Macbeth Tragic Hero Essay

Essay about Macbeth as A Tragic Hero
Macbeth as A Tragic Hero
The character of Macbeth is a classic example of a Shakespearean tragic hero. There are many
factors that contribute to the character of Macbeth of which three will be discussed. Macbeth is a
typical tragic hero through his personality, actions, and qualities.
One of Macbeth's traits that evoke the idea of a tragic hero is that he is worthy of the reader's
interest. A tragic hero must be worthy of reader's interest, concern, or sympathy. Macbeth shows
this through his bravery. In the begging of the play a battle goes on between King Duncan of
Scotland and Macdonwald of Norway. Macbeth fights bravely on Scotland's side, and he even killed
Macdonwald himself (I. Ii. 9–23)....show more content...
According to Corley Olson, "Part of being a tragic hero is possessing a flaw. This flaw must
inevitably lead to self–destruction, the fall of the tragic hero" (15). One of his flaws is his
weakness to be persuaded by others. Lady Macbeth convinced her husband that he wasn't a man
unless he went through with the murder of Duncan. She threatens his manhood by saying, "When
you durst do it, then you were a man; / And to be more than what you were, you would/ Be so much
more the man" (Act I. vii, 49–51). Macbeth's ambition is also a major flaw. During the play
Macbeth's ambition brought him to achieve his goals but as the play evolves, it forced him to face
his fate. His ambition led him to become greedy, violent, and power hungry. Corley Olson also
writes, "Macbeth is confronted with the supernatural and prophecy of becoming king. As this flaw
also includes his weakness through over ambition.
One of Macbeth's features that educe the idea of a tragic hero is his stupendous affect on the other
characters in this play. Patricia Hammond writes a tragic hero must have a great impact on those
around him (114). The reader can simply see that Macbeth influences numerous lives throughout this
drama. One family that suffers because of Macbeth is Banquo's when Macbeth hires murderers to
kill Banquo. Fleance, his only son, escapes to unknown parts (III, iii.
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Essay On Macbeth As A Tragic Hero
Most people would consider a hero as someone who has impacted the world in a positive fashion,
but doing a single positive action does not abolish all of the bad deeds that a person has committed.
The great philosopher, Aristotle classifies a tragic hero through the principals hamartia and hubris,
meaning a character in a dramatic tragedy who expresses a tragic flaw and excessive pride,
conclusively leading to their downfall. In the tragic play "Macbeth" by William Shakespeare, the
main character, Macbeth is a considered a tragic hero since he represents the principal hamartia
through his tragic flaw of ambition and he exhibits the principal hubris through his excessive pride.
First and foremost, Macbeth demonstrates the trait of Aristotle's tragic hero through hamartia
represented by Macbeth's tragic flaw ambition. The witches prophecy is fulfilled and Macbeth
thinks to himself "I am thane of Cawdor" and the power that he retains as king pleases him (Mac.
1.3.135). Macbeth receives a slight taste of power, and he succumbs to the feeling it gives him. He
demands to obtain all the power he can land his hands on, and will do whatever is necessary to
grasp it. Macbeth wants more authority and he dares fate to come "into the list,/ and champion me to
th' utterance" (Mac.3.1.72–73). The thane assumes that he can defy...show more content...
Humans typically tend to be greedy and take everything for thierself, but Macbeth goes above and
beyond to make sure his heart's desires are fulfilled. Power changes him into a pretentious person
and forms a need for more jurisdiction that is unquenchable. The neverending loop of murder that
Macbeth gets trapped in causes his excessive pride and ambition to grow leading him to his
downfall. Macbeth is a tragic hero because he widley models a tragic flaw of ambition and he
displays a large amount of excessive pride, causing him to ultimately become

