Action and Responsibility in MacbethThey say that life is what you make of it. Although there are many elements in the plot of Shakespeare's tragedies that complicate the relationship between action and responsibility towards tragic heroes, it cannot be assumed, simply because they find themselves in a difficult position, that they are overwhelmed and rendered helpless by events. that take place among them. Even Iago, Shakespeare's embodiment of evil, observes: "It is in ourselves that we are so or so... we have reason to cool our furious movements, our fleshly bites, our passions unbitten" (1.3 :316-326). The circumstances, therefore, simply do not negate guilt or responsibility. Given reason, we are capable of both good and bad behavior that seals our destiny. This idea is particularly important for a moral reading of Macbeth. The true calamity of this and all other tragic Shakespearean plays lies not in the circumstances in which Macbeth finds himself, but in what he chooses to do with those circumstances. Ultimately, it is Macbeth who serves as the instrument of his downfall. By instilling reason, judgment, conscience, and at least some degree of morality into his character, Shakespeare demonstrates that Macbeth is capable of resisting the urge to carry out his infamous dark deeds, and thus implicitly tells us that despite our circumstances , we must all be held accountable (as Macbeth certainly is) for our actions. Macbeth's moral structure and reasoning skills play an important role in proving him to be the author of his own destiny, rather than a victim of circumstance. The complicated mix of undisciplined ambition and thoughtful morality that coexist in Macbeth's character, however, make those reasoning skills a ti...... middle of paper ...... it's a very short-lived kingship, in fact, and when Macbeth's head is finally put on display on a pole, we can only blame him for his gruesome end. Works cited and consulted Bradley AC Shakespearean Tragedy 1912 pp. 468-9 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.Paul. Henry N. The Royal Performance of Macbeth 1950 pp. 213-17Schlegel, August Wilhelm. Criticism of Shakespeare's tragedies. A series of lessons on dramatic art and literature. London: AMS Press, Inc., 1985.Stephen, Greenblatt. and. Othello, Macbeth - The Norton Shakespeare. London, W.W. Norton & Co. 1997T.W. Shakespeare, the critical legacy. vol. 5. London: Routledge and Kegan Paul, 1979.