Oscar Wilde, a famous British playwright, once said: "There are only two tragedies in life: one does not get what one wants and the other gets it. » This is illustrated in Shakespeare's Macbeth, when Macbeth experiences both types of tragedies throughout the play. According to the Encyclopedia Britannica, a tragedy is a "branch of drama which treats in a serious and dignified manner the painful or terrible events encountered or brought about by a heroic individual." In Macbeth, the protagonist illustrates how a main character's decision can lead to his downfall. Throughout the play, Macbeth's tragic flaw is his gullibility. Macbeth cannot overcome this attribute and this characteristic ultimately leads to his downfall. Macbeth displays his gullibility during his encounter with the three witches, who provide the dynamism that made Macbeth one of Shakespeare's most popular and intense plays. During Macbeth's first encounter with the "strange sisters", he is easily persuaded to believe their prophecies. Macbeth's gullibility allows him to be convinced by their prophecy, which ultimately leads to his downfall. The phrase “nothing is but what is not” is ambiguous (Shakespeare, Macbeth, I. iii. 155). This expression, spoken by Macbeth, indicates a confusion between his reality and his ideal world. This interpretation exposes Macbeth to dangerous and unjustifiable acts. If Macbeth makes himself believe that “nothing is but that which is not,” then Macbeth’s respect for order, for hierarchy, for the king, is also nullified. Another event that shows Macbeth's tragic flaw in credulity is when Banquo says: "The instruments of darkness tell us truths, / Win us with honest trifles, to betray them / With deepest consequences" (Shakespeare, Macbe...... middle of paper ......d Macbeth Through their ambiguous predictions, they are able to boost Macbeth's confidence to the point that he believes he is the deserving king He is. certain that every man is born of a woman, and therefore no man can harm him After the last prophecy came true, Macbeth was able to kill Macbeth. once again his tragic flaw in credulity and proves to be Macbeth's final undoing. The apparitions exploited Macbeth He was easily persuaded and deceived by the three At the beginning of the play, Macbeth was a noble man. From his tragic flaw in gullibility, his potential heroism was overshadowed by his despicable behavior. Shakespeare's Macbeth describes how both external and internal factors can affect vital decisions that lead to a person's downfall..