Shakespeare's Macbeth as Tragic Hero

Macbeth as Tragic Hero of Shakespeare's Macbeth

Is Macbeth the tragic hero of the play "Macbeth?" This question may seem to

be redundant; however, not all of Shakespeare's Tragedies are named after their

tragic heroes. For example, Julius Caesar is not the tragic hero of "Julius

Caesar." A tragic hero must conform to a set of characteristics which evolved

all the way from ancient to medieval times. Macbeth conforms to these

characteristics and is the tragic hero of "Macbeth."

The death of an ordinary person in Medieval times was not considered tragic.

This idea was based on the notion of "fall". If a peasant died, his death meant

very little because he had not far to fall. In other words, a peasant did not

have much of a life to lose. However, if a king or noble were to die, his death

would be a very long fall, since to the Medieval mind, he had a great deal to

lose. Macbeth is a very important person. He is a cousin to the king of

Scotland. He is the highest ranking noble, the thane of Cawdor and Glamis, and a

general of the Scottish army. He also becomes the king of Scotland later in the

play. Despite his status, he has a character defect.

A tragic hero must have a character flaw. This character flaw causes him

to make an error in judgment, "a mistaken act," which leads to his downfall.

Because Macbeth is ambitious, he wants to become king. In order to take over the

throne, he kills Duncan, and thus commits his terrible crime, and eventually is

punished.

The tragic hero must deserve his fate. He must not simply make a mistake,

like stepping off a curb in front of a moving vehicle. He must commit some

terrible crime for which he is punished. People of the Elizabethan Period were

well aware of the problems created when kings are murdered. The Fifteenth

Century was a period of almost constant ruinous civil war in England. The dire

consequences of this act are a constant theme in Shakespeare's plays. According

to the medieval Theory of Divine Right, God appoints the king, thus Macbeth

committed a religious crime when he kills the king.