Macbeth is not a Hero in William Shakespeare's Macbeth

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Macbeth is not a Hero in William Shakespeare's Macbeth Could someone who kills innocent people possibly be considered a hero? In William Shakespeare's tragic drama "Macbeth" this question is raised. According to the Greek philosopher Aristotle there are certain requirements that categorize a person to be a tragic hero, some of which Macbeth does possess. However, Macbeth does not complete the entire cycle of requirements. Although many readers believe that Macbeth exemplifies Aristotle's tragic hero, in reality he does not comply with this definition. He is not outstanding and virtuous, nor does he achieve insightful recognition or redemption. Macbeth is not outstanding and virtuous because someone who needs to brutally kill someone else to get what they want does not fit the characteristics of a hero. He does many things wrong. Macbeth's over-zealousness for political power leads him to the murder of Duncan, the assassination of Banquo, and finally to the slaughter of Macduff's family. These events urge the uprising that eventually costs Macbeth his crown and his life, not to mention the wife he loses along the way (Studer 1). Worst of all, Macbeth disturbs the balance of nature. If he had just waited for his time, he would have been king, and have had a chance to enjoy it. Macbeth is not a tragic hero because a man is responsible for his own actions and this is the case with Macbeth. By deceiving and murdering his friends, he proves he is not a hero. He lets himself be corrupted by the prophecies of the witches. This weakness demonstrates that he lacks the qualities to be a hero (Johnson 1). He also neglects his wife in her time of mental instability while he is drunk with power. After Lady Macbeth participate... ... middle of paper ... ...his not a tragic hero because he not outstanding and virtuous, and he does not achieve insightful recognition or redemption. Bibliography: Works Cited Shakespeare, William. Macbeth. Literature: The British Tradition. Ed. Ellen Bowler, Douglas McCollum et.al. Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey: Prentice Hall, 1994. 245-324. Brumbaugh, Robert S. Aristotle. Microsoft Encarta 1998 Encyclopedia. 1998 ed. Dominic, C. Catherine. Shakespeare's Characters for Students. Detroit - New York -Toronto - London: Gale Research, 1997. Scott, W. Mark, ed. Shakespeare for Students. Detroit - Washington, D.C.: Gale research, 1992. Studer, Jack. Tragedy in Macbeth. http://www.chattanooga.net/baylor/academic/english/studentwork/lucas/shakes/ Johnson, Christien. Macbeth, Not a Tragic Hero. http://library.thinkquest.org/2888/wwwboard/msg/5932.html

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