sisters' prophecy. He believed them and acted upon it because he wanted more power and, ultimately, the crown.