Macbeth is among the best examples of a tragic hero to exist in classic literature. Like any other protagonist of an epic, he is a courageous and powerful leader. However, he has one tragic flaw (his ambition) that slowly destroys his life before ending it, effectively bringing about his downfall. Macbeth 's tragic flaw is brought to the surface when he learns of his potential future position as king, and from there it takes control of his actions and judgement. By examining Macbeth 's attitude towards murder throughout the piece, one can trace the different stages of his moral degeneration as he appears to think less and less of the consequences of his actions. Macbeth is introduced much like any other heroic character that protagonizes a …show more content…
He is relieved when he learns that he is invulnerable to any man born of woman, and that he cannot be harmed until a well-known forest travels to the city to confront him. Even though Macbeth is confident that he has no more to fear, he decides to have Macduff killed as an unnecessary extra precaution: "MACBETH: Then live, Macduff. What need I fear of thee? / But yet I’ll make assurance double sure, / And take a bond of fate. Thou shalt not live, / That I may tell pale-hearted fear it lies, / And sleep in spite of thunder" (Shakespeare 85-89). Macbeth expresses that even though he has no more to fear from Macbeth, he will sleep easier at night knowing that the man is dead, and thus vows to kill the man without second thought. At this point, Macbeth reached the nadir of his moral judgment. He has progressed from hesitating and agonizing over the decision to kill a king for his crown to deciding to have a subject killed without a justifiable cause, proving the moral degeneration he experiences in the piece. Many different interpretations exist on what exactly drove Macbeth to his bad deeds, and Jarold Ramsey provides a new logical perspective on what this sudden changte could be attributed to: an obsessive drive for …show more content…
Ramsey eloquently summarizes his argument in a single sentence: "At the first of the play, Macbeth 's 'manly ' actions in war are not contradictory to a general code of humane-ness or 'kind-ness ' irrespective of gender: but as the play develops, his moral degeneration is dramatized as a perversion of a code of manly virtue, so that by the end he seems to have forfeited nearly all of his clames on the race itself" (Ramsey 285). Ramsey expresses that Macbeth 's manly actions in war as described in the beginning of the play were not sinful or uncharacteristic of a hero, but as the play progresses his character develops into an immoral man who eschews his own ethical values in favor of pursuing manly virtues. This is an interesting perspective, especially considering the fact that Lady Macbeth 's questioning of Macbeth 's "manhood" was the deciding factor in his choice to finally kill King Duncan, which in turn was responsible for the rest of his moral degeneration. This is not a problem unique to Macbeth: Aeneas also suffered much in "The Aeneid" due to his incessant pursuit of honor and glory, and he did not prevail until he learned to let go of these ambitions. The difference lies in the fact that Macbeth never
At this point, Shakespeare has provided sufficient evidence to prove that Macbeth is mentally troubled. His death and his mental deterioration are inevitable. He is haunted by the deeds he has done and the witches’ prophecies. Macbeth claims that life is utterly meaningless when he says, “Life’s but a walking shadow, a poor player/ That struts and frets his hour upon the stage/ And then is heard no more. It is a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury/ Signifying nothing.” (5.5 27-31). He no longer has the will to live with knowledge of what he has done. The witches, however, have revealed that he cannot be killed by “one of woman born.” Upon hearing this, Macbeth believes himself to be invincible. During the battle of Dunsinane, he fights recklessly against his foes, under the impression that none can harm him. Macduff then enters the scene. He reveals that he was not of woman born but “from his mother’s womb / Untimely ripped” and therefore has the ability to kill Macbeth (5.8 19-20). Afraid for his life, Macbeth remains persistent and declares that he will not surrender. In the end, Macbeth is slain and Malcolm becomes King of Scotland. Ultimately, Macbeth’s mental deterioration led to his downfall and imminent death. Before Macduff slew him, Macbeth was almost wishing for death. He was overwhelmed with guilt, regret, ambition, power, paranoia, and the blood on his hands.
