Macbeth: Macbeth - A Tragic Hero

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of violence by his lust for power.
However, by carefully examining the first act, one can determine the defect in
Macbeth's character that creates his ambition; his true tragic flaw. Macbeth's
tragic flaw is not his ambition as most people believe, but rather his trust in
the words of the witches and in his wife's decisions.
At the beginning of the play Macbeth has no designs on the throne, and
he does not start plotting until his wife comes up with a plan. When first
faced with the witches' words, Macbeth expresses astonishment and disbelief
rather than welcoming them when he says, "...to be King stands not within the
prospect of belief, no more than to be Cawdor...."(1.3.73-75). When confronted
with the witches' proclamation that he is to be king, Macbeth responds as a
loyal subject would; not as a man with secret aspirations in his heart. He has
no reason to hide his true feelings at this point so therefore it can be
assumed that Macbeth has not yet truly considered ...

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