Aristotle and MacBeth

             The misfortune of man was a topic of great interest for the great men of Antiquity. One man who was interested in tragedy was Aristotle. This great philosopher considered tragedy a great deal, and took it rather seriously. He took it so seriously, in fact, that he created criteria to determine whether a work of literature fit the mold of a tragedy. One of Shakespeare's masterful plays, The Tragedy of Macbeth, fully exemplifies these criteria, and thus is classified as a tragedy.
             One characteristic of an Aristotelian tragedy is that the play is complete in itself. Macbeth has a complete plot, from the exposition to the falling action. The story is not dependant on other installments or stories. There are also many different characters, both static and dynamic. Macbeth himself is an excellent example of this. At the beginning of the play, Macbeth is heralded as a war hero- "For brave Macbethâ€"well he deserves that nameâ€"/ Disdaining fortune, with his brandish d steel,/ Which smok'd with bloody execution,/ Like valour's minion carv'd out his passageâ€" (Act I, Scene ii). By the end of the play, not only has Macbeth changed, but also the opinions of other characters about him. There is also enough material in the five acts to convince even the wary that there is enough plot and character development to classify this play as complete.
             Seriousness is also an essential characteristic of a tragedy. Something glib and comical can hardly be described as tragic, and if seriousness was not a criterion, even satirical comedy could be considered tragic. Macbeth involves very serious themes, including war and murder, revenge and deceit. These topics are not light; they are very dark, heavy, and serious. Even the imagery and motifs utilized are serious, especially the repeated use of the concept of blood. Early in the play, Lady Macbeth, wishing for courage, says "make thick my bloo...

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Aristotle and MacBeth. (1969, December 31). In MegaEssays.com. Retrieved 19:14, March 28, 2024, from https://www.megaessays.com/viewpaper/11358.html