Macbeth - Tragedy

William Shakespeare is the noted author of a vast array of plays, ranging from comedies to histories to tragedies. Perhaps one of his most famous in the tragedy genre is Macbeth. Though Shakespeare can be considered as a scholar in the sense that he was both a renowned and prolific playwright, look back a few hundred years to find Aristotle, one of the most famous scholars and philosophers of all time. In his treatise titled Poetics, he defends poetry against criticism as well as sets standards for tragedies in "The Nature of Tragedy," a section of the Poetics. Is Macbeth fit to be included in the tragedy genre according to the standards set by Aristotle?

According to Aristotle, a tragedy is "an imitation of an action that is serious, complete, and of a certain magnitude." It also should "excite pity or fear" in the spectator. An important concept of tragedy is that of "katharsis" or "purgation". By that, Aristotle means that the spectators feel for the characters onstage, and in doing so, undergoes a so-called "cleansing of the soul." Though the concept of katharsis is increasingly important in the play, there are six specific elements that make up a tragedy; without them, there would be no play and no katharsis. Of the six, which include plot, character, thought, diction, song, and spectacle, the first two are the most important.

The most important aspect of tragedy is the plot, which is considered to be "the soul of a tragedy." The plot of Macbeth is complex, meaning that it contains Recognition and Reversal of the Situation. Macbeth believes that every man is of woman born, and thus he cannot be killed by anyone. "Thou losest labor./ As easy mayest thou the intrenchant air/ With thy keen sword impress as make me bleed./ Let fall thy blade on vulnerable crests./ I bear a charmed life, which must not yield/ To one of woman born."

This is a scene that contains Recognition; it is when Macbeth realizes that another of the witches' prophecies are coming true as well as the fact that he has to yield. Once Macbeth establishes himself to be invincible, Macduff tells him that he is not of woman born. "Despair thy charm!/ And let the angel whom thou still hast served/ Tell thee Macduff was from his mother's womb/ Untimely ripped."

In a way, there is also a Reversal of...

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... also not extremely bad; although that may appear to be true, he is not an apathetic mass murderer. He has an internal conflict, and one part of that conflict is the fact that his conscience is not silenced at all. Most of the time, the only reason why he continues with his evil deeds is because it is too late for him to turn back. "For mine own good/ All causes shall give way. I am in blood/ Stepped so far that, should I wade no more,/ Returning were as tedious as go o'er."

The character in a perfect tragedy should also be of high status. That is true of Macbeth throughout the length of the play; his status never really drops because he ascends from being Thane of Glamis to Thane of Cawdor and finally, to King of Scotland.

In most, if not all respects of plot and character, Macbeth fits Aristotle's standards of a tragedy. It is the dark undertone found throughout Macbeth that makes it the tragedy that it is noted to be; though it does not yet have the "Hollywood status" like Romeo and Juliet, there is no doubt that it has the capability to attain that status. It is considered to be a tragedy by today's standards as well as the standards of classical Greece.