Macbeth:Tragic Hero
A hero is someone of exceptional courage and strength. A tragic hero, according to A.C Bradley, is defined as someone of high class, who possesses a character flaw, which eventually causes their downfall and other downfalls in society. In William Shakespeare's Macbeth, Macbeth's ambition possesses him to kill innocent people. He also controls the fate of the nation of Scotland. Although other characters influence Macbeth, it is he who is responsible for his own downfall. Macbeth's ambition and actions affect the nation of Scotland, which proves he is an example of a Shakespearean tragic hero. At the beginning of the play, Macbeth is a very noble and courageous person. He is extremely loyal and honorable. Macbeth is responsible for Scotland's victory over Norway and he is appointed Thane of Cawdor proving that he is honorable in the eyes of King Duncan. The witches spark ambition in Macbeth, by prophesizing he will become the King of Scotland. The witches prophecies stirs Macbeth's ambition, but what drives him to become even more powerful is his wife. She challenges Macbeth's masculinity in order to manipulate him to commit murders.And, to be more than what you were, you would
An action that emphasizes Macbeth's moral deterioration is when he orders the murders of Macduff's family in act IV scene III. Macbeth's drive for power and maintaining his power is the reason for his downfall. He later decides to kill Macduff's family as well, because he decides that from now on he will act on whatever his heart tells him to do. Macduff leaves for England to plead with Malcolm to return home to Scotland to aid in his quest to defeat Macbeth. The very firstling of my heart shall beThe firstlings of my hand. He instructs his men to ring the alarm because he knows he's going to lose, and he might as well lose with honour. He now feels invincible and lets power finally penetrate and corrupt him. Lady Macbeth is no longer involved in the decisions of Macbeth's life, decisions over which she used to be in total control. There is no persuading or direction from others, plainly showing the rapid decent of Macbeth's character. Macbeth causes his downfall by deciding to go fight and seeing the witches which gave him false confidence. (IV, I, 147-148)By murdering Duncan, Macbeth begins to gain strength which he never before possessed. This is evil behavior, which is solely Macbeth's decision. He starts to take charge of his own actions, and Lady Macbeth loses control of him. Macbeth confidently orders his men to hang his banners on the outer walls of the castle, claiming that his castle will hold until the men who attack it starve of famine. The following speech spoken by Ross, demonstrates exactly the type of destruction Macbeth has brought to this once noble and beautiful countryAlas! Poor country:Almost afraid to know itself.
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