William Shakespeare's Macbeth as Hero or Villain

1625 Words4 Pages

William Shakespeare's Macbeth as Hero or Villain

Macbeth is a complicated character whose human nature means that he

possesses both good and evil traits. Macbeth's courage, conscience and

his tentative approach of moral wrongdoing are as extensive as his

evil ambition, cunning and cruelty. While his good qualities bring him

to the status he enjoys at the beginning of the play his 'vaulting

ambition' (I.vii) exemplifies his less desirable characteristics.

Macbeth cannot be discussed as either purely heroic or villainous; the

complexity of his character is illustrated by his violent inner

conflict which arises from the opposing traits he possesses and is

fuelled by his imagination.

At the beginning of the play Macbeth is introduced to the audience

through the words of other characters. The opinions expressed include

a description of Macbeth as a 'valiant cousin, worthy gentleman' by

Duncan, the king himself . In Macbeth's absence he is described as

being 'brave' having fought heroically against the rebel Macdonwald.

This is an example of Macbeth fulfilling the interpretation of a hero

as 'a person noted or admired for their courage or outstanding

achievements.' (Illustrated Oxford Dictionary, Dorling Kindersley).

Macbeth's bravery is certainly a heroic quality. We learn of his

physical prowess and bravery on the battlefield and in the same speech

the Captain directly calls him 'brave Macbeth' and personifies him as

'valour's minion'.

A modern audience may be sceptical about labelling Macbeth a hero for

a killing in battle, but to a Shakespearean audience the threat of

rebellion was very real and it would indeed be a hero who pre...

... middle of paper ...

... death of Macduff's family and children is Macbeth's most villainous

act because of their complete innocence.

It can be said that Macbeth is certainly more villainous than he is

heroic because of the acts of murder he undertakes. He possesses

qualities of immense guilt and the realisation of the magnitude of his

deeds, which are moral traits but are unable to redeem him. Macbeth's

inner conflict ruins him: changing him from the acclaimed 'noble' hero

he was in the beginning to the 'hell hound' and 'villain' he is

perceived as in his final days. There is indeed a hero inside Macbeth

which Shakespeare allows his audience to glimpse for example by

reference to the battle in the opening but the acts to which Macbeth

is driven by his encounter with the Witches are those of a villain and

thus Macbeth is classed as such.

Open Document