Shakespeare's Macbeth As A Tragic Hero

Macbeth was considered a tragic hero because Macbeth had many people follow him he also had a down flaw that led to his death but went down heroically. Macbeth 's great downfall that proved was a tragic hero was stated as, “ I will not yield to kiss the ground before Malcolm 's feet and to be baited with the rabble 's curse” (5, 8, 28) this quote taken from the story explains that even though Malcom is trying to kill him Macbeth claims he won 't yield nor beg because Macbeth thinks he has won the fight. Macbeth had a very high social rank before he murdered king Duncan to start with even though he was a general for king Duncan to begin with. Macbeth is said to be a very dynamic character

Shakespeare’s Macbeth Essay Sometimes people have a goal and they won’t stop until that path is achieved. In the play Macbeth by Shakespeare it has positive and negative outcomes, when it comes to how Macbeth proceeds his life in such negative term transforming him into this man he wasn’t before. Shakespeare’s message about right vs wrong leads to the downward spiral of an individual. In the beginning of the play, Macbeth was working towards the king title, even if that led to a downward spiral in his life. Macbeth and Lady Macbeth went with a plan to kill his best friend Duncan, with courage to sticking with that plan / and: “when Duncan is asleep (whereto the rather shall his day’s hard journey soundly invite him)”.

At the beginning of the play Macbeth, the main character Macbeth learns that he will become King. When he realised he could be the leader, the power he desperately craves motivates him to alter his character. “Tis unnatural, Even like the deed that's done.” (2.4.6-14) The Old Man in the play says this after they found King Duncan brutally murdered. This proves that the death was unnatural and it was in fact a murder, a murder by Macbeth. The scottish general was not only out of character but absorbed by his lust of the throne, Macbeth’s yearning for authority was pushed by the witches

Macbeth in the play is a complex character and this is aided by many alterations performed by Shakespeare against the true history. In actuality Macbeth was a cruel man, who punished crimes to the extreme. But Shakespeare’s Macbeth was a man who Shakespeare presents as gentle, and a thoughtful man who can love wholeheartedly, as we see in his interactions with his wife. His wife had to convince him to murder the king and Lady Macbeth even says, basically, that Macbeth is too nice specifically saying about Macbeth: "... too full o' th' milk of human kindness/To catch the nearest way. Thou wouldst be great,/Art not without ambition, but without/The illness should attend it."

What led Macbeth to kill Duncan was his ambition, but that ambition became greed when Macbeth wanted to increasingly kill more people so he could obtain and keep what he had. Greed is one of the seven deadly sins, and the cause of Macbeth’s fall. On the other hand, Duncan and his sons, exhibit the trait that completely contrasts with Greed, one of the seven virtues, charity. Duncan shows charity through his kindness in Macbeth Act 1 where he gives Macbeth a new title, send surgeons to the captain, and normally treats his people with great care. Malcolm explicitly shows it when he says in Macbeth 4.3 Line #131-132 where he tells Macduff that he is for the people of Scotland to command, and Donalbain shows it when he decides to not get involved, and forget about any personal gain, or feelings of revenge, but rather move on, and let his brother take everything for the sake of peace.

All of these qualities are important because, according to Aristotle, they are what makes a tragic hero. Although some may argue otherwise, Creon is the best fitting tragic hero of the story Antigone. In Greek tragedy, a character usually possesses a hamartia, or tragic flaw, this flaw evokes emotions such as pity and fear into the audience. Creon’s hamartia is arrogance, throughout the story is uses his power to make him seem above others. When Teiresias comes to warn Creon of the gods wrath, they get into an argument with Creon saying “Dost know at whom thou glancest, me thy lord?”(54).

Instead of adversity being directly presented in the play, it is created by the actions of the title character. Following a prophecy in which he becomes King of Scotland, Macbeth commits numerous atrocities, including regicide, to fulfill his supposed destiny. Adversity, when viewed as misfortune, can be applied to both the trials that Macbeth endures and the overarching theme of fate and free will. While influenced by the prophecy, Macbeth ultimately decides his own fate, and carves a path that traps both himself and other characters in a cataclysm. Before murdering Duncan, Macbeth expresses doubt about killing his king through numerous soliloquies.

The Story of a Tragic Hero Every tragic hero has a fatal flaw. Macbeth had a tragic flaw and it was greed. This greed caused him to break family ties, ruin friendships, and go power hungry. Macbeth already had power by birth but wanted more. He chose to change his fate because of the prophecy that the three witches had told him, and accepted his death when it came for him.

The king repeats this phrase as he awards Macbeth the title of Thane of Cawdor. With this evidence it shows King Duncan is proud of what Macbeth did and shows a positive portrayal of Macbeth in the beginning of the story. Then as the story continue other people start hating Macbeth because of his evil deeds. Malcolm and Mac duff speak of Macbeth. According to Act 4 scene 3 it says,” I grant him bloody, Luxurious, avaricious, false, deceitful, Sudden, malicious, smacking of every sin That has a name” This evidence show how other people don’t like Macbeth epically Macduff and shows a negative portrayal of Macbeth because of all the people he murder and bad

Aristotle’s version of a tragic hero is a person who makes judgement mistakes which causes his or her own downfall. In the play Macbeth written by Shakespeare, the main character Macbeth is an example of Aristotle’s description of a tragic hero. Macbeth fits the definition of an Aristotelian tragic hero by his nobility turning into excessive pride due to his felonious actions, but after his fall from grace he becomes conscious of his lost virtue and he begins to regain his integrity. Macbeth originally appears as a noble and valiant war hero in the beginning of the play. Macbeth was portrayed as an extremely loyal and brave soldier who would risk his life for King Duncan at first.