Macbeth and Hitler: Two Tragic Heroes

Ever since the beginning of time, humans have set out goals for themselves; goals for power, wisdom, and riches. Many times throughout history, these goals have been corrupted by people. Hitler and Macbeth were both soldiers in wars before they were political leaders. They were both considered honorable and were for their bravery. Macbeth murdered king Duncan to rise to power in a unnatural way while Hitler was legally elected to power by the german people because his plan of seeking to right the wrongs of WW1 and bringing glory back to the german people was very popular. Hitler and Macbeth were both overly ambitious for power which led them down bloody paths to their eventual downfalls. Although Macbeth and Hitler are similar in their quest for power and glory, Macbeth is heavily influenced to gain power while Hitler acted on his own.

Macbeth and Hitler are similar in the way they are viewed by the common people. In the beginning of Macbeth, Macbeth can be seen as a leader. A brave war hero who is loved by many people. He was also a good servant to the king. Similarly, Hitler was also decorated for his bravery during WW1 and was considered a war hero. Hitler sought to right the wrongs of WW1 and bring glory back to the german people. He became a profound public speaker which helped him gain notoriety for his speeches against the treaty of versailles, rival politicians, marxists, jews, etc. He influenced the german people which caused them to all agree with him, making him very popular. Hitler came from the bottom, a poor failed artist, son of a civil servant, now at the top. His story may seem very inspiring to the common people, making him relatable. Both men match the definition of a “tragic hero” so far. They were both belove...

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... he wasn’t so power hungry after being elected the leader, he would have been remembered for the things helping the german’s rather than all the evil deeds he committed such as killing millions of jews, starting a war, and costing german soldiers their lives. You could at least feel a little pity for him, he did countless things to better german’s lives, but his other actions would eventually lead him to his downfall making him a tragic hero in my opinion. Macbeth and Hitler both match the characteristics of a tragic hero in my opinion. They both started off as good ambitious men, but once given absolute power, were corrupted and committed several evil deeds which eventually led to their downfalls.

Clearly, Macbeth and Hitler both match the definition of a “tragic hero”. One of the strongest similarities of both Macbeth and Hitler is their ambition of gaining power.