Macbeth Tragic Hero
In life, people will always make wrong decisions and these wrong decisions lead to destructive
consequences. Macbeth does this in the play "Macbeth". A tragic hero is a literary character who
makes a judgment error that leads to his/her own destruction. Fate and external forces bring on the
tragedy in a tragic hero's life. And in William Shakespeare's play "Macbeth", Macbeth goes through
situations in his life that portray him as a tragic hero: his ambition, the witches prophecy, and Lady
Macbeth show the development of Macbeth as a tragic hero. To start, a tragic hero suffers a tragic
flaw and Macbeth in the play "Macbeth"; ambition is one of his flaws. Macbeth has just learned that
Malcolm is to be Prince of Cumberland, which...show more content...
In the beginning of the play, Macbeth and Banquo encounter the witches. The witches then tell
Macbeth that he is the Thane of Cawdor and will soon be the future king. Macbeth questions the
witches' prophecy because the Thane of Cawdor is still alive but they vanish without a word. Ross
then appears with Angus (two nobleman sent by Duncan), they deliver Macbeth a message that the
King is pleased with his success in battle and will announce him the new Thane of Cawdor. Macbeth
is then certain that the witches' prophecy is true and must believe them more. "All fail, Macbeth,
hail to thee, thane of Cawdor." Macbeth believes these "half–truths" because he desperately wants to
become king. When Macbeth sees that the witches' prophecy is true, he is convinced everything
they say is correct such as when they told him that he will be future king. Macbeth's flaw in
listening to the witches' prophecy leads him to his development as a tragic hero. Lastly another
example where Macbeth carelessly listens to the witches' prophecy is in Act 4 scene 1. Macbeth
goes to visit the Witches and demands that they answer his questions. They do not answer his
questions but in return give him three apparitions. "Macbeth! Macbeth! beware Macduff; Beware
the than of Fife. Dismiss me. Enough." The first apparition is an "armed head", the second
apparition is a bloody child, and the third

Macbeth Tragic Hero Research Paper
William Shakespeare's play 'Macbeth' is a typical Shakespearean tragedy. With Macbeth; the
protagonist fitting the label through the characteristics of what makes a tragic hero and narrative
pattern, that the play follows, to be categorised as a typical Shakespearean tragedy.
Macbeth; the protagonist, fits the label of a tragic hero through the qualities and characteristics of
what makes a tragic hero in Shakespeare's typical tragedies. "For brave Macbeth – well he deserves
that name–"as he is now a man of high estate, the first impression that the audience has of Macbeth
is of his greatness. Early in the play, the audience becomes aware of the driving force, and the
'vaulting ambition' in which Macbeth soon becomes obsessive with. In typical tragedies, the hero
has a tragic flaw which soon becomes a highly destructive force with Macbeth's flaw being his
obsessive ambition, he becomes aggressive and he commits regicide. Macbeth speaks of his
'tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow' speech, where the audience feels some sympathy for him,
and the tragic hero is marked as a sense of waste. In every typical Shakespearean tragedy, it not only
has a tragic hero, but the structure of the play is unique....show more content...
At the beginning of the play, Shakespeare creates tension, a sense of urgency, with the previous
Thane of Cawdor committing treason and a new Thane being needed. The tragic hero then
encounters a supernatural suggestion, where they feed his obsession of ambition "that shalt be king
hereafter". Once the supernatural suggestions get into the hero's; Macbeth's, head the actions of his
are mistimed, where Macbeth acts on what he believes in, by killing the two groomsmen out of
'rage'. At this point, Macbeth the tragic hero, has gotten to the point where he is at his worst, yet his
best. Macbeth, then becomes courageous in the eyes of the audience, with the turning point in the

