Macbeth Tragic Hero Essay

A tragic hero is a person of noble status who has a tragic flaw in his or her personality and suffers a fall from grace due to that tragic flaw, only to redeem a small measure of that lost nobility through self-awareness. In The Tragedy of Macbeth, a play written by William Shakespeare, the character known as Macbeth has a variety of qualities similar to those belonging to a tragic hero. Despite the significant role that Macbeth already plays within society, he seeks out greater power that he attempts to acquire through unforgivable acts which leads to the death of many. His position in society, his ambition, and the actions he takes to gain more power as well as their consequences, qualify him as a tragic hero.

Ambition can make people lose sight of what’s right. In the beginning of the story Macbeth didn’t think it was possible to become King. He was very hesitant at first, but not for long. Soon his temptations to become king and satisfy his wife became too strong. He murdered more and more people going so far that he could never turn back. This was how his downfall towards becoming a tragic hero started. A tragic hero is someone who has all of the characteristics and power to be a hero, but many factors including a fatal flaw or excessive pride take over, causing the person to die tragically. This is related to an important theme that the witches introduce at the beginning of the story. The theme is fair and foul. A tragic hero relates to

“Look like the innocent flower, But be the serpent under it.” -William Shakespeare, Macbeth. This quote from the play explains how MacBeth seems like he is a hero at the beginning of the play, but farther in the play it starts to show how dangerous he can be and how he is a tragic hero. MacBeth was just a noble and was fighting for the king at the start of the play. he then went up the rankings when he had a tragic flaw and decided to kill the king so he would become king. This shows throughout the play how MacBeth was loyal to the king but then ended up killing him and taking over the entire country.

In act three scene four Macbeth says, “It will have blood, they say. Blood will have blood.” this shows him being arrogant. Macbeth is a great example of a tragic hero because it shows him having Nobel powers, a fatal flaw, and the free choice.

Macbeth, throughout the play, is presented in an eminent position in society with major flaws, and, as such, fulfills the basic requirements of a tragic hero. Shakespeare introduces him as a brave general, an intelligent resolute man of action whose major flaw of ambition for power leads him to his last battle of death. Because Macbeth was such a strong character in the opening of the play, every perfect hero, has a dark side. The Thane of Cawdor, who later becomes King, is categorized in three sections: bravery, ambition and guilt- and to many, Macbeth, is a true tragic hero.

Shakespeare's Macbeth includes the power that affects over a person who has rose to a post authority. Influenced by unchecked power, Macbeth takes events that have serious and devastating results for himself and for different characters in the play. When Macbeth has presented an act in which he utilizes control for negative ends, he discovers it is progressively harder to limit himself from perverted use of force. Eventually, it’s his failure to recognize the adaptive and maladaptive elements of force from each other that keeps him from understanding his potential significance.

King Creon has good intentions. But he has very little virtue. Creon is afraid of things getting out of hand after the Trojan War. Creon forbids anyone to give Polyneices a proper burial. When Creon finds out that someone has given Polyneices a proper burial, he knows that to maintain order he must punish the person who did the act.

“Will all great Neptune's ocean wash this blood clean from my hand? No, this my hand will rather the multitudinous seas incarnadine, making the green one red.” (Act II, Scene II) Macbeth, written by William Shakespeare in the 1600’s, is the shortest of Shakespearian tragedies. The main character, Macbeth, receives a prophecy that he will become King of Scotland. Ambition takes over him and he commits many murders to keep the throne. Consequently, a war breaks out and takes Macbeth and his wife. Macbeth is considered a tragic hero because of his excessive pride, reversal of fate when Fleance escapes, and his tragic flaw ambition.

A tragic hero is a protagonist character with a tragic flaw that leads to their demise. In both Macbeth and 1984 tragic heroes are present. In Macbeth, Macbeth is doomed from the start because the witches prophecies influence his future decision making. In 1984, Winston is doomed from the start because everyone is constantly being monitored so there is no way he can rebel without getting caught. Macbeth and Winston both have desires that become overpowered which causes them to do risky things. Macbeth’s fatal flaw is his ambition which causes him to be blind to the possible outcome. Winston’s fatal flaw is his trust in people which leads to him trusting the wrong people and getting caught. Similarly, Macbeth and Winston both perform actions which leads them to getting caught and to their death. Macbeth and Winston’s selfish actions cause them to be unable to successfully accomplish their goals which leads to their demise.

Throughout Shakespeare’s Macbeth it becomes evident that Macbeth’s demise as the tragic hero occurs as a consequence of his own actions. Macbeth examines themes of overarching ambition, changing and controlling fate, and disruptions in the natural order. These ideas are exemplified through Macbeth’s characterisation as the tragic hero, through the emphasis that is placed upon his hamartia and through the evidence of his attempts to change his fate. This is supported through Act 1, Scene 7 as Macbeth encounters the witches and his fatal flaw is exposed, throughout Act 3 as the disparity of Macbeth’s morality and psychological state progressively declines, resulting in his eventual demise

General statement: Macbeth… husband of Lady Macbeth, Scottish general, later on being king of Scotland looked to be like a tragic hero, but really he was weak male controlled by his ambitions and thirst for power. Commits crime to climb the food chain, but is never comfortable in each crime he does. Not being able to bear the psychological consequences of his atrocities, he continues to them until he is at the top of the food chain with nothing in his way.

The term tragic hero is a character of noble birth who can emphasize with the audience by qualities. A tragic hero must create a situation that he or she can not change. According to Aristotle there are also certain characteristics in which a tragic hero must convey through their actions. In Shakespeare 's Macbeth some may see Macbeth as an antagonist, but Macbeth is a tragic hero because he holds high positions and works his way to more, recognizes his flaw, and shows responsibility for his doom.

Exactly what is a tragic hero? A tragic hero, according to Aristotle, is a literary character who makes a judgement error that leads them to his/her own destruction. They have been further described as an imperfect someone who has noble status who caused their own downfall. They are also known to gather sympathy from the audiences and readers. In the story of Macbeth, the protagonist is seen to have all the characteristics of a tragic hero. Unlike Lady Macbeth, Macbeth is a prime example of a tragic hero, not only because he is the main character of a tragedy, but because he was at first a noble and great character, who soon turned out to be average, his downfall was caused by his own flaws (mainly due to his excessive pride), and he gathered some sympathy from the audience.

Tragedy of Macbeth is a story written by William Shakespeare about a man who is power hungry to become king. This story is called a tragedy, a tragedy is a type of story that doesn 't have a happy ending. A tragedy will end up with the protagonist dieing or making a great sacrifice. Shakespeare has made many tragedies such a Romeo and Juliet for example. In every Tragedy there must be a tragic hero and in this story it shows that Macbeth is the tragic hero, is a round character, and also a very dynamic character.

Macbeth is Foul, Macbeth is Fair: An Analysis of Macbeth as a Tragic Shakespearean Hero