Macbeth as Tragic Hero
Aristotle defined a tragic character is a man who “falls into misfortune through some flaw." (Grube, 5) Shakespeare's tragic hero is a man who falls from his position of honor and respect due to a flaw in character and ultimately arrives at a fatal end. (Nostbakken, 2) Macbeth is an epitome of a tragic hero. He had a good nature, but was driven by greed and a quest for power. Macbeth had been a military hero, loved and praised by the people, but his blind ambition resulted in his destruction, and all his past greatness and happiness were lost. This essay will explore Macbeth’s path toward destruction and show how he became the epitome of a tragic hero.
Macbeth was obviously a patriot and the protector of the king at the beginning of the play. (Slethaug, 13) We imagine him to be a good warrior with extraordinary prowess and loyalty. He defeated the insurgent troops and was highly trusted. As Duncan said, "He is a gentleman on whom I built An absolute trust". (I.iv.14-15) Even the King had great love in this real hero.
But his was controlled under the supernatural force when he met the witches of prophecy, contributing to the degeneration of this character. When the witches foretold Macbeth that he was to be Thane of Cawdor, Thane of Glasmis and King hereafter, Macbeth's ambition to the kingship had been aroused. He said, " My thought, whose murder yet is but fantastical¡K"(I.iii.140) shows that he started imagining to get the throne by evil means for the fulfillment of the promised kingship. The imperfect speakers of misleading prophecies brainwashed him, striving up his deep ambition and leading him to step closer to the edge of dismal abyss. And later they also g...
... middle of paper ...
...ed himself, to put all his possessed greatness and happiness in ruin, and ended himself in ultimate hate and demise.
Works Cited
Brooke, Nicholas, ed. Macbeth. Oxford: The Oxford University Press. 1990.
Brown, John Russell. Shakespeare Macbeth. Southampton: The Camelot Press. 1965.
Coursen, H.R. Macbeth-A Guide to the Play. London: Greenwood Press.1997.
Elloway, David. Macbeth By William Shakespeare (Macmillan master guides). Macmillan Education Limited. 1985.
Grube, G.M.A, ed. Aristotle "The Poetics", Poetry and Style. Indianapolis: Bobbs Merril. 1958.
Nostbakken, Faith. Understanding Macbeth. USA: Greenwood Press. 1997.
Slethaug, Gordon. "Lecture Notes" for ENGL1007. Hong Kong: The University of Chicago. November 2000.
Wain, John. Shakespeare Macbeth. Hong Kong: The Macmillan Press Ltd. 1968.
Macbeth was a tragic hero. Traditionally, a tragic hero is someone who is born as an example of greatness but somehow along the way they acquire a flaw in character that brings about his own downf...
One of his creations was the flying machine. He loved the idea of people soaring like birds and wanted to make that dream a reality. The designs of the flying machine is clearly inspired by the wings of animals that could fly. Leonardo da Vinci’s flying machine has a wingspan of over 33 feet. The frame of the machine was made out of pine that was covered in silk. A sleek and light design that also proved to be sturdy. The way the machine worked is the pilot would lie face down on the board and he would have pedal a crank that was connected to a rod-and-pulley system. There was also a hand crank that was available. This was used for additional energy and the steering was done with a head piece. The pilot was to work the crank with both his hands and feet at the same time. Doing so would cause the wings to flap. A unique feature was the wings were designed to twist when they flapped. This design was an inspiration from nature. Besides his flying machine, he also conceived the idea for a parachute. Although credit for the first parachute doesn't formally go to Leonardo da Vinci he did create the design for it a couple hundred years before it was actually invented. He made a sketch of the idea but he never actually built and tested it for himself. Many of his inventions were never truly built and tested. Leonardo wasn’t only engrossed with the sky,
My first point links it to the epic status as it starts right in the
Shakespeare, William. Macbeth. Ed. Barbara A. Mowat and Paul Werstine. New York: Washington Square Press New Folger Edition, 1992
...for an undying thirst for knowledge and a man of many subjects, in all of which he was very knowledgeable. His achievements will be remembered thru his large measure of notebooks that he drew in and wrote notes on. This man is a man of the future in the past. He helped our word to be the way it is today, with its vast collection of technology and knowledge. Leonardo is truly a renascence man to admire.
