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Essay On Tragic Hero In Macbeth

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In any great story, there is a hero. Not a righteous, strong, superhuman, but a flawed, relatable, civilian. This trait is that of the “Aristotelian Tragic Hero”, which means a virtuous hero overcome by a tragic flaw. This trait is everywhere in literature and the media, from children’s movies to modern day novels, all the way back to historic plays. One play, specifically, is William Shakespeare 's Macbeth. The plays main character, Macbeth, fits the definition of an Aristotelian tragic hero because he starts out with nobility in the beginning of the play, but because of his tragic flaw, his hubris, he suffers a fall from grace after killing King Duncan; however, he redeems a small measure of that lost nobility when he experiences a moment of self-awareness and goes down fighting. Ordinarily, as any Aristotelian Tragic Hero, Macbeth begins as a nobleman. He is an aristocrat known to many …show more content…

While he is already an aristocrat, with high nobility within the kingdom, the thought of becoming King intrigues him. Leaving Macbeth to find a way to get to the throne; ultimately deciding for King Duncan’s murder. The line "Nothing is, but what is not" (I,iii,155) is ambiguous. The line could indicate confusion between the world he thinks of as real and the world of his dreams. However, Macbeth does not seem too conflicted at this point. If he is capable of arguing that the prophecies are neither good nor evil, he is capable of accepting that nothing that exists truly has existence or meaning. This interpretation of his words could open Macbeth up as a dangerous character, capable of unjustifiable deeds. If he can make himself believe that "Nothing is, but what is not," (I,iii,155) then Macbeth 's morals, his respect for hierarchy, and loyalty to the King, is also

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