Elements of Tragedy in Macbeth

438 Words1 Page
bulb-icon

Recommended: How does The witches prophecies influence Macbeth’s actions to some extent

Elements of Tragedy in Macbeth

Shakespearean tragedies always have a noble, heroic central character. Normally we hear about from other characters before he actual enters into the play.

We are also, given the first impression of the greatness of the tragic hero through the eyes of others. “...But all’s too weak; for brave Macbeth (well he deserves that name); disdaining fortune, with his brandished steel, ...carved out his passage till he faced the slave; which ne’er shook hands, nor bade farewell to him till he unseamed him fro the nave to th’ chops, and fixed his head upon our battlements.”(9) The captain is not only the first one to mention Macbeth in the play but he also shows how heroic and brave Macbeth is.

Another vital part of a tragedy is that the main character will have a flaw in him that will later lead to his demise. In Macbeth his flaw is that he wants power. “ The Prince of Cumberland! That is a step on which I must fall down or else o’erleap, for in my way it lies. Stars hide your fires; let not light see my blank and deep desires. The eye wink at the hand, yet let that be which the eye fear, when it is done, to see.”(29) Having heard the prophecy that he will be king, Macbeth looks for ways to make it happen more quickly. We see both Macbeth's potential for greatness and his obsessive aspirations. He has vaulting ambitions and knows that Duncan and Malcom both stand in the way.

A sense of urgency develops with the plot and the conflict that not only creates tension, but also creates the effect of a kind of steam-rolling inevitability regarding the hero's fall that he has put into motion himself. “...Stepped in so far that, should I wade no more, returning were as tedious as go o’er...”(109) With the death of Duncan Macbeth becomes involved in circumstances beyond his control. After he murders Banquo he has to continue to kill to stay in power. Though he could have stopped in the beginning had he not let Lady Macbeth talk him into the murder of Duncan.

After all that has happen Macbeth finally gains insight about himself and life. “...My way of life has fallen in to sere, the yellow leaf and that which should accompany old age, as honor, love, obedience, troops of friends, I must not look to have, but in their stead curses, not loud, but deep mothered honor, breath which the poor heart would fain deny and dare not-.

Show More
Related

  • Exploring the Actions of Macbeth that Backfired in Shakespeare's Macbeth

    715 Words  | 2 Pages

    The dream of becoming king has ironically changed from a bright future to a tragic end due to some of the crucial decisions Macbeth has made during the course of his journey and a number of his actions will backfire on him. The first of his actions that backfired was when he murdered King Duncan which he regrets afterwards. Another action that backfired was the murder of the guards which could've drastically changed the outcome of this entire story since he could've gotten away with King Duncan's murder if he didn't commit it. The third action that backfired on Macbeth was when he ordered the murderers to murder Banquo and Fleance at which they failed to eliminate Fleance.

    Read More

  • Macbeth - Charting His Downfall

    1287 Words  | 3 Pages

    This is my account of Macbeth’s downfall from a popular, successful soldier, quote “What he hath lost, noble Macbeth hath won”, who has received great honours for his loyalty, his courage, his bravery and his nobility. At the end of the play the only respect he has is because of the fear that his subjects have of him.

    Read More

  • Macbeth’s Deteriorating Mental State

    1648 Words  | 4 Pages

    William Shakespeare’s Macbeth is a tragedy in which the main characters are obsessed by the desire for power. Macbeth’s aspiration for power blinds him to the ethical implications of his dreadful acts. The more that Shakespeare’s Macbeth represses his murderous feelings, the more he is haunted by them. By analyzing his hallucinations it is possible to trace his deteriorating mental state and the trajectory of his ultimate fall. Throughout the play Macbeth is never satisfied with himself. He feels the need to keep committing crime in order to keep what he wants most: his kingship. The harder Macbeth tries to change his fate the more he tends to run into his fate. His ambition and struggle for power was Macbeth’s tragic flaw in the play. Macbeth’s rise to the throne was brought about by the same external forces that ensure his downfall.