Macbeth Tragic Hero Essay
"A man doesn't become a hero until he can see the root of his own downfall." This is the
well–known quote by Aristotle, the ancient Greek philosopher, about the path a man must take in
becoming a tragic hero of literature. In his literary book, "Poetics," Aristotle described the attributes
of a true tragic hero. These were nobility, a relatable personality, a fatalcharacter flaw, and the
experience of a tragic fate with a gain in understanding from the downfall. He believed that only by
possessing these attributes could an audience relate to a character. By sympathizing with the
character, the audience can experience new understanding about some point of morality. Shakespeare
followed Aristotle's format in his play "Macbeth," making the hero...show more content...
(Macbeth I, ii, 15–23)
Macbeth is horrified about the thought of murder, demonstrating that he is a moral person. This is
shown in the lines:
My thought, whose murder yet is but fantastical,
Shakes so my single state of man
That function is smothered in surmise,
And nothing is but what is not. (I, iii, 142–45)
Macbeth also shows himself to be loyal, when telling King Duncan that everything he does is in
loyalty and service to Duncan. He says to Duncan:
The service and the loyalty I owe
In doing it pays itself. Your highness' part
Is to receive our duties, and our duties
Are to your throne and state children and servants,
Which do but what they should, by doing everything
Safe toward your love and honor. (I, iv, 23–28)
Finally, Macbeth is shown to be kind when Lady Macbeth says to him: [...]Yet do I fear thy nature;
It is too full o' th' milk of human kindness
To catch the nearest way: thou wouldst be great,
Art not without ambition, but

Macbeth: A Tragic Hero? Essay
Macbeth: A Tragic Hero?
A Tragic Hero is a common figure in many of Shakespeare's works. A Tragic Hero is usually a
figure of royalty, fame or greatness. This person is predominately good, but falls from prominence
due to personality flaws that eventually lead to self–destruction.
Macbeth's major flaws are his ambition and impressionability. Due to their flaws, a TragicHero's
actions are often atrocious and cause them to battle with their conscience after their desires have
been accomplished. These battles with their conscience evoke empathy from the audience. A
Shakespearean Tragic Hero will always lose their life in the end of the play as a result of
re–establishment of what is good in the play. In Shakespeare's Macbeth, the title...show more
content...
They way in which he is addressed by the influential members of his country further informs the
reader that Macbeth is respectable. However, after Macbeth interacts with the three witches, his
curiosity is stirred by their prophecies, especially their prediction that he will become king. He
commits murder in order to fulfill their prophecy and then returns to the three witches a second time
for reassurance. The three witches, with the aid of three apparitions, then revealed to Macbeth in Act
5, Scene 1 the following prophecies:
Macbeth! Macbeth! Macbeth! Beware Macduff! Beware the Than of Fife!...Macbeth! Macbeth!
Macbeth! Be bloody, bold and resolute. Laugh to scorn the power of man, for none of woman born
shall harm Macbeth...Be lion–mettled, proud and take no care who chafes, who frets or where
conspirers are. Macbeth shall never vanquished be until Great Birnam Wood to high Dunsinane Hill
shall come against him.
(Shakespeare 4:1 80–107)
Because of these predictions, Macbeth believes that no one can harm him. However, this is a false
sense of security. Macduff, who was born by a Caesarean section and therefore was not born of
woman, ultimately killed Macbeth, thus revealing that the witches predictions were only half–truths.
Macbeth's good nature is increasingly defeated by one of his major flaws–ambition. His ambition
and desire to become king leads

One of the characteristics of a tragic hero is hamartia, meaning a fatal flaw, and Macbeth's fatal
flaw is ambition. One time when he shows this trait is when he finds out Malcolm is the new Prince
of Cumberland. So far in the story, Macbeth has won two battles, one against Macdonwald and one
against the Norwegians. Then, he and Banquo received the witches' prophecies. Right after, one of
them came true when Macbeth became the new Thane of Cawdor giving Macbeth hope that he
could also be king. This was where his ambition started. After, Duncan announced that Malcolm was
going to be the new Prince of Cumberland. This is a portion of Macbeth's soliloquy:
"The Prince of Cumberland: that is a step
On which I must fall down, or else o'erleap
For