William Shakespeare's play Macbeth is a five-act drama that shows a clear example of how pride, greed, and power can alter a man's actions and personality. The taste of power blinds the story's main character, Macbeth. Sparked by Lady Macbeth, he becomes heartless and cruel as he kills anyone who is a threat to his power due to his paranoia of losing the throne. This fear ironically leads to his downfall and loss of the throne. The theme of the story is deceit and evil and how they affect a man's decisions.
William Shakespeare’s Macbeth is a tragedy in which the main characters are obsessed by the desire for power. Macbeth’s aspiration for power blinds him to the ethical implications of his dreadful acts. The more that Shakespeare’s Macbeth represses his murderous feelings, the more he is haunted by them. By analyzing his hallucinations it is possible to trace his deteriorating mental state and the trajectory of his ultimate fall. Throughout the play Macbeth is never satisfied with himself. He feels the need to keep committing crime in order to keep what he wants most: his kingship. The harder Macbeth tries to change his fate the more he tends to run into his fate. His ambition and struggle for power was Macbeth’s tragic flaw in the play. Macbeth’s rise to the throne was brought about by the same external forces that ensure his downfall.
After murdering Banquo, Macbeth begins to fear other powerful men around him, such as Macduff. The witches provide Macbeth with Apparitions that tell him his fate for the future as king. The second Apparition, a bloody child tells Macbeth that no individual born from a woman can harm Macbeth. Macbeth then replies “Then live Macduff; what need I fear thee? But yet I’ll make assurance double sure and take a bond of fate. Thou shalt not live, that I may tell pale-hearted fear it lies, and sleep in spite of thunder” (4,1,93-97). Even though Macbeth gains the knowledge that no individual born from a woman can harm him, he acts cowardly to protect himself. Macbeth turns to murder instead of facing the powerful Macduff himself. As Machiavelli said men act cowardly, and Macbeth demonstrates just that by murdering anyone who seems to pose even a slight threat towards him as king. Macbeth believes murdering Macduff will allow him to “sleep in spite of thunder.” Macbeth uses this metaphor of sleep by saying the people who sleep are innocent and the ones who don’t sleep are guilty. Macbeth believes if Banquo is dead, he can sleep as an innocent person. Macbeth presents a cowardly character who believes murder is the “right” way of handling his problems. As a result of Macbeth murdering more and more people out of fear, his people will think of him as a cowardly king. Macbeth wants his people to think he is a strong king, but by killing good people out of fear, individuals will have their idea of Macbeth’s character alter into being a
In the early 1600’s, William Shakespeare penned an Aristotelian tragedy ‘Macbeth’ which provides his audiences both then and now with many valuable insights and perceptions into human nature. Shakespeare achieves this by cleverly employing many dramatic devices and themes within the character of ‘Macbeth’. Macbeth is depicted as an anti-hero; a noble protagonist with a tragic flaw that leads to his downfall. This tragic flaw of Macbeth’s, heavily laden with the themes of ‘fate or free will’, and ‘ambition’, is brought out by Shakespeare in his writing to present us with a character whose actions and final demise are, if not laudable, very recognisable as human failings.
“If thou speak 'st false, Upon the next tree shalt thou hang alive,” Macbeth has threatened to kill the messenger at the drop of a hat for lying (5.5.2399-2400). Here you can see how drastically Macbeth has changed from the beginning of the play. Malcolm’s army has corner Macbeth within his castle. Macbeth repeatedly utters that unless one is not of woman born he can not be defeated. In the heat of battle, it appears as if Macbeth is correct. He slays a few soldiers, but many might forget that Macbeth is a decorated warrior himself. After Macbeth kills those few enemies, MacDuff appears from out of the crowd. MacDuff is an equal match for Macbeth, trading blow after blow. Macbeth is still stubbornly sticking to his vision telling him to fear none other than those not of woman born. “...Macduff was from his mother 's womb Untimely ripp 'd,” MacDuff unleashes this knowledge bomb on Macbeth (5.8.2493-2494). He is what Macbeth has feared more than anything else. Macbeth wants to avoid MacDuff but, also does not want to sacrifice his life. Macbeth continues to fight, but in the end, he lost. Macbeth trusting the witches and adopting one perspective of what he has learned leads to his demise at MacDuff’s
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.
