Are the witches to blame?(Paragraph) Macbeth is solely responsible for his downfall due to not acting on what is right. He is responsible because he listens to the witches' prophecies, listen to his wife, and fails to control his vaulting ambition. The witches are responsible as they only stated their prophecies of Macbeth being king, which fuels his vaulting ambition. Macbeth is a warrior who is well-respected among his peers, but desires King Duncan's throne. When he and his friend, Banquo, encounters the witches, the witches address him as the thane of Cawdor and then the King of Scotland. As a result of that, Macbeth's vaulting ambition is fueled. It is further fueled when his wife, Lady Macbeth, manipulates him into plotting to kill Duncan, which he later succeeds in. Lastly, despite being humane, Macbeth lets himself succumb to his vaulting. Therefore, the witches are not responsible since Macbeth could have avoided listening to them.