Macbeth: The Tragic Hero Essay
In William Shakespeare's Macbeth, Macbeth is a classic example of a tragic hero who is
constantly struggling with his fate. In the opening scene of the play Macbeth receives a prophecy
from three witches. They proclaim that he will be the thane of Cawdor. He responds by saying,
"By Sinel's death I know that I am thane of Glamis/ but how of Cawdor"(I, iii, 70–73)? At first, he
does not realize to earn this title what he must do, but when he realizes he is taken aback. His
bewilderment prefigures his perpetual struggle with his fate. Macbeth also is excessively ambitious
which constantly affects him throughout the play. He is too determined to become king and will kill
anyone to ensure that this will transpire. Macbeth's struggle and...show more content...
Although Macbeth has his doubts, he goes through with his immoral plan. He hallucinates and
sees a bloody dagger as a result of his guilty conscience. "Macbeth's emotions are the struggles of
conscience; his agonies are the agonies of remorse. They are lessons of justice, and warnings to
innocence" (Montagu). Struggling with his fate, Macbeth is acting as a classic tragic hero. After
the violent murder of the King, Macbeth is completely defiled. He uses treachery and will extirpate
anyone who poses a threat to him. This is clearly demonstrated when Macbeth reveals his plan to
kill Banquo. According to Thomas Thrasher, "Macbeth continues on his murderous course of action
because he is determined to hold the crown" (77). The murder of Banquo proves this to be true,
because it exposes Macbeth's draconian nature. Macbeth hires murderers to kill Banquo and his son,
Fleance, because they appear to be a threat to him. According to the witches' prophecy a descendent
of Banquo would become the next king. Macbeth's obsession with the witches' prophecy results in
the murder of Banquo. The murder of Banquo illustrates different characteristics of Macbeth's
personality. An example of this is the change in Lady Macbeth's influence in her husband's affairs.
At first she helped Macbeth plan the murder of the king and insulted his manhood when he began to
have doubts. When Macbeth decides to kill Banquo, oddly Lady Macbeth

In Shakespeare's' Macbeth, the titular character Macbeth is a tragic hero based on the description
of one by Aristotle. He displays the ability to be good and noble, he has and even understands a
flaw within himself and his flaw eventually leads to his downfall, or removal of high status.
Shakespeare creates Macbeth as a tragic story and the play features a main character that has all the
traits of a tragic protagonist that falls from grace.
At the beginning of the play, it is shown that Macbeth is a heroic person. He is respected by the
whole of Scotland and even the King takes notice of him. His patriotic deeds had led to King
Duncan being quite fond of him, as he develops a respect for his fighting skills. Duncan exclaims
"O valiant cousin! Worthy Gentleman!" (1.2.24) when he hears of Macbeth's success in battle
against the rebels fighting the King's army. His loyal fighting for the Royal side is rewarded, as
King Duncan soon gives him the title: Thane of Cawdor. This reward shows the high standing
Macbeth has. He is a nobleman, with a noble cause at this point in the play, and is not only highly
respected by his peers but evidently by his higher ups. Shakespeare makes this known by having the
most powerful person in the country reveal his love and...show more content...
He says "Infected be the air whereon they ride, And damned all those that trust them!" (4.1.138–139),
referring to the witches that he once trusted. These beings, who gave Macbeth the prophecy that he
would be king, are a symbol of the supernatural, meaning they have knowledge beyond even the
powerful Macbeth. Macbeth cursing those that trust these witches, as he once did, shows the
aggressive mindset and unapologetic mindset he settles into. This leads to his downfall, as he
himself, fittingly and ironically, becomes "damned" and is defeated by

Macbeth-Tragic Hero
From war hero to tragic hero let's journey through the downfall of MacBeth. The term tragic hero
usually follows a main character who has a very powerful role in a drama. This prestigious role is
always cursed with a flaw that leads to his or her demise. The flaw can sometimes be a regretful
decision that the character has no control over. Once the flaw is revealed to him or her the plot is
usually too unbearable for the tragic hero to avoid. In Shakespeare's Play MacBeth the witches
prophecy, Lady MacBeth, and MacBeth's ambition itself play a role in MacBeth's downfall.
MacBeth sees what his future holds and compromises his nobility and honor to make his future a
reality prematurely. This flaw can be diagnosed as unchecked ambition. In the...show more content...
MacBeth slowly sees his life falling apart in front of him, he became king, killed his best friend to
preserve his crown, killed MacDuff's family to silence the threats, and without realizing his action
lead his dear wife to kill herself. MacBeth may have acquired everything any man could ever want
but to him that wasn't enough. Always craving more he let his ambition be his downfall. Through a
gritty battle in the end of the play MacBeth meets defeat for the first time in his life when he battles
the unnatural birthed MacDuff. Ambition gave MacBeth the world but also took his

