Macbeth- Tragic Hero
The following is an essay on how the character of Macbeth serves as an example of a tragic hero in Shakespeare’s Macbeth. His tragic decision stems from the influence of a tragic flaw. Once he has made the decision, it is irreversible, and produces his downfall. In an attempt to save himself, the tragic hero tries to reverse his decision, but ultimately fails. Aristotle defined the tragic hero as the following:
“The tragic hero must be neither villain nor a virtuous man but a character between these two extremes...a man who not eminently good and just, yet whose misfortune is brought about not by vice or depravity but by some error or human frailty."
-Aristotle
The play follows ...
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the Act of Falling Action, the character realizes the error in the decision. In a futile effort, they try to reverse it but ultimately fail. The damage is beyond repair. In Act V, the Act of Catastrophe, the character suffers the consequences of the decision, and is destroyed professionally, physically and socially.
In Macbeth, Shakespeare strays from the traditional structuralist point of view and takes upon a more creative point of view in a sense that the tragic decision could be anywhere in the play. Unlike most tragic plays, in Macbeth, the tragic decision does not occur in act three. Instead, he makes decisions that occur throughout the play, which do not necessarily happen in act three. Throughout the play, Macbeth is blinded by his ambition. The witches, Lady Macbeth, and his own insecurities aid in helping him carry out his actions. In the beginning of the play, we see him as a noble leader, and in the end, as a violent, desperate individual. In the first act, the ...
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following passage, he writes to Lady Macbeth his thoughts.
“They met me in the day of success; and I / have learned by the perfectest report, they have more in / them than mortal knowledge.” (Act I, v. 1-3).
He considers their prophecies to be true and in his words, “the perfectest”. He
believes that they have knowledge beyond what any human could possibly know.
The influence of Macbeth’s wife, Lady Macbeth also contributes to his downfall. Lady Macbeth has a strong influence on his decisions and actions. She feeds Macbeths ambition by suggesting the murder of Duncan in order to acquire the throne. This also spurs Macbeth to commit more murders following his first ...
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"Macbeth- Tragic Hero." Essayworld.com. April 4, 2006. Accessed December 22, 2024. http://www.essayworld.com/essays/Macbeth-Tragic-Hero/43821.
"Macbeth- Tragic Hero." Essayworld.com. April 4, 2006. Accessed December 22, 2024. http://www.essayworld.com/essays/Macbeth-Tragic-Hero/43821.
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