Macbeth as a Shakespearean Tragic Hero In this essay I will be exploring how far Macbeth is considered to be a Shakespearean tragic hero. According to A.C Bradley, the man who defined what a Shakespearean tragic hero is, a typical Shakespearean tragic hero is a person of greatness and high power. We can see at the beginning of the play that Macbeth is the 'Thane of Glamis' but is then promoted, due to the execution of a traitor, to the 'Thane of Cawdor'. A Shakespearean tragic hero also has many character flaws, which lead to their downfall. Macbeth is an extremely ambitious character; he knows what he wants and how to get it, even if that means murdering Duncan to become King.
The Power of Greed and Malevolence in Macbeth William Shakespeare's Macbeth is not necessarily a play of fate, but rather a tragedy that occurred as a result of uncontrollable greed and malevolence by Macbeth and his wife. The weird sisters only make suggestions about Macbeth's road to kingship; they do not cast spells to make true all their predictions. These interpretations lead Macbeth and Lady Macbeth to kill Duncan and secure the title Thane of Clawdor. While in kingship Macbeth elects to kill Banquo and his son, Fleance, for Macbeth was fearful about losing his throne to Fleance. Senseless violence and inner rage cause the King of Scotland to murder Macduff's children and wife.
In the play, Macbeth is of nobility, and experiences an epiphany as a result of his actions. Not only that, he has a specific tragic flaw and goes through a downfall which later results in his death. Because of these characteristics, Macbeth is a famous tragic hero.
Macbeth is a tragic hero who causes suffering by committing murder and distress, exemplifying the negative effects of a bloodthirsty desire for power. Lady Macbeth torments her husband Macbeth in going through with the evil deed of murder which leads her to be the villain. Macbeth begins in this play as a loyal, trustworthy warrior who sees himself later as king. When the witches confront Macbeth about the prophecy of him becoming king, his aspiration is distressed by his physical audacity and self ambiguity. The witches Prophecy upon Macbeth cause him to feel restless and have thoughts about if it is destined for him to become king.
Macbeth then kills the guards so that they couldn’t give any evidence that it was Macbeth. ===================================================================== Macbeth becomes king, but he can’t get over the death of Duncan. He can’t get to sleep and has a feeling that Banquo knows. He hires hit men to kill Banquo and his son Fleonce. ==================================================================== The hit men were successful for killing Banquo and you see Banquo get
Blunt not the heart, enrage it.” (Ⅳ.Ⅲ, 231-232) . In these words, Macduff is told to use his rage with his sword to finally have Macbeth slaine, which inevitably brought him to his demise. After everything, Macbeth became a tragic hero because he could not and would not control his flaw, which eventually resulted in his untimely
The definition of tragedy in Webster’s dictionary is, "drama of elevated theme and diction and with unhappy ending; sad event, serious accident, calamity." However, the application of this terminology in Shakespearean Tragedy is more expressive. Tragedy does not only mean death or calamity, but in fact, it refers to a series of steps that leads to the downfall of the tragic hero and eventually to his tragic death. Lear, the main character in King Lear was affirmed as the tragic hero because the play meets all the requirements of a tragedy. In order for a character to be qualified as a tragic hero, he must be in a high status on the social chain and the hero also possesses a tragic flaw that initiates the tragedy.
He might of been the courageous hero at the beginning of the play but progressed in a downward spiral which caused his condemnation, and made him into a tragic hero. Macbeth was a strong nobleman. He along with Banquo were leaders of the King Duncan’s army. The captain describes Macbeths strength and power that won him the battles, “But all’s too weak:/ For brave Macbeth -- well he deserved that name- / Disdaining fortune, with his brandished steel,/ Which smoked with bloody execution,/ Like valor’s minion carved out his passage/ Till he faced the slave;” (1.2.17-22). But then Lady Macbeth pressured Macbeth into killing Duncan to become king by calling him a female and tearing his self confidence down.
His avidity towards gaining power leads to his tragic death. In conclusion, Macbeth has committed treasonous and despicable crimes to both his friend, Banquo and the King of Scotland in order to obtain rank. He may be referred to as a monster, however he is the classical definition of a tragic hero. His reversal of his fortune foreshadows his doom, despite his treacherous behaviour and disloyalty, the audience experiences sympathy for Macbeth and his ambitious nature evokes his tragic, untimely death. Shakespeare effectively uses Macbeth to model the dangers of unchecked ambition and its consequences.
Why Macbeth is a monster There are many reasons why Macbeth is a monster. The account of Macbeth is about the main character’s aspirations for power and trying his hardest to reach that power, by getting assistance from his wife. In Shakespeare’s “Macbeth”, the protagonist is a monster due to the murders he committed, wanting power, and refusing to surrender for his crimes. Firstly, the protagonist of the play is a monster due to the murders he committed. Throughout the play, we encounter that he has killed Duncan for power, Banquo and more.