Macbeth--a Tragic Hero Essay example
MacBeth
In the play Macbeth by William Shakespeare, the character of Macbeth is discovered to be a classic
example of a tragic hero. Macbeth is a very ambitious and courageous person who lets three main
things turn him into a violent individual. Two of the points, which most greatly contribute toMacbeth
's fall, are the prophecy, which were told to him by the witches, and how Lady Macbeth influenced
and manipulated Macbeth's judgment. These two factors along with his tremendous ambition to be
king is what caused him to fall from a noble man who was loyal to his king to a violent man who
would kill his king to become king!
The prophecies, which were told by the witches, was one of the factors that contributed to the fall of
his...show more content...
Lady Macbeth plays an important role in this play because she provided a scheme, which allows
Macbeth a chance to assassinate King Duncan. After Macbeth had killed King Duncan, he later
regrets on his wrongdoings, because at this point Macbeth's conscience still has some say in what
Macbeth does. Macbeth's first murder was a trying experience for him, however after the first
murder, killing seemed to be the only solution to maintain his reign of the people of Scotland. That is
how Lady Macbeth had part in the disintegration of Macbeth character. With out Lady Macbeth,
Macbeth may not have had enough courage to pursue on his mission to kill Duncan.
Macbeth's ambition also influenced his downfall. However, Macbeth's ambition had not been
strong enough to carry the motive to kill King Duncan. Lady Macbeth's influence also comes into
play because if not for Lady Macbeth, his ambition would not have been strong enough to drive
him to obtain and maintain his title of King of Scotland no matter what it took, even if it meant
murder. Macbeth's ambition blinded him of the moral thing to do and his conscience no longer
had any say in what Macbeth did to maintain his thrown. These events taking place in his life
caused us to see a new side of Macbeth. This new side of Macbeth contained greed, violence, and
power hunger. Macbeth illustrates this side until the last act when he says, "that keep the word of
promise to our ear, and

Macbeth Tragic Hero
Macbeth is both a protagonist and a hero in this play. More specifically, Macbeth is a tragic hero.
The Educere lesson explains the criteria for a tragic hero, and Macbeth meets all this criteria.
Macbeth, "is the protagonist, has central flaws, the audience feels both empathy and dislike for him,
and he has a moment of self–understanding before his death.{{Each paragraph must contain 5–7
sentences.}}
{{Transition needed here.}}Macbeth is generally a good person, but ambition is his main flaw. His
ambition is so strong, he often acts like he has no choice but to do whatever is necessary to reach
his goal. In Act 1, Scene 3, he states,
"My thought, whose murder yet is but fantastical,
Shakes so my single state of man
That function is smother'd

macbeth as a tragic hero Essay
     A Shakespearean tragic hero starts out as a noble person; a
great exceptional being who stands out. A tragic hero has a tragic flaw of an exaggerated trait
that leads to their downfall and eventually to death. William Shakespeare often made his main
characters tragic heroes in his plays. In Shakespeare's Macbeth, the role of the tragic hero is given
to the main character: Macbeth. This is because he starts off as a loyal and well liked man in the
beginning, but has a tragic flaw of ambition which ultimately leads to his downfall.
     Macbeth started off a great and noble man of Scotland and
was honoured by the king and his people. He was thought of as a great man and brave among the
...show more content...
She knows he needs motivation. Macbeth's ambition was so great that he often thought of killing the
king to become the king. He recalls a moment when he thought of killing Duncan after the encounter
with the three witches. "This supernatural soliciting Cannot be ill; cannot be good; if ill, Why hath
it given me earnest success, Commencing in a truth? I am thane of Cawdor: If good, why do I yield
to that suggestion Whose image doth unfix my hair?"(I, iii, 140–145) This reveals that Macbeth's
character has a bit more evil in him than we are let on to believe. He also realizes that his ambition
is making him get carried away and it is all happening rapidly. "...To prick the sides of my intent
/ but only/ vaulting ambition, which develops itself/ and falls on the other."(I, vii, 26–28) He knows
things are going too fast and he wants to procrastinate from the deed a little longer. Macbeth's
tragic flaw of ambition ultimately leads him to his downfall.
     Macbeth's downfall begins when his ambition takes over his
conscience and leads him to kill King Duncan. He gets tangled up in a web of death and lies.
Once Duncan is murdered, it only leads to more ruthless crimes committed by Macbeth against his
loved ones. He feels the need to kill off Banquo and his son because they know too much and are a
possible threat to his regime. "To be thus is nothing; But to be safely thus: our fears in Banquo

