Macbeth's Flaws

417 Words1 Page
bulb-icon

Recommended: Macbeth as a tragic hero analysis

The best description of Macbeth would have to be a flawed character. It is best to use this term instead of a tragic hero, because Macbeth was far from being a hero, and not much was gained from his downfall. Overall, Macbeth just had multiple faults which included letting his ambition get the best of him, doubting his own actions which led to hallucinations, and having the feeling of being invincible. Additional flaws include his trust in witches and his ability to be persuaded easily by others. Within act V, scene iii, Macbeth admits his flaws have led him to a “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” (24-28). This …show more content…

Macbeth capitalized on this statement and truly believed that this made him invincible, because all people are born from women. However, he did not realize the play on words that was taking place. Because he states to Macduff, “I bear a charmed life, which must not yield to one of woman born” (V. viii. 12-13). In reality, Macduff was born through surgery and not naturally through his mother. This flaw of believing in the witches and feeling invincible due to the apparitions’ prophecies led to Macbeth’s demise, because ultimately he was killed by Macduff. It was not just a single flaw that brought Macbeth down but many. These flaws continued and built up to the point where Macbeth became depressed, mentally unstable, and heartless. When hearing that his wife committed suicide, Macbeth merely explains how “ she should have died hereafter. Thee would have been a time for such a word” (V. v. 17-18). One would have expected to hear a more surprised and mournful reaction to hearing the news of a spouse’s death. However, this flawed character seems to have lost his purpose in life and was waiting for his victory to come. Macbeth’s character had many flaws from the very beginning, and because of the amount of faults, it is best to describe him as a flawed character rather than a tragic

Show More
Related

  • Similarities Between Macbeth And Sir Gawain

    1218 Words  | 3 Pages

    the way it is written and the time period it's takes place in says that Macbeth is a tragic hero. A tragic hero is a little different from a normal hero because tragic hero will experience some supernatural being that will be the purpose of his actions and is said to experience a bad end when these said actions lead him or her there. In Macbeth, this is very true. Throughout his life, he displayed characteristics that would be considered a tragic hero.

    Read More

  • Macbeth's Downfall

    792 Words  | 2 Pages

    Shakespeare created a character in Macbeth who is strongly influenced in his decision making throughout the drama of The Tragedy of Macbeth. This drama is a Tragedy, hence the title, and has a hero, in Macbeth, who has a downfall. Readers become aware of the aspects that lead up to this predicament. Macbeth’s downfall was contributed equally from Lady Macbeth, the three weird sisters, and Macbeth’s ambition.

    Read More

  • Sympathy For Macbeth

    1405 Words  | 3 Pages

    Macbeth is the story of a man who is deeply ambitious and greedy, yet loving and moral. Macbeth has strong morals but does not abide by them, but his morals may be the reason many readers feel sympathy for this complex character. Macbeth is a prime example of a character who has great moral boundaries, but does not exercise his own advice. Not utilizing his moral compass causes a lot of problems for his character. Macbeth is a corrupt ruler, but his guilty conscious makes him a tragic hero. Although Macbeth makes hostile choices, the reader feels sympathy for him because he expresses extreme guilt for his malicious actions.

    Read More

  • Macbeth: The Cursed Scottish Play

    1019 Words  | 3 Pages

    In the play Macbeth, or more commonly referred to as the Cursed Scottish Play, the multitude of death and betrayal covers up or destroys the potential heroism of many characters, except for that of Macduff. His purity, courage, and sacrifice throughout the course of the play enable this hero to eventually orchestrate the fall of Macbeth.

    Read More

  • Macbeth's Corruption

    1293 Words  | 3 Pages

    Throughout The Tragedy of Macbeth, we see Macbeth change from a noble and brave soldier into a mere shadow of his former self. We meet Macbeth after a battle, the result of which has him named Thane of Cawdor. From this position, he falls to a paranoid man willing to do anything to remain in power. We can see his deterioration from the murders of Duncan and Banquo, Macbeth's second meeting with the witches, his treatment of Macduff's castle and his mental condition just before he is murdered.

