It has been stated that the essence of dramatic tragedy is that the cost must be paid. This statement refers to the fact that there is a flaw within the tragic hero is either itself a sin or that leads to a sin, whether against God or society, and even if this tragic flaw is not the fault of the hero or heroine, he or she will have to pay for the consequences brought about by their actions. Macbeth is classified as a tragedy while Measure for Measure is considered a comedy, yet the statement applies to both, though the cost to be paid is quite different. Of course, the "crimes" committed are also of a different degree, so it would be proper to view the punishment in each case as fitting the crime.
In the tragedy, the fate of kings is tied to the order of the universe, and dissension and tension in one is reflected in the other. The issue is more complex than this might sound, and one of the reasons the tragic hero has to pay the cost is because he or she threatens the order to the universe and the stability of society by their crime rather than merely their own soul or some more personal damage. In Macbeth, as is common in the tragedy, the fate of the usurper is ordained, and his downfall at the hands of the wronged Macduff, who is the rightful king, is also foretold. Macduff has the right to retake his throne by force. Macbeth's usurpation of the throne leads to a more dangerous and uncertain environment in the land, and nature concurs by expressing through storms and other travails visited upon the people that a great political wrong is also a great moral and religious wrong. Yet, the fact that these events are foretold, while it might make us logically believe that the hero is less culpable given that he has no choice, does not mean that the cost does not have to be paid.
From the beginning of Macbeth, the play makes use of the surrounding environment as a character in its own right, and the natural order is upset ...