A Tragic Hero is a main character(protagonist) in any literature who comes in a miserable or
unhappy ending, usually death(catastrophe). They are generally a person of importance in society,
usually means being a king, duke, prince, company owner, etc. In the play, Macbeth, Macbeth is the
epitome of being a tragic hero because he is the protagonist who comes to an unhappy ending, gets
the part of being king, and suffers from his tragic flaw: weakness of character. To start off with,
Macbeth is an example of a tragic hero because of him being the protagonist. Throughout the play,
Macbeth had many qualities as well as some tragic flaws. He was a courageous and brave man
who was flawed by the witches and with his ambition. This all happened due to the prophecies
that the witches told him, which was of Macbeth to be king. In Act 1, Scene 7, Macbeth says, "I
have no spur/ To prick the sides of my intent , but only/ Vaulting ambition, which o'erleaps itself
/ And falls on th' other." This drove Macbeth to commit murder on King Duncan of his desire to be
king. Although he was courageous and brave and he is seen as the hero at the beginning of the play,
his overconfidence causes his downfall....show more content...
He was driven by Lady Macbeth as she convinced her husband to murder Duncan by determining
his masculinity. In Act 1, Scene 7, she says, "When you durst do it, then you were a man;/And to
be more than what you were, you would be so much more the man." The idea of killing Duncan
first came from Macbeth. He listened to the witches' prophecies that said he would become King.
He also didn't want to wait any longer and he thought the only way to become King was to kill
Duncan. Lady Macbeth was also excited about becoming Queen so she motivated Macbeth into
doing what he said he'd do. So, Lady Macbeth helped stage a plan so that Macbeth could kill him
without being

Macbeth Tragic Hero Research Paper
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...show more content...
Macbeth's steeping in the supernatural put him into tragic.
Lady Macbeth played an important role in the downfall of Macbeth's life to evil. She is a
whole–hearted fiend, who played a more masculine and decisive role than Macbeth. (Wain, 104)
She knew Macbeth had ambition yet frail, so she poured her evil spirit in his ear. "We fail? But
screw your courage to the sticking place and we'll not fail." (I.vii.69–71) This is the turning point,
where Lady Macbeth placed her husband in a false position by upholding him to commit the murder
deed, (Elloway, 20) and it is also a point that Macbeth made his wrong judgement in life to get the
throne by evil act. After committing the murder he could not turn back anymore from the darkness.
The serious error in his judgement, became the flaw in his character, which finally put himself into a
great tragic.
Macbeth was full of courage and bravery, yet he used it in sinful deeds. His murder to Duncan
and crowned himself King was a sacrilege, (Elloway, 26) but he did not exhibit any remorse and
dared do anything to get rid of those who could threaten his power. His next wrong turn was to kill
Banquo, as he feared that it would be Banquo's descendants to succeed to his throne as the witches
cursed. He said, "ВЎKin his (Banquo) death is perfect." (III.i.107) This time he was totally
persistent and independent in decision making and he left Lady Macbeth ignorant of his

