Macbeth: A Tragedy Without the Tragic Flaw?
William Shakespeare wrote four great tragedies, the last of which was written in 1606 and titled Macbeth. This tragedy, as many critics of literature consider it, scrutinizes the evil dimension of conflict, offering a dark, gloomy atmosphere of a world dominated by the powers of darkness. Macbeth, more so than any of Shakespeare's other tragic protagonists, has to face the powers and decide if he should he succumb or resist. Macbeth understands the reasons for resisting evil and yet he proceeds with a disastrous plan, instigated by the prophecies of the three Weird Sisters. One may question whether Macbeth is really a tragedy if Macbeth is acting on the impulses stimulated by the prophecies of his fate. Aristotle, one of the greatest men in the history of human thought, interpreted Tragedy as a genre aimed to present a heightened and harmonious imitation of nature, and, in particular, those aspects of nature that touch most closely upon human life. This I think Macbeth attains. However, Aristotle adds a few conditions. According to Aristotle, a tragedy must have six parts: plot, character, diction, thought, spectacle and song; however, Macbeth fails to portray the most important part, that of the tragic flaw.
Most important [most important what?] is the plot, the structure of the incidents. Tragedy is not an imitation of men, but of action and life. It is by men's actions that they acquire happiness or sadness. Aristotle stated, in response to Plato, that tragedy produces a healthful effect on the human character through a katharsis, a "proper purgation" of "pity and terror” (author’s name page #). A successful tragedy, then, exploits and appeals at the start to two basic emotions: fear and pity. Tragedy deals with the element of evil, with what we least want and most fear to face, and with what is destructive to human life and values. It also draws out our ability to sympathize with the tragic character, feeling some of the impact of the evil us. It is difficult for the reader feel pity for Macbeth because he is merely part of the evil force that has always existed in our world and not the poor, forsaken, fate-sunken man, according to Aristotle's idea of tragedy. The reader can sense the power and greed upon which Macbeth thrives, prospers, and finally falls and therefore the reader sees Macbeth as a bad guy, feeling little or no pity for him.
The first story is of Randy Knapp. He was eighteen years old and with two friends he decided to summit Mt. Hood on New Year’s Day. Equipped with appropriate supplies for 10 days, Randy and his friends were doing well until they were hit by a blinding snow storm and decided to head home. Having left their map in the truck, they mistakenly headed in the wrong direction and were lost in the snow storm. They spent the next 13 nights, for a total of 16 days, in a snow cave before they crawled out and were spotted by searchers.
Among the greatest gifts that the renaissance produced was the eloquent and incredible Shakespearean plays. Written mostly in the 1590s these plays have been performed and admired countless times; entertaining mass audiences by providing interesting tales that explore the depth of human insights and the different universal themes. Among the many Shakespearean plays Macbeth, written in 1606, stands out with its short composition but multiple themes. This tragedy narrates the tale of Macbeth and Lady Macbeth’s quest to grasp ultimate power by ignoring their morals and succumbing to their dark desires, which ultimately leads to their downfall. This tragic play portrays the desires, needs, and temptations that accompany ambition in men and women. However the ambition in Macbeth is blind, it does not abide to the morals, but it allows space for dark actions as means necessary for accomplishment. Blind ambition serves as the main driving force that drives Macbeth to subdue to his dark desires, defy his noble behavior, and ultimately his downfall.
William Wilkie Collins was born January 8, 1824 to William John and Harriet Collins. Though it is supposed that his birth may have been a difficult one, as he was marked by a permanent deformation on his head, he enjoyed a rather happy childhood, his parents being blissfully in love and financially comfortable.
The Tragedy of Macbeth is a well-known play by William Shakespeare known for its violence. The story starts as one of a loyal and significant hero of Scotland. Yet, Macbeth's character changes continuously throughout the play. Influential desires for power made him settle on evil choices that made for him only cynicism, guilt, and fury. At the end of the play, he was no longer noteworthy and, instead, a tyrant at the cause of being overcome decisively during the course of the play.
Browning never received the acclaim that he wanted till he wrote his most popular poem, The Ring and the Book. As popular as the poem was it is not read often today. Now looking back on Browning’s work it is seen that the public and the critics misunderstood his poetry.
Since a young age Barrett Browning had shown significant amounts of interest in poetry and literature. By the age of four she had began reading and writing verse. “She was educated at home, and learned classic Greek, Latin, and several modern languages” (Shilstone 646). For being self-educated, her devotion to poetry, literature, and classical studies was exceptional (EXPLORING Poetry). “Elizabeth could read Homer in the original at 8 years old” (Greer). “She completed an epic poem, ‘Battle of Marathon’. when she was thirteen, and her father had it privately printed” (Greer).
