Essay on Macbeth and Tragic Hero - 1071 Words

Macbeth, a tragedy written by William Shakespeare in the 17th century, expresses clearly the strong pull that desire for power can have over a man. Macbeth, the title character of the play, is often expressed as being the villain of the tragedy. However, through studying the play closely it is clear to see that, rather than being an innately evil character, Macbeth is in fact a tragic hero, doomed by fate from the start to descend into the madness which he did. Had it not been for his hamartia and his interaction with the witches and his wife then the play would have had a very different ending. Like every tragic hero in literature Macbeth suffered from a tragic flaw, or a hamartia. In his case, his flaw was his vaulting ambition,†¦show more content†¦Though initially he did not believe what they said, once he was granted the title Thane of Cawdor, he started to consider that it could possibly be true. There is a noticeable difference in his attitude toward the prophecy before and after he is made Thane of Cawdor. Before, there is a clear disbelief in his approach, though it’s obvious that he hopes for it to be true. Where as afterwards Macbeth is starting to view his promotion to King as not just a possibility, but rather an inevitable truth. His desire for this power arose and his ambition started to take control. It was this moment that started his transformation from hero, to tragic hero. However, the alteration was a slow one and throughout the tragedy the Witches continued to contribute to Macbeths growing insanity. Their prophecies begun to dictate his every move. This reliance on the witches is seen in the final scenes of the play, where Macbeth shows increasingly reckless behaviour in the battle scene due to the witches’ prophecy that â€Å"none of women born would harm Macbeth† (act IV, scene I). He became enraptured by a longing for power, a desire that would not have consumed him so, had it not been for his interaction with the witches. For if the Witches had not come along, than it is certain that Macbeth would not have fallen victim to the clutches of madness like he did. However, it was not only the Witches who contributed toShow MoreRelatedMacbeth as a Tragic Hero985 Words   |  4 Pages In William shakespeare’s Macbeth,Macbeth is a classic example of a tragic hero in shakesperean work.Macbeth display the major characteristics of a tragic hero throughout the play until his tragic end.The play potrays Macbeth as a lost cause by showing how he fell from being a honest and just man who fought for whats right, to a cruel,superstitious,ambicious dictator.In william shakespreares Macbeth,Macbeth is a tragic hero because he compromises his honor and negates his moral values in orderRead MoreMacbeth As A Tragic Hero1139 Words   |  5 PagesThe Macbeth character in Macbeth by William Shakespeare can be played many ways.  Macbeth s relationship with other characters in the play and Aristotle s theory of a tragedy are ways in which Macbeth is shown as a tragic hero I am going to explain to you how Macbeth is a true tragic hero. 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Throughout the play, we are introduced to Macbeth’s belovedness, the crushing of said established belovedness, and his own undoing. Read MoreMacbeth As A Tragic Hero1685 Words   |  7 Pagesprotagonist who appears to be a â€Å"tragic hero† in the overall play. In other words, this character is one who has made an error in his judgement, providing that this error eventually leads to their own ruin or destruction. Within Macbeth, Macbeth the character is regarded as a tragic hero, but with the distinct and evident explanation of his evil and the succession of his acts of violence, it may not be as clea r cut as to whether he is a tragic hero or not. Though Macbeth does commit an error that leadsRead MoreMacbeth As A Tragic Hero2154 Words   |  9 Pages Karen H. Macbeth Show how Macbeth is seen as a tragic hero â€Å"The catastrophe of the tragic hero thus becomes the catastrophe of the fifth-century man; all his furious energy and intellectual daring drive him on to this terrible discovery of his fundamental ignorance - he is not the measure of all commodity but the commodity measured and found wanting.† The words ‘tragic hero’ has undergone a deceptive and detrimental process, it goes from a favorable connotationRead MoreMacbeth As A Tragic Hero2015 Words   |  9 PagesMacbeth Show how Macbeth is seen as a tragic hero â€Å"One of the most tragic things I know about human nature is that all of us tend to put off living. We are all dreaming of some magical rose garden over the horizon-instead of enjoying the roses that are blooming outside our windows today.† The words ‘tragic hero’ has undergone a deceptive and detrimental process, it goes from a favorable connotation to a repulsive connotation. A tragic hero makes â€Å"judgment errors† that are inescapable and it ultimately