Tragic Heroes; Macbeth
In the play, ?Macbeth? by William Shakespeare, Lord Macbeth is an ideal example of a classic Shakespearean tragic hero. Many actions and qualities attribute to the classification of a character as a tragic hero. First, a tragic hero must have a tragic flaw (harmatia) which ultimately leads to his downfall; the hero must fall unexpectedly from a high place (glory, honor, or joy) which results in complete devastation. Second, their must be a relationship between the tragic hero and the audience, inspired by pity and fear, which results in a catharsis by the audience. A tragic hero must be an exceptional human being; not only must he be a man of high estate but his own human nature must be exceptional; which raises him to a level about humanity. ?Sometime a tragic hero is created, not through his own villainy, but rather through some flaw in him..." -Aristotle A tragic hero will always have a tragic flaw which maintains a sense of greatness (determination or ambition in Macbeth?s case). However, when this flaw is connected with the power of external and internal conflict, the two create a level of such immense proportions that it not only inspires sympathy and pity in the audience, but also admiration, te
We are left with the man whose place is between these extremes. It is human nature to desire power and glory and it is also natural for humans to have a guilty conscience after or before performing a heinous act. All this loss of things which made him a great man has come about because of his own free decisions. ;critical essay about the characters of Macbeth. Therefore, the fall will be of monumental proportions. The audience?s attachment to Macbeth is vital in order to inspire pity for the tragic hero and fear for what will happen to him. Shakespeare gave Macbeth greatness, but to it, he adds a conscience that is so horrifying in itself that it leads to the mental deterioration of Macbeth. In other words, when a Shakespearean tragedy has ended, it does not leave the audience depressed; nor does it bring about a feeling that man is deprived and cruel. The first part of the play follows Macbeth's rise to power. 70) This act of Duncan allows the audience to become aware of Macbeth's rank and greatness. Man may be miserable and awful, but he is not small. ?Macbeth is full of "the milk of human kindness," is frank, sociable, generous. The internal suffering brought on by this consciousness generates sympathy and awe from the audience; but this suffering also serves the purpose of balancing the audience?s desire to see Macbeth?s villainous downfall.
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