Characterizing Macbeth in William Shakespeare's Play
In the closing scene of Macbeth, act 5 scene IX, Malcolm makes the
final description of Macbeth in the play when he calls him a "dead
butcher". This description is a controversial and much debated one as
people have divided opinions concerning him. Some perceive him as a
ruthless and barbaric "fiend of Scotland", whereas I, like many
others, find him to be a tragic hero. Both of these views are very
contrasting and so it would seem that the answer should be evident but
this is not the case as both cases have convincing arguments to
support them.
A tragic hero can be defined as someone whose downfall affects many
people. This is very true of Macbeth's life because he was a
well-respected character before his downfall and so it is inevitable
that lots of people would be affected. The people affected include the
Scottish Thanes who lose their king, Malcolm and Donalbain who lose
their father and the most obvious victims are the whole of the
Scottish nation, "O nation miserable". We get an idea of this
suffering in act 4 scene III when Macduff pleads for Malcolm's help to
fight Macbeth. He describes the terrible state of the country and how
nature is being turned upside down when he says "New widows howl, new
orphans cry, new sorrows/Strike heaven on the face". It is true that
Macbeth kills people in his duration as king but this shouldn't be
regarded as butchery or callousness but as Macbeth acting on his
cataclysmic and fatal ambition.
A tragic hero can also be described as someone whose suffering reveals
truths about humanity. Macbeth shows moments of humanity and the more
...
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...'s weariness and
frustration in act 5 scene 5 when he says "I 'gin to be aweary of the
sun, /And wish the estate o' th'
World were now undone. Here he is becoming drained and consumed with
depression and he no longer cares whether he lives or dies. He is
resigned to the fact that he's going to die but he is still willing to
fight with dignity to his death and this is how he dies, a tragic
hero.
In conclusion, the question of whether or not Macbeth is a butcher or
a tragic hero is now clear to see. Some may say that he was a
capricious totalitarian and an oppressive monster but this is not the
case as he was only acting on ambition, which was mainly fed to him by
his wife and supernatural forces. He was a good man and "too full o'
the milk of human-kindness" to be called something so sinister as a
"butcher".
In addition, the final aspect of a tragic hero is a sudden change in course of action, caused by their major flaw, which brings about their p...
...sees is death around him. He begins to wonder how easy it would be to give up, but he doesn’t.
In other words, he is not a tragic hero, but rather a misfortuned hero that
is intrigue by the idea the he will be king hereafter. He soon shows his
Macbeth rejects conformation to traditional gender roles in its portrayal of Lady Macbeth’s relationship with her husband, her morals and their effect on her actions, and her hunger for power. Her regard for Macbeth is one of low respect and beratement, an uncommon and most likely socially unacceptable attitude for a wife to have towards her spouse at the time. She often ignores morality and acts for the benefit of her husband, and subsequently herself. She is also very power-hungry and lets nothing stand in the way of her success. Lady Macbeth was a character which challenged expectations of women and feminism when it was written in the seventeenth century.
opinions in Act 1, Scene 2. The aim of this is to build the suspense
`Act 1- The three weird witches meet and they are planning on when they are going to meet again to talk to Macbeth. In the next scene King Duncan talks to the injured captain about the battle against the invaders, who are under the command of Macdonwald. The captain tell King Duncan how he saved Malcolm and Macbeth was very violent and fought with great force. Then the Captain is taken away by the servants then Ross enters and he tells Duncan that Cawdor has been beaten and the Norway army retreated. Then King Duncan comes to the decision to kill Cawdor and then Macbeth will "become Cawdor". Then Duncan sends out Ross to go tell Macbeth about what had happened at this time. In scene three the witches approach Banquo and Macbeth when they were on their way to Forres. The witches inform Macbeth and Banquo about what had happened in the kings court and they tell him he is the Thane of Cawdor and Glamis and that Macbeth will eventually become king. Then Banquo is told riddles that his children will be royal and he will not. After the witches disappear then Ross and Angus come up to them and Ross informs Macbeth the news which he just heard. Then Macbeth contemplates whether he will have to spill blood to become king, then when he is done they all continue to Forres. Then Duncan finds out that Cawdor dies because his son killed him. Then Ross, Angus, Banquo and Macbeth arrive. Then Malcolm becomes the heir to Duncans throne and Macbeth has Duncan dine at his castle that night so he rides to tell his wife. When Macbeth gets home he tells his wife the news and she starts to plot the murder of Duncan and Macbeth fallows. Then Duncan and the Scottish lords arrive and they are tak...
encouraged “To want to get on.” Most of us we would never go as far
The one who is at fault in the play of Macbeth written by William Shakespeare is not all who presume it is. Some say the blame is on the Witches, some say Lady Macbeth, but Macbeth is the real man at fault. He was at choice of his decisions, only slightly pressured by his wife, Lady Macbeth. Macbeth dug himself into a hole he was not able to climb out of. There was no return to the light side for him as he had no regrets, he was inhumane, and cold-blooded. There are many examples that show his inhumanity towards others throughout the play, one cold-blooded act to another with no turning back. It was a painful ending for Macbeth since no one showed sympathy for him as his head ended up on a sword. Macbeth is at fault for all the critical events within the play as he is the one that killed Banquo, King Duncan, and Macduff’s family.
A tragic hero could be considered a "noble person with a fatal flaw" or "an opponent of society who is willing to take action that 'sensible people' might applaud
The Ways Shakespeare Makes Act Three Scene Five Full of Tension and Exciting for the Audience
...his not a tragic hero because he not outstanding and virtuous, and he does not achieve insightful recognition or redemption.
William Shakespeare is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the history of English literature as well as the world’s paramount playwright. Possibly the most superlative writing attribute he possessed was his unmatched ability of characterization. Shakespeare created unique, opaque, and eminent characters who related to almost everyone. When one thinks of these famous characters, Shakespeare’s tragedy of Macbeth comes into consideration. Macbeth is possibly Shakespearian Theatre’s densest and most disturbed character, and this prestigious title can be credited to his obvious psychological problems. The troubled mind of Macbeth can be related to several modern day psychological problems.
Macbeth is a very complex character whom reflects man's thirst for power through the drastic changes of his personality; thus being one of the slightest reasons in which make this intriguing character, greatest of all Shakespearean’s well-known works.
A tragic hero can be defined by several different factors; the hero usually has a major flaw that prevents him from seeing the truth that lies in front of him, which contributes to the character’s peripeteia due to mistaken judgement. This mistake then leads to achieving anagnorisis, usually at the end of the play, but is too late to change anything, and results in death.