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Analysis of macbeth by shakespeare
aristotle's definition of tragedy explanation
Analysis of macbeth by shakespeare
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What is a tragic hero? What makes them tragic? What makes them heroic? Aristotle once said that a “tragic hero moves us to pity because, since he is not an evil man, his misfortune is more than he deserves; but he moves us also to fear, because we recognize similar possibilities of error in our own lesser and fallible selves,” but that changes from story to story. What Aristotle did not realize was that tragic heroes live among the people. They walk the streets, they have jobs, they have families, and, most importantly, they have a huge heart. These people and characters as well, often bring the “good Samaritan” out of countless ordinary people. We have a propensity to want to be as impactful as them without the tragedy, leaving just the hero effect on society. Often in literature the hero is usually from an elevated class in society, giving them more of an opportunity to fall hard. On the other hand, the real people usually come from nothing, peak, and then fall. Then there are the atypical cases when the character comes from nothing, or the real person comes from wealth. Three examples of each of these tragic heroes are Macbeth, Malcolm X, and the Creature from Frankenstein.
In Greek plays there are two genres, comedies and tragedies. Tragedies end with majority of the characters dead; meaning that the tragic hero must die at some point to augment the readers, or viewers, pity. Of course, for dramatic effect the playwright needed to generate a major fall to the hero’s greatness, as well as, a major fallacy in their life. Although Shakespeare was not a Greek playwright, The Tragedy of Macbeth was very analogous to Greek beliefs. In the play, Macbeth is approached by three witches and told his future. These witches were the keep...
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... point of view that worked in some cases and failed in others. Just like the saying “beauty is in the eye of the beholder,” tragic heroes live in the mind of the individual. The question still stands, what is a tragic hero?
Works Cited
"SparkNotes: Frankenstein: Important Quotations Explained." SparkNotes: Today's Most Popular Study Guides. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Dec. 2011. .
"SparkNotes: Macbeth: Important Quotations Explained." SparkNotes: Today's Most Popular Study Guides. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Dec. 2011. .
"SparkNotes: The Autobiography of Malcolm X: Important Quotations Explained." SparkNotes: Today's Most Popular Study Guides. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Dec. 2011. .
What is a tragic hero? A tragic hero is typically defined as a character in a literary work who has a lot of pride and makes a judgment error that leads to their ultimate demise. The downfall usually has to do with their pride.
When it comes to being a tragic hero the character has to have the qualities of being a tragic hero. A tragic hero is where the main character of a tragedy whose fatal flaw leads to his or her destruction. Either the character was born into society as a great man or a slave, they may have carry
in Frankenstein: Contexts, nineteenth century responses, criticism. By Mary Shelley. Ed. J. Paul Hunter. Norton Critical Edition.
What makes a hero a tragic hero? According to the Greek play write Aristotle, a hero must possess certain character traits in order to be tragic. Aristotle’s rules are still used today when labeling a hero tragic or not tragic. Jack Fitzgerald Kennedy, the thirty-fifth president of the United States is a tragic hero, because he possess four of the six traits a tragic hero must possess. This will be proven through the use of credible sources and explanation of these four traits.
A tragic hero is a person of noble birth or potentially heroic qualities. The role of a tragic hero is common in many of Shakespeare's plays such as Macbeth. The character of Macbeth is a classic example of a Shakespearean tragic hero. A tragic hero often has a noble background. This person is predominantly good, but suffers a terrible fate falling out due to glitches in their personality. The tragic hero has a monstrous downfall, brought out by their fatal flaw. Macbeth is named a tragic hero because he learns through suffering, he is isolated, and he exhibits personal courage in his acceptance of death.
Columbia University, Press. "Macbeth." Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6Th Edition (2011): 1. History Reference Center. Web. 6 Nov. 2011.
By definition, a tragic hero is a protagonist that due to some tragic flaw loses everything he has. Throughout history, literature has always been filled with main characters possessing some tragic flaw. In Macbeth, Macbeth’s tragic flaw is his enormous ambition to become king. In Hamlet, Hamlet’s tragic flaw is his need for revenge for the death of his father at the hands of his uncle. In the Epic of Gilgamesh, Gilgamesh’s tragic flaw is his need to be remembered. In the Anglo-Saxon epic Beowulf, Beowulf also has a tragic flaw, excessive pride and the search for fame, which ultimately leads to his demise.
Shakespeare, William. The Tragedy of Macbeth. Vol. XLVI, Part 4. The Harvard Classics. New York: P.F. Collier & Son, 1909–14; Bartleby.com, 2001. http://www.bartleby.com/46/4/. [Date of Printout].
A tragic hero can be described as a great or virtuous character in a dramatic tragedy who is
“Plot Summary: Macbeth”. Shakespeare. Online Detroit: Gale, 2003. Student Resource Center- Gold. Gale. Ozen High School. 12 Jan 2010. http://find.galegroup.com
Brachneos. “Frankenstein – a Literature Essay on Social Context Comments.” Writinghood . N.p., 3 Mar. 2011. Web. 24 Apr. 2011. .
Every tragic play must have a tragic hero. A tragic hero does not need to be good; for example, Macbeth was a wicked person, even though he was a tragic hero. This tragic hero, Aristotle tell us, should not be absolutely evil, since the death of such a figure, being only just, would fall to move the audience; not should the figure be absolutely good, for his death would violate our concept of right and wrong, evoking not a tragic sense but a feeling of courage" (Fallon, Shakespeare 7). According to Aristotle, "The tragic hero must be an important person in the community, a king, a queen, a prince, of a famous warrior, a man or woman of substance and responsibility because that figures experiences a fall, and any fall is more moving if it comes from a great height" (6). Also a tragic hero does not have to die, but in all Shakespeare's plays the hero dies, while in other tragic plays they may alive.
A tragic heros is someone who faces adversity and has courage and they have similar characteristics throughout different literature. A hero often times experience a downfall, but confronts the situation in a way that causes them to be given the title of a tragic hero. Aristotle once stated about tragic heroes and recited “A man doesn’t become a hero until he can see the root of his own downfall.” Aristotle also came up with six characteristics that all tragic heroes have. Romeo is a prime example of a tragic hero by the quick judgements he makes due to his love for Juliet. He decides to attempt suicide when he sees Juliet faking her death, this shows his character falls in love too fast and too hard. The way he loves Juliet is Romeo’s downfall
113 Macbeth. Oxford: Oxford University Press. 1990. The. Coursen, H. R. Macbeth: A Guide to the Play. London: Greenwood Press, 1997.
example, MacBeth was evil, yet he was a tragic hero, because he had free will. He also had only one flaw, and that was pride. He had many good traits such as bravery, but his one bad trait made him evil. Also a tragic hero doesn't have to die. While in all Shakespearean tragedies, the hero