Is Macbeth A Hero

Macbeth was once a hero who had so much pride and would stop at nothing to help his country, but how long is a hero actually a hero? As you get deeper into the play you start to see the change in Macbeth, he becomes a monster who has betrayed his friends and family and is even put down by the disencouragement from his own beloved wife, Lady Macbeth, all for the sake of becoming King. Macbeth never becomes a tragic hero who sees the reason for his downfall. Right from the beginning of the play you can tell that Macbeth is loved by everyone. King Duncan has awarded him the title Thane of Cawdor for his courageous and outstanding efforts in a battle against Ireland and Norway, praising Macbeth by calling him a great barbarian. This comes

After the death of King Duncan, Macbeth starts to hallucinate and go crazy. This event is all explained in his speech about the dagger that he used to kill King Duncan with, which is supposedly right in front of him but it is actually just all in his head, “Is this a dagger which i see before me...that summons thee to Heaven or to Hell.” (Act 2, scene 1, Lines 32-64) Macbeth starts to gain control at this point but everyone starts to figure out that Macbeth has killed the King and many others to mask what he has done. The most important scene of the play comes toward the end of the play when Macduff decapitates Macbeth and then he proceeds to Malcolm to discuss how much of a monster Macbeth has become. Finally they are all free from his tyranny, this scene confirms that everyone knew how much of a wrongdoer he had

Macbeth has a powerful position within the kingdom, (taking into consideration that he is Thane of Glamis and Thane of Cawdor) he is an overall good man but is flawed by the actions he takes on like killing King Duncan and going against his own people. He is punished by being decapitated by Macduff. Macbeth never understands that what he has become is deranged and only sees a glimpse of what he has transformed into as described in his tomorrow, tomorrow speech. He insists that there is no meaning to life anymore since his wife is dead and his own people stand against him, “life’s but a walking shadow; a poor player, that struts and frets his hour upon the stage...signifying nothing.” (Act V scene V Lines 24-28). Macbeth references a bad actor and that one day the bad actor will finally disappears and in my opinion I believe he is referring to himself. Aristotle also describes a tragic hero as an individual who does not become a hero until they see the root of their downfall, having a sense of pity that starts from a person’s misfortune and fear that comes with the bad. Macbeth was so convinced that he was going to become the new rightful King that he never saw the root of his own downfall