Macbeth - A Tragic Hero

William Shakespeare's tragic play Macbeth tells the story of the rise and fall of its title character. After proving himself in a battle, Macbeth replaces the thane of Cawdor, who has betrayed his country. Unfortunately, his ambition gets the best of him and leads him to usurp the king's throne. As king, he is a paranoid tyrant and his ambition ultimately leads to his death. According to the standards set by Aristotle, Macbeth can be considered a tragic hero.

Macbeth has a mixture of good and evil characteristics. Before he even makes his first appearance on stage, the audience already knows that Macbeth is a skilled warrior. He has been victorious in several battles, conquered the Norwegian army, and even captured the traitor Macdonwald, the thane of Cawdor. When describing Macbeth, Duncan, the king, exclaims "O valiant cousin! Worthy gentleman!" (Applebee 329). Macbeth starts out as a noble and heroic warrior. Unfortunately, he can also be arrogant and paranoid. On his way home from the battle, three witches predict that he will become thane of Cawdor, and king soon af...