In the years between 1603 and 1607, the famous playwright William Shakespeare wrote one of his most famous tragedies, The Tragedy of Macbeth. The play tells the story of Macbeth, a Scottish thane that is visited by three witches and told that one day he will be king. With this prophecy in hand Macbeth, urged on by his wife, kills King Duncan and takes the throne. However, he soon descends into madness, murdering anyone that threatens his claim to power. It is only when a rebel army storms his castle that Macbeth’s reign of terror comes to an end. Many argue that Macbeth’s tragic flaw is his unbridled ambition. However, a flaw that is even more glaring is Macbeth’s passiveness. He cannot stand up to his wife and is therefore led into folly by her, and it is this flaw that is the most tragic.
Now Macbeth is in a complete delusion as he now believes to be himself invincible, yet is still paranoid enough to kill Macduff even though he doesn 't think he can be caused harm. Sending murderers to take care of Macduff, who kill Macduff 's wife and children when Macduff himself isn 't there.
The one thing that all of Shakespeare’s plays have in common is a tragic conclusion, which results in the death of the hero. What is unique about the deaths of these heroes is that all of the problems that lead them to the end are self-induced. The heroes are always in control, and make crucial judgemental errors which ultimately lead to their own demise. While it is clear that the hero Macbeth causes his own death in this famous play, there are also third-party influences which push him towards this end. The three witches plant a desire for power and growing confidence in Macbeth, while Lady Macbeth eventually persuades him to go down a path of violence, and kill King Duncan in order to take his place on the throne.
Macbeth’s tragic flaw is his ambition and it consequentially leads to his downfall and ultimate demise. Macbeth is a tragic hero who is introduced in the the play as being well-liked and respected by the general and the people. He brings his death upon himself from this tragic flaw. His strengths turn into his weaknesses and his ambition drives him to the edge and sets himself up for his tragic death.
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.
The Tragedy of Macbeth written by William Shakespeare is a tale of a man and his un-bridled ambition, set in ancient Scotland. Macbeth is a nobleman of the king of Scotland, Duncan, who is in mid-war with Norway. Macbeth and his fellow general Banquo encounter three witches. The witches tell the pair that Macbeth will be king, and Banquo’s children will also be kings. Any person in their right mind would question information given to them by strangers, let alone witches, but for some reason these statements intrigue Macbeth. They temp Macbeth to do evil things such as treason, and worse, to kill. Although un-bridled ambition is his main tragic flaw, there is one more that plays a big role in his decisions and the outcome of the story; Macbeth is far too impressionable.
The character Macbeth in the story of Shakespeare’s Macbeth faces decisions that affect his morals. He begins as an innocent soul, dedicated to serve his kingdom and its king, Duncan. As time passes and opportunities present themselves combined with the deception of the evil witches, Macbeth begins his descent into madness. Macbeth’s innocence and loyalty are completely corrupted due to his over confidence, guilty conscience, and the inevitability of human nature. Macbeth looses sight of what is morally right to do in life because his logical choices are changed by these factors.
Shakespeare’s “Macbeth” explores a fundamental struggle of the human conscience. The reader is transported into the journey of a man who recognizes and acknowledges evil but still succumbs to its destructive powers. The character of Macbeth is shrouded in ambiguity that scholars have claimed as both being a tyrant and tragic hero. Macbeth’s inner turmoil and anxieties that burden him throughout the entire play evoke sympathy and pity in the reader. Though he has the characteristics of an irredeemable tyrant, Macbeth realizes his mistakes and knows there is no redemption for his sins. And that is indeed tragic.