    Read More

  • Analysis Of Macbeth

    1799 Words  | 4 Pages

    “If chance will have me king, why, chance may crown me Without my stir?” Macbeth ponders after three witches foresee that he will become king in the tragic play Macbeth written by William Shakespeare (349). Macbeth is wondering how he could become king of Scotland without him intervening as he is not in line for the throne. He believes that he will have to take action to gain this position. Macbeth was right to doubt fate, because his choices led to his ascension to the throne and, later in the play, to his downfall.

    Read More

  • The War Inside The Character of Macbeth

    1104 Words  | 3 Pages

    Before the murder of King Duncan, Macbeth was a brave, noble warrior. “For brave Macbeth well he deserves that name… Till he unseamed him from the nave to th’ chop and fixed his head upon our battlements” (Act I, Scene 2, lines 2). He was one of the last people anyone would expect to kill King Duncan. Shakespeare chooses a noble character such as Macbeth, to emphasize how greed and power can alter a person’s good morals. In Act one we start to see Macbeth’s desire for more power rise. “Stars, hide your fires; Let no light see my black and deep desires. The eye wink at the hond yet let that be which the eye fears, when it is done to see” (Act I, Scene 4, lines 52- 55). His desire for power is at war with his good morals. He wants to become king but does not want to kill Duncan.

    Read More

  • Blind Ambition in Macbeth

    855 Words  | 2 Pages

    Macbeth’s blind ambition leads him to surrender to his dark desires that taunt him throughout the play. Macbeth is frequently tempted to result to the wrongful methods that seem to roam inside of him. In the beginning however Macbeth tends to ignore these desires and depends on chance. He declares “if chance will have me king, why, chance may crown me, without my stir” (Shakespeare, act 1, scene 3, 143-144). This declaration by Macbeth shows his initial stand, which is reliant on fate and sin free. Yet as Macbeth’s character develops throughout the play, he moves farther from his dependence on chance and closer to his darker desires. Eventually his blind ambition to become king overp...

    Read More

  • Mental Deterioration In Macbeth Essay

    1310 Words  | 3 Pages

    After a long and hard battle, the Sergeant says to King Duncan, “For brave Macbeth,-well he deserves that name,- disdaining fortune, with his brandish’d steel, which smok’d with bloody execution , like valour’s minion carv’d out his passage till he fac’d the slave;” (1.2.16) . This quote shows that Macbeth is viewed as a valiant soldier and a capable leader. However, it does not take long for the real Macbeth to be revealed- a blindly ambitious man, easily manipulated by the prospect of a higher status. His quest for power is what drives his insanity, and after having been deemed the Thane of Cawdor, Macbeth’s ambition can immediately be seen. In a soliloquy, Macbeth says, “Present fears are less than horrible imaginings; my thought, whose murder yet is but fantastica, shakes so my single state of man that function is smother’d in surmise, and nothing is but what is not” (1.3.140). Macbeth has just gained more power, and his immediate thought is of how to gain an even higher status as king. He imagines how to kill Duncan, and then is troubled by his thoughts, telling himself it is wrong. This inner struggle between Macbeth’s ambition and his hesitation to kill Duncan is the first sure sign of his mental deterioration. Although Macbeth does kill Duncan, he questions whether or not he should to do so, which is far different from how Macbeth feels about murder later in the play. Macbeth becomes king, and this power leads

    Read More

  • Essay Comparing Macbeth and Lady Macbeth

    1040 Words  | 3 Pages

    While Macbeth is losing his morals, Lady Macbeth is developing hers. After Macbeth reveals his plot to kill Banquo, she is reluctant to add another murder to those already committed: “You must leave this”(3.3.40). In act three, another prophecy foretold by the witches comes true. The paradox “fair is foul and foul is fair” characterizes the changes the protagonists undergo in acts one, two, and three. Throughout the play, Macbeth, the “fair” one, becomes overcome by guilt and becomes “foul”.

    Read More

  • Macbeth - A Good Guy

    655 Words  | 2 Pages

    The heroic loyal character of Macbeth is forced into a internal battle to decide between ambition and loyalty to his king. Macbeth overcomes the evil within him, though  Lady Macbeth crushes his thoughts of loyalty to the king by calling him a coward or threatening his manliness. Macbeth allows the evilness to grow within him, which allows ambition to take control of his life. Due to the evilness that has started to control his life he prepares to kill the man who has given him everything to his credit, to fulfil his ambition, and to become King.

