Aristotle shared his view of what makes a tragic hero in his poetics. He proclaimed that a tragic hero is a literary character who makes a judgement error that inevitably leads to his or her own destruction. The hero falls from grace due to a position of humility due to their ambitious pride. A man doesn’t become a hero until he can see the root of his own downfall.
Shakespeare, in his time wrote many works of art, many of which represented this concept of a tragic hero. Widely considered as the greatest dramatist of all time, William Shakespeare was, as you all know a legend of his time and a brilliant play writer who was known for his verbal wit, psychological depth and emotional range. He is known for many different masterpieces such a
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Macbeth falls victim to what could almost be seen as mind control. The series of supernatural phenomena is a vital part of the plot structure. In the play the three witches are responsible for the introduction of the homicidal tendencies forming in Macbeth’s mind. “All hail Macbeth, that shalt be king hereafter” is one of the witches prophecies. After hearing this Macbeth, like any other ambitious person would, begins to build temptation and desire to fulfil his newly learned destiny by whatever means necessary. They changed his thoughts and attitudes to be malevolent, and from this encounter onwards it becomes apparent that Macbeth harbors a consuming ambition, whereas from the start of the play Shakespeare did not create a visual of Macbeth portraying villainous characteristics. However Macbeth cannot be labelled a villain, as witches were very powerful figures during this period of time. The persuasive power they possess is evident in act 1 scene 3 when Macbeth demands the “imperfect speakers to stay and tell him more”. If the witches had not been in the path of Banquo and Macbeth in the beginning of the play Macbeth would not have even thought of being Thane of Cawdor and Gladis, let alone king. The witches are a strong representation of Macbeth’s evil ambitions and should be considered the …show more content…
Shakespeare positions the audience to view the character of Macbeth as a victim of puppetry under the control of his wicked wife Lady Macbeth. Macbeth's growing character degenerates from a noble man to violent individual as Lady Macbeth manipulates him through the use of his growing ambition. If not for Lady Macbeth, his ambition would not have been intensified enough to drive him to obtain and maintain his title of King of Scotland no matter what it took, even if it meant
Macbeth exhibits most, if not all, of the classic traits of a Shakespearean tragic hero almost flawlessly. From his rise to greatness to his ultimate destruction and death, he is most certainly a tragic hero.
The play Macbeth, by William Shakespeare, explores the darkest corners of the human psyche. It artfully takes its audience to a place that allows one to examine what a human being is truly capable of once tempted by the allure of power. In the play, Scottish noble Macbeth and his wife inevitably fall prey to their own self corruption. Initiated by prophesies made by three mysterious witches, the Macbeths set their sights on the throne. When the curtains open on the plot to murder King Duncan, Lady Macbeth is the driving force. Her criminal mind and desire for ruthlessness have led many a critic to define her as evil. Closer examination, however, reveals that she is a multifaceted character; other sides to her persona include: genuine good will towards her husband, coy manipulation, and feminine tenderness.
In Shakespeare’s play Macbeth, the main character, Macbeth has many motivators and influences causing him to do evil deeds. Lady Macbeth is the main one. She pressures Macbeth to kill king Duncan. Also, there are the three witches, who give Macbeth prophecies that manipulate him in which disaster strikes at the end of the play. Macbeth’s character changes through the course of the play. In the beginning of the play Macbeth is a kind, loyal, hero, and at the end he becomes an evil tyrant.
Macbeth could justly be classified a “Tragic Hero” as his tragic story fills out the defined criteria for a tragic hero. Macbeth holds a significant social status, reveals essential truths about humanity through his suffering, has tragically wasted talent, contains a “tragic flaw” leading to his downfall and finally he finds some relief in his death.
A Shakespearean tragic hero starts out as a noble person; a great exceptional being who stands out. A tragic hero has a tragic flaw of an exaggerated trait that leads to their downfall and eventually to death. William Shakespeare often made his main characters tragic heroes in his plays. In Shakespeare’s Macbeth, the role of the tragic hero is given to the main character: Macbeth.