Essay on Shakespeare's Macbeth as Tragic Hero
Shakespeare's Macbeth as Tragic Hero
Shakespeare's Macbeth follows the journey of nobleman Macbeth that starts with him as Thane of
Glamis and ends with him as King of Scotland. Macbeth is a tragic hero because he possesses all the
traits that Aristotle outlined in his poetics. He said that the tragic hero must be a man that is higher
than mortal worth, but has tragic flaws. Aristotle also stated that the flaws will lead to great
suffering and usually death; the cause being fate. The flaws that lead to Macbeth's degeneration are
his sense of ambition, his reliance on the prophecies and his influence and manipulation by Lady
Macbeth. These flaws cause the downfall of Macbeth, which evokes both pity and fear in the...show
more content...
After the murder, his desire, or ambition to keep his throne leads him to kill his best friend Banquo
because the witches prediction that Banquo's son would become king. He also kills Macduff's family
because he believes that he a danger to his crown. This murder proves to be his most fatal error.
Macbeth is a nobleman and a warrior and therefore, it is important for him to be manly in front of
everyone, which is why he is insecure about his manhood. Lady Macbeth plays on this insecurity
and is able to control Macbeth through this manipulation. She challenges his manhood when he
decides not to kill Duncan, saying "When you durst do it, then you were a man" (I, 7, 54). This
pushes Macbeth to kill the King. Lady Macbeth also challenged his manhood when he sees Banquo's
ghost, saying that if he were a real man, the sight of a ghost would not bother him. ."..regard him
not––Are you a man?" (III, 4, 69)
Macbeth's reliance on the prophecies was another important factor in the decline of his character. If
it were not for the witches telling Macbeth that he would be King, he may have remained his
honorable and loyal self. The prophecies aroused his ambition and start the corruption of his
character. The second apparition that was given to Macbeth makes him feel as though he is
invincible because the apparition states that no man born of woman could harm him, but it was a
half truth because they also told him that he should

Macbeth: A Tragic Hero
"what's done cannot be undone." (Shakespeare 5.1.71) Some considered Macbeth to be a hero;
others think he is beyond making good again. The ways Macbeth made his way up to power can
never be undone. Which makes Macbeth a very tragic hero.
To start Macbeth was a fully realized human being than others. He had heightened powers and
destiny of accomplishing great things. "All hail, Macbeth! Hail thee, Thane of Glamis! All hail
Macbeth! Hail thee, Thane of Cawdor! All hail, Macbeth, that shalt be king hereafter!" (Shakespeare
1.3.51–53) the witches say proving that Macbeth is respected enough to be the Thane of Cawdor.
Then later proving that he has the power to become and stay the king of Scotland. Yes, he does kill
the king to become king, but...show more content...
Besides the witches talking to Macbeth into becoming the king, which convinces him to kill the
king, so he can be king; Macbeth has others help doom him to his fate. Later on when Macbeth goes
to the witches again after killing Banquo; they begin to show Macbeth these apparitions. "Macbeth!
Beware Macduff! Beware the Thane of Fife!" (Shakespeare 4.1.81–82) "Macbeth! ... for none of
woman born shall harm thee Macbeth." (Shakespeare 4.1.88–92) When the wood begins to move
that will signal the end of Macbeth. When Macbeth believes the apparitions he starts to go a little
crazy and continues his fall. When reporting of the wood moving Macbeth discovers his end is
coming.
Finally, Macbeth was able to learn through suffering and personal courage in accepting death and
annihilation. "Dispair thy charm, and let the angel whom thou still hast served tell thee, Macduff
was from his mother's womb untimely ripped." (Shakespeare 5.8.17–20) at this moment Macbeth
realized that this was his time to go. Much like the witches said "no man that's born of woman shall
e'er have power upon thee." (Shakespeare 5.3.6–7) When Macbeth found out Macduff was not
woman born Macbeth stopped fighting and knew this was the end of his life.
In conclusion all is done that cannot be undone. Macbeth has proven himself to be a very tragic
hero by giving up all that he had gained; to finish his fate that was prophesied by the