Macbeth’s tragic flaw is his ambition and it consequentially leads to his downfall and ultimate demise. Macbeth is a tragic hero who is introduced in the the play as being well-liked and respected by the general and the people. He brings his death upon himself from this tragic flaw. His strengths turn into his weaknesses and his ambition drives him to the edge and sets himself up for his tragic death.
The public has been revolutionary to have access into celebrities’ private life thanks to the “paparazzi”. Definitely, celebrities will always be in front of the camera. It comes with the frame. Nevertheless, it does not justify photographing and the lives of people at the expanse of their privacy.
Aristotle once said, “A man cannot become a hero until he can see the root of his downfall.” According to Aristotle, the characteristic of a tragic hero is a man of noble stature and occupies a high status position. There should be a fatal flaw that eventually leads to his downfall, the tragedy is usually raised by its character’s fatal flaw and the audience must feel pity or fear for this character. While there is less pity or fear for Macbeth, Macbeth still is a character who portrays a tragic hero through his nobility, high status position, his hamartia, and error in judgment.
William Shakespeare's tragic play 'Macbeth' contains images of suffering and details the consequences of one's action. The story, set within medieval Scotland, follows the actions of a man destined for greatness. Macbeth is known to be noble, yet he falters and ultimately falls prey to his conscience. As a result, Macbeth is the tragic hero of this play because he makes a fatal mistake, he endures great suffering, and he possesses a destructive hamartia.
The truest traits of a human are displayed when they are confronted by challenges. The Tragedy of Macbeth is a play written by William Shakespeare, where the protagonist, Macbeth, encounters various challenges in his destined quest to secure his place as King of Scotland. Readers discover that unchecked ambition–and consequently, overconfidence–are Macbeth’s tragic flaws, proven by his proceeding actions of prophecies, foretold by the Three Witches. The Holinshed Chronicles, written by Raphael Holinshed in 1577, is used by Shakespeare as his primary source for the play. Holinshed provides tragic incidences of British history and the historical account of Macbeth, the murders of the King Duncan of Scotland and Banquo. “5 P.M., Tuesday, August
Shakespeare’s “Macbeth” explores a fundamental struggle of the human conscience. The reader is transported into the journey of a man who recognizes and acknowledges evil but still succumbs to its destructive powers. The character of Macbeth is shrouded in ambiguity that scholars have claimed as both being a tyrant and tragic hero. Macbeth’s inner turmoil and anxieties that burden him throughout the entire play evoke sympathy and pity in the reader. Though he has the characteristics of an irredeemable tyrant, Macbeth realizes his mistakes and knows there is no redemption for his sins. And that is indeed tragic.
Elizabeth Barrett Browning was born on March 6, 1806 near Durham, England to Edward Barrett Moulton. Elizabeth’s family was from Jamaica. Her father’s health was derived from extensive sugar plantations in Jamaica; this was the proprietor of “Hope Island”. Her father began to suffer from financial losses, and could no longer afford to maintain the Hope Estate. She was the eldest of twelve children. Elizabeth was an English Poet who was known for her love poems. Elizabeth’s childhood nickname was “Ba”. She spent most of her childhood at a country house in MarrenHills, Worcestershire. At the age of four she composed verses. She began to write poetry at the age of six. Before Elizabeth was ten she read the histories of England, Greece, Rome, and several other Shakespeare plays. Elizabeth was educated at home. At the age of fifteen she was seriously ill as a result of a spinal injury and heart palpitations that plagued her permanently. Doctors treated her with morphine that she would have to take for the rest of her life. Elizabeth wrote her first book by the age of fifteen. Unlike her two sisters she immersed herself in the world of books. By the age of twenty she was offered to the public with no induction of au...
In the play Macbeth, William Shakespeare does an astounding job at developing the story plot in a fascinating manner. Throughout the play, it is easy to begin to noticing common trends in the behavior of Macbeth. His judgement quickly becomes impaired when King Duncan grants him a new title “Thane of Cawdor”. With this new power granted to him, overambitious Macbeth becomes murderous. In order to claim power he murders King Duncan, turning Scotland into a dangerous place. With the much loved king gone, the kingdom is left under merciless Macbeth’s control. Of course his horrible actions do not go without consequences and soon Macbeth pays for his actions both mentally and physically. Over the course of the play, Macbeth shows common characteristics of a Shakespearean. Leaving us with the question is Macbeth a tragic hero?
For many of Browings fans and himself, poetry did not need to be a big extravagent piece of work, and for he critics who did not understand that aspect, Browning`s work would always “lacking something”. Although there was not understanding of that, there was still a light at the end of the tunnel for Browning in the respect of being appreciated by later critics. Of course, not all of Browning`s poetry reviews were pesimistic, and one literary scholar, William DeVane, considered the poet`s name to have increased as he had gotten older, along with the number of positive reviews. Although Browning was obviously not happy by the many negative reviews he received, but even some of the most brutal reviewers acknowledged his flat out raw talent, even if they did not agree with how he went about using it.