    Read More

  • Honor and Bravery in Shakespeare's Macbeth

    635 Words  | 2 Pages

    The most apparent flaws, and perhaps the most tragic in Macbeth's character, is his lack of patience and temperance.  These shortcomings haunted Macbeth, causing him to let his "overvaulting ambition" rush fate, and hasten his doom.  Macbeth could not wait for an appointment to a position of more power.  Instead, he murdered the king to take his place.

    Read More

  • The Dramatic Fall Of Macbeth Essay

    765 Words  | 2 Pages

    “Macbeth becomes King. But the “settled” is deeply ironic, for he will be more driven restless ecstasy to seek final security. This will require endless crime, but the killing of Banquo is most important, for in resolving upon it, he expresses his own great loss:” (5.2) Macbeth is losing mental stability as he commits murder after murder. He kills King Duncan to become Thane of Cawdor ,then becomes more and more intrigued with the act of murder to gain power. Macbeth begins to lose his sanity ,emotional feeling, and valubility of life. “I am blood Stepped in so far that should I wade no more. Returning were as tedious as go o’er.” Macbeth feels that there is no turning back after he has committed the act of murder. Macbeth’s inability to remain self-conscious leads up to his corruption and physical

    Read More

  • Macbeth’s Tragic Flaw

    826 Words  | 2 Pages

    The Tragedy of Macbeth written by William Shakespeare is a tale of a man and his un-bridled ambition, set in ancient Scotland. Macbeth is a nobleman of the king of Scotland, Duncan, who is in mid-war with Norway. Macbeth and his fellow general Banquo encounter three witches. The witches tell the pair that Macbeth will be king, and Banquo’s children will also be kings. Any person in their right mind would question information given to them by strangers, let alone witches, but for some reason these statements intrigue Macbeth. They temp Macbeth to do evil things such as treason, and worse, to kill. Although un-bridled ambition is his main tragic flaw, there is one more that plays a big role in his decisions and the outcome of the story; Macbeth is far too impressionable.

    Read More

  • The Lust for Power in Macbeth by William Shakespeare

    853 Words  | 2 Pages

    The tragedy of Macbeth opens up with him returning home from a victorious military battle, displaying his honor and excellence. This is, also the first time he is presented with the opportunity for power. His success covered him with glory in defense of the crown. Macbeth is busily basking in his own glory and soaking up credit when Duncan basically steals his spotlight from right over his head, proclaiming Malcolm, Duncan's son, as the heir-apparent. This action also belittles Macbeth's achievement, since the procession of the throne is not necessarily dictated by bloodlines. Duncan is basically announcing that Macbeth, while noble, is inferior to his son Malcolm. This is where Duncan provokes Macbeth to hate him and also points out what Macbeth must do to become King. Duncan even tempts Macbeth, by pronouncing him as the Thane of Cawdor. This gives Macbeth a taste of power and he begins to have a desire for more. This desire or ambition is his fatal flaw. Shakespeare, by using Macbeth as a guide, shows that even the honorable men can fall into the hands of evil just like everyone else. No one is safe from his or her own ambitions of power and success. It is clear that Macbeth ends up a far more brutal and simple...

    Read More

  • Struggles of the Conscience in Macbeth by William Shakespeare

    1060 Words  | 3 Pages

    Macbeth’s story highlights the inherent goodness found in all of us, but also the evil that lurks within us, unnourished. Although there is no redemption for Macbeth’s evil sins, he finally comes to acknowledge his crimes and thus can provoke pity in the eyes of the audience. Macbeth’s psychological journey from a courageous general to a “ dead butcher” (5.9.41) is one that truly merits to be called a tragedy.

    Read More

  • Macbeth: A Very Complex Character

    1982 Words  | 4 Pages

    This specific action consequently resulted in Macbeth’s level of morality to continually decline as he is acutely aware of his own tyranny. Therefore Macbeth attempts to forget the horrific deed he has committed and be the figure that orders and disorders. Our perception of Macbeth being a wise and loyal soldier is now eroded, as we start to view Macbeth constantly questioning his own actions, and is also impelled to perpetrate further atrocities with the intention of covering up his previous wrong-doings.

    Read More

More about Elements of Tragedy in Macbeth

Open Document