In William Shakespeare's tragedy Macbeth, the main character exhibits the traits of a tragic hero.
Beginning in Act I, as we are introduced to Macbeth, until his death in Act V, this characterization is
evident. Macbeth is an Aristotelian tragic hero because he rose to high stature, is extremely
ambitious, fell from authority, and experienced a moment of self–acceptance and realization.
Macbeth rises to nobility throughout Act I. This social advancement begins in Act I, scene ii, lines
16–19, when Captain is recounting Scotland's battle against the Norwegians. Captain exclaims, "for
brave Macbeth– well he deserves that name– with brandish steel, which smoked with bloody
execution, like valor's minion." Captain is expressing the excess of bravery Macbeth demonstrates
during the battle. The next comment about Macbeth's rise in stature is...show more content...
His first epiphany took place in scene iii, lines 24–31, when Macbeth realizes he will die being
remembered as cruel and hateful instead of honorable. Macbeth states, "My way of life Is fall'n into
the 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, mouth–honor, breath,
which the poor heart would fain deny and dare not." Macbeth's next display of realization is in
scene v, line 9, when Macbeth's castle is surrounded by Malcolm's soldiers, and Macbeth says, "I
have almost forgot the taste of fears." Macbeth indicates that he has forgotten what true fear feels
like. Macbeth's last display of his realization of his mistakes is in scene vii. In this scene Macbeth
is talking with Young Siward before they fight. Young Siward asks for Macbeth's name and he
replies, "no, nor more fearful"(line 12). Macbeth is saying that his name is more feared than the
devils. Macbeth's epiphany before death occurs in Act

Macbeth is one of Shakespear's most well known plays. The exciting tale of a lust for power and
overbearing ambition captivated audiences. The main character, Macbeth, was a tragic hero
according to the four main components of the aristotilean tragic hero. An Anristotilean tragic hero is
one who is of noble beginnings, but ultimately makes an false judgement that leads to their. The
hero of the tragedy much have a fatal flaw that leads them to their downfall (Hamatia), they must
have a turning point in which roles are reversed (peripetia), a change in his actions based on
self–awareness ( anagnorisis) and finally it triggers emotions such as pity and fear from the audience
( catharsis). As he rises in power until his utmost demise, the protagonist, Macbeth, in Shakespear's
Macbeth accurately portrays three out of these four main characteristsics....show more content...
between the persuasion of his wife and his excessive ambition, Macbeth's Macbeth's ambition and
inability to be pacient led Lady macbeth to coax macbeth into having duncan killed. In order to
cover up te death of the king, the got the guards drunk, proceeded to murdder the guards, place
blame on the fleeing sons, kill banquo and the family of macduff. The witches told macbeth his
future in scotlaand would be bright, but macbeths inability to wait caused him to take meausres
into his own hands and pursue the death of the king. By th eend of th eplay four people were
murdered at the hands of macbeth trying to protect his crown. Macbeths paranoia and actions after
he recieved the crown made it so that he was quickly removed from the crown. The people looked to
himas if he was a tyrant. "My thought, whose murder yet is but fantastical, Shakes so my single state
of man, That function is smother'd in surmise, and nothing is but what is not.

To What Extent Is Macbeth A Tragic Hero
Macbeth is a tragic hero, in The Tragedy of Macbeth, as many people refer it as, has a main
antagonist Macbeth who is by fault of character flawed and is destined to experience death,
suffering, and downfall. And during the beginning of the play there was a supernatural force
involved in giving Macbeth the temptation. And many can argue that the 3 witches in the beginning
of the play made him do it but that's not necessarily true they never forced his hand in the murder of
King Duncan and the numerous murders he had involvement in. He did this on his own due to the
lack of his loyalty, sanity, or whatever trait other people wish to give him. Regardless of what trait
he lacks the story and Macbeth do follow in the criteria of a tragic hero....show more content...
Another characteristic Macbeth has is that he is great but not perfect when he first hear the
prophecy he gets tempted and eventually give into his impulses which eventually leads to his
downfall. That directly leads to another trait that a tragic hero has their downfall is somewhat their
own fault. Toward Macbeth's death it was his own choice to go and fight Macduff and get himself
killed instead of running. And the final trait a tragic hero has that Macbeth shares is that his
downfall isn't totally a bad thing because even though Macbeth is dead that's only bad for him,
things are back in order. Malcolm is king Macduff got revenge for his family and Scotland is at

Macbeth Tragic Hero Essay

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Macbeth Tragic Hero Essay