Leonardo Da Vinci could be argued as one of the most famous persons in the Renaissance Era and one of the greatest painters to ever live. Leonardo is talented and has made many contribution throught his life. He did so many things such as painting, anatomy , mechanics, and architecture. And he is one of the reasons why the Renaissance era could be regarded at one of the greatest time periods in history.
Macbeth exhibits most, if not all, of the classic traits of a Shakespearean tragic hero almost flawlessly. From his rise to greatness to his ultimate destruction and death, he is most certainly a tragic hero.
Even though Macbeth can be called a tyrant and a murderer, he is nonetheless, very courageous. In the beginning of the play, he fights very bravely for his king and country.
Typical of Shakespeare’s works, the play Macbeth has a protagonist who ultimately experiences a downfall that lead to his demise. The protagonist or tragic hero of this play is Macbeth, once brave and honorable, who eventually becomes tyrannical and feared by many due to what Abrams describes as his “hamartia” or “error of judgment or, as it is often…translated, his tragic flaw.” In this case, Macbeth’s tragic flaw proves to be ambition; however, he cannot be held solely responsible for his downfall. As a result of many outside influential factors, including the witches’ prophecies and a rather coaxing and persuasive wife, one should not hold Macbeth entirely culpable for his actions and tragic end.
Greed is a quality that many have, but too much of it can be catastrophic. In the tragedy Macbeth by William Shakespeare, the character Macbeth has a tragic flaw that leads to his eventual downfall. A tragic hero is generally defined as someone who has great potential; someone who is born into nobility and could have a great future. However, they are doomed to fail and often die because of a tragic flaw. These characters usually learn a lesson from their deeds. However, it is usually too late for them to have a happy ending. These characteristics apply to Macbeth, whose greatest flaw is his greed for power. Shakespeare uses characterization, conflict, irony, and foreshadowing to show the audience that Macbeth is a tragic hero.
Shakespeare, William. The Tragedy of Macbeth. Elements of Literature. Sixth ed. Austin: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 1997.
Leonardo da Vinci is one of the greatest minds of all time. He is famous for his art, cartography, designs, geology, and studies. Da Vinci thought that art was without a doubt connected to science. But, I’m going to talk a about his artistic achievements, influences, and style.
Macbeth is a brave general who fights for his country Scotland, defeating the King of Norway. He is loyal to his king Duncan, but Macbeth has ambition to take over the kingdom for himself. He has lots of doubts of if he is doing the right thing, but still murders Duncan and then Banquo who is another general who fought with Macbeth. These murders and guilt about his treason are leading Macbeth to become insane. This essay shows that although Macbeth’s strong desire for power is influenced by the three witches in the play and also the planning and ambition of his wife Lady Macbeth, in the end he is responsible for his self-destruction.
Seeking for greater power, Macbeth murders Duncan who is the king at that time, which caused a great pain for the kingdom. Duncan is a great king, but just not a so good human reader. He has never been aware of Macbeth. He never have a thought that Macbeth might be a danger, who is willing to kill him for the throne. On the other hand, Macbeth does not accept to be just a general for the rest of his life. He wants a greater power, higher position than he is having at the time. Because of the suggests from the trio witches: “ All hail, Macbeth! Hail to thee, Thane of Cawdor!/ All hail, Macbeth, that shalt be king hereafter!”(1.2.49-50), Macbeth has the thinking about killing the king to take his throne. By calling Macbeth the Thane of Cawdor, they give Macbeth the thought that being a king is his fate. On the night Macbeth is planning to murder Duncan, the Old Man see many strange events: “And Duncan’s horses (a thing most strange and certain),/ Beauteous and swift, the minions of their race, /Turned wild in nature, broke their stalls, flung out/ Contending ‘gainst obedience, as they would/ Make war with mankind” (2.4.14-18). It creates a scary feeling in the kingdom, and means something bad will happen to the kingdom.
Macbeth, at the beginning of the play seems to be a very noble person. He is characterized as being very loyal and honorable. He fights in the battle against ...