Macbeth as a Tragic Hero Essay

MACBETH IS A TRAGIC FIGURE

A hero is someone of exceptional courage and strength. But a tragic hero is defined as someone of high class, who possesses a character flaw, which eventually causes their downfall and other downfalls in society. The character of Macbeth is a classic example of a tragic hero. There are many factors which contribute to the downfall of Macbeth will be discussed. The three points which contribute greatly to Macbeth's downfalls are the prophecy which was told to him by the witches, how Lady Macbeth

influenced and manipulated Macbeth's judgment, and finally Macbeth's long time ambition which drove his desire to be king. Macbeth's growing character degenerates

from a noble man to violent individual. In Macbeth's case, it is his imagination, insecurity

as a man and unnaturally large sense of ambition that contribute to his demise.

The story of Macbeth is one of murder, greed, deception and treachery. Macbeth's mind was filled with fantasies of success, and riches from the very beginning because of prophecies from three witches that told him of things to come, of being thane of Cawdor, and eventually King of Scotland. At first he was was already a Thane of Cawdor, but when he was told that the Thane had been executed, and he was in fact to be Thane of Cawdor, he became fixed on his next achievement, of being King of Scotland. He figured that if one of the prophecies had occurred he would achieve the next. The King was planning on announcing who would take over his thrown, and Macbeth believed that it was going to be him. When Malcolm, the Kings son, was pronounced King, Macbeth was outraged as thoughts of murder and treachery filled his mind. He was able to control his urges though, and not carry out his devious thoughts. Lady Macbeth, however, was full of greed and would do anything for Macbeth to be king, as soon as possible. Macbeth had given thought to the idea of treachery, but it was Lady Macbeth who had the greater sense of ambition, which led to his royal thrown of Scotland, and his horrific death.

In the first place, at the beginning of the play, Macbeth is seen as a "brave", "noble" man. He was described as "Bellona's bridegroom" (Act 1 Scene 2 line) He fought

hard in the battle for Duncan and has earned many people's respect. He was seen as a hero Macbeth s downfall began when he first meets the three witches. The three witches give Macbeth prophecies: "All hail, Macbeth, hail to thee, Thane of Cawdor! All hail, Macbeth, that shelt be king hereafter!" (Act 1 Sense 3 Line 51-53). After which the witches vanish. This prophecy leads Macbeth to genuinely think about being in control and having power. Although a modern audience would be critical about the role of the witches, Shakespearean audiences viewed them as evil, having the capability of casting terrible events. However the witches cant force Macbeth to do anything that he does not want to do. They merely revealed the future and chose to confront Macbeth at a time when he is most vulnerable, after the battle when he is feeling very proud of his achievements. Macbeth immediately showed his ambition when he heard the prophecy: Stay, you imperfect speakers .. Speak, I charge you (1.3.70 -79). After the hearing of his new title, with all the praises he receives and learning about his new title, Macbeths ambition to become a powerful king can not help but rises. Macbeth wins a battle and proves loyal to Duncan; however his ambition to become King is too strong to keep his morals. When his ambition is associated with the witchs prophecies, his morals become non-existent for he is easily persuaded into what he wants to hear. For a moment Macbeths ambition takes over, when the thought of killing Duncan comes across his mind, however morality takes over. Why do I yield to such suggestion whose horrid image doth unfix my hair... If chance will have me king, why, chance may crown me, without my stir In spite of this, Macbeths moral decision is clouded by his ambition once again when he hears of Malcolms succession to the throne. Wanting to become king and believing the witches, at this point he will not allow anything to get in the way of his future.

Furthermore, the other reason of Macbeths downfall is Lady Macbeths influenced and manipulated Macbeth's judgment. Once Macbeth arrives home his plans change once again, knowing her husband is known for going back on a decision, Lady Macbeth decides to be the push he needs to go through with the plan. The failing of his decision reflects on her when she taunts his manhood. With frequent changes of the mind Lady Macbeth finally appeals to his ambition, Macbeth decides its time to get rid of the person thats keeping him from the throne. Macbeths crave for power and moral weakness lead him to evil suggestion which inevitably lead to his downfall. When Lady Macbeth was ready to kill King Duncan herself, it showed that Lady Macbeth could not murder King Duncan because he reminded her of her father. This proves that Lady Macbeth has a heart deep inside her. Lady Macbeth plays an important role in this play because she provided a scheme which caused Macbeth to assassinate King Duncan. After Macbeth had killed King Duncan, he later regrets on his wrong doing. At this point of the play the audience can note the change in Macbeth's character. He felt guilty for the murder, killing Duncan seemed to be the only solution to maintain his reign of the people of Scotland. Therefore, it was Lady Macbeth who introduced the concept of murder to Macbeth.

Additionally, there is no doubt that Macbeth has ambition. His ruthless seeking after power is the tragic flaw that causes his downfall. His ruthless ambition drove him to kill Duncan so he could acquire the throne. When he had a conflict to kill Duncan or not, his ambition created an allusion the dagger to lead him to Duncans room (2.1.32-63). His ruthless ambition then drove him to order the murders of Banquo and Fleance and finally drove him to kill Macduffs family the biggest mistake which lead him to his death. Through that process alone, one could say that Macbeths ambition lead him to his downfall Macbeth's ambition influenced the cause of his new character. This new character of Macbeth contained greed, violence, and power hunger. His ruthless ambition ruled his actions and led to murder. His ambition was to become king. Many innocence people died and were killed because of his ambition. In final analysis, his ambition had led him became a tyrant.

Lastly, Macbeth misinterpreted his own power into believing he was invincible, he mistakenly believed he could change fate. Throughout the development of the play, Macbeth changes from a brave, courageous, and loyal man to an evil being. His ambition, his wifes influenced and his sole belief in the prophecies brought Macbeth to his tragic end as well as others. The fatal end of a fine natured person leads to the conclusion that Macbeth is indeed a classic tragic hero.