    Read More

  • A Tragic Hero

    587 Words  | 2 Pages

    Many of us want to become a hero, a person with exceptional courage and strength. Macbeth desired this, but he wasn’t flawless. Macbeth was a man with many faults that led to his downfall. Starting out as a hero, Macbeth soon became a cowardly man, a tragic hero. Aristotle defined a tragic hero as a man who "falls into misfortune through some flaw” or simply a great man, who possesses a character flaw, which eventually causes their downfall. In the play Macbeth by William Shakespeare, Macbeth is a good example of a tragic hero. Macbeth is portrayed as a man who falls from his position of nobility due to a flaw in his character that eventually results in his tragic death. Macbeth, even though a great man, let the witches prophecies, influence of Lady Macbeth, and his ambitions get the best of him leading to his tragic death.

    Read More

  • Macbeth's tragic insanity

    1150 Words  | 3 Pages

    Insanity is defined as “[the] inability to understand the nature and consequences of one's acts or of events, matters, or proceedings in which one is involved.” In William Shakespeare’s Macbeth, the protagonist turned antagonist, Macbeth, was once “valour’s minion” (I.ii.16) a loyal and devoted nobleman of Scotland. However, he commits a heinous act of regicide in order to ascend the throne, only to become a tyrant who in the end was regarded as nothing but a “dead butcher” (V.ix.35). Macbeth was unarguably sane in the beginning of the play, however, at the end of the play its unclear whether or not Macbeth truly was a “deranged blood hound” (V.ii.32), or if he was still acting on his own accord. Critics may say that this “Bloody sceptered tyrant” (IV.iii.95), who murdered innocent people indiscriminately through the novel befell the holds of insanity, but in truth, Macbeth, whether for better or for worse, never was truly driven insane.

    Read More

  • Lady Macbeth's Mistakes

    413 Words  | 1 Pages

    Human beings are not perfect, and, although people often make mistakes, it is the recognition of those mistakes and the demonstration of remorse that indicates an ability to change. In Shakespeare’s The Tragedy of Macbeth, Lady Macbeth, spurred by the predictions of the witches of her husband’s future as king, makes decisions she will later come to regret. Although she appears to be strong in planning the king’s murder, her moments of doubt throughout the play indicate a sense of weakness which ultimately lead to her mental instability and death.

    Read More

  • Macbeth’s Tragic Flaw

    517 Words  | 2 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • Fate In Macbeth Essay

    714 Words  | 2 Pages

    Let fall thy blade on vulnerable crests; I bear a charmèd life, which must not yield to one of woman born” (5.8.8-13). Of course, right after, Macduff reveals he wasn’t naturally born, and Macbeth’s demise follows. Had Macbeth been prepared for the impossible to happen, perhaps he would not be in such of a hopeless

    Read More

  • Macbeth’s Tragic Flaw

    826 Words  | 2 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • Macbeth: Describe Macbeth As A Tragic Hero

    1340 Words  | 3 Pages

    MACBETH AS A TRAGIC HERO Tragic heroes are within everyone, but cannot be fully exposed or understood without the essential tragic qualities. One must be a potentially noble character who has heroic qualities and has respect and admiration from the society. Consequently, they are essentially great. Also within the character must be a flaw or weakness that leads to a fall. Lastly, one is required to possess an element of suffering and redemption.

    Read More

  • Macbeth: A Tale Of Two Theories

    724 Words  | 2 Pages

    text of the play seems to imply that Macbeth is indeed responsible for his own

    Read More

  • Compare And Contrast Tragic Hero And Macbeth

    1759 Words  | 4 Pages

    In my definition a tragic hero and An anti-hero are kind of similar. They are both flawed hero lead astray. They both can be on the side of good and the side of bad depending on their ego. On the other hand Webster 1913 dictionary define villain as a vile, wicked, extremely depraved, a scamp, scoundrel, and capable and guilty of great crimes. We all know from reading the first couple of acts that Macbeth shows some qualities of villain, but not clearly a villain. The only quality of a villain that we really see right now is that he is guilty for killing king Duncan cold blooded while sleeping. The darkness hasn 't yet completely enter his heart, so to me a would define Macbeth as a tragic hero. In the beginning of the play we see Macbeth

    Read More

  • Macbeth: A Very Complex Character

    1982 Words  | 4 Pages

    Macbeth is a very complex character whom reflects man's thirst for power through the drastic changes of his personality; thus being one of the slightest reasons in which make this intriguing character, greatest of all Shakespearean’s well-known works.

    Read More

More about Macbeth's Flaws

Open Document