A Tragic Hero Named Macbeth
Sometimes a tragic hero is created, not through his own villainy, but rather through the flaws in him. In Shakespeares Macbeth, Macbeth is our main example of our common tragic hero who possesses a tragic flaw, but what is a tragic flaw? A tragic flaw is a flaw in a character that brings about the downfall of the hero of a tragedy. Shakespeare uses Macbeth to show the terrible effects that ambition and guilt can have on a man who lacks strength of character.
Ambition, moral weakness and selective perception, would be the major flaws of our character, Macbeth. These flaws eventually lead to his death in the long run. Macbeth began in a high position and throughout the play, there were losses caused by his own weaknesses in personality. There is pre-evidence of Macbeths inborn ambition in the beginning of the play in the fact that he has a future of position as the Thane of Glaims. However, further evidence of this trait comes in his reaction to the prophecies of the three witches, in which many others would have avoided because of their obvious affiliation with evil.
Our initial impression of Macbeth is a brave and capable warrior. This perspective is complicated however, once we see Macbeth interact with the witches, we realize his physical courage is joined by a consuming ambition and self-doubt, struggle for mastery of Macbeth throughout the play.
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