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Macbeth: a Tragic Hero Analysis

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Published: Mar 16, 2024

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The definition of a tragic hero, macbeth’s tragic flaw: ambition, the influence of the supernatural, moral decline and guilt, the tragic end.

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Shakespearean Macbeth as a Tragic Hero Essay

Greek mythology gave birth to the idea of the tragic hero, in which the concepts of the hero play a tremendous role. Aristotelian thought indicates “the tragic effect will be stronger if the hero is ‘better than we are’, in that he is of higher than ordinary moral worth. Such a man is shown as suffering a change in fortune from happiness to misery because of a mistaken act, to which he is led by his hamartia (his ‘effort of judgment’) or, as it is often literally translated, his tragic flaw” (Zarro, 2001).

There are two types of tragic heroes, those that are born into nobility with a tragic flaw inherent in their character who are therefore responsible for their own fate and doomed to make a serious error in judgment and those who have achieved great heights or esteem through hard work who eventually realize they have made a huge mistake causing them to face and accept their tragic death with honor (Zarro, 2001).

Greek tragedy abounds with examples of tragic heroes, as does much of Shakespearean tragedy. “Shakespeare wished to exhibit a more sublime picture – an ambitious but noble hero, yielding to a deep-laid hellish temptation, and in whom all the crimes to which, in order to secure the fruits of his first crime, he is impelled by necessity, cannot altogether eradicate the stamp of native heroism” (Bates, 1906: 36). In many ways, it can be argued that Macbeth of Shakespeare’s play Macbeth, was a tragic hero.

As the play opens, Macbeth’s nobility of spirit is revealed as reports come in to King Duncan regarding his exploits on the battlefield. The first two acts don’t even see Macbeth as he is busy on the battlefield, attempting to defend Duncan’s kingdom from the forces of Macdonwald, a man from the ‘Western Isles.’ Macbeth’s loyalty is shown in the fierceness of the battle being fought as it is reported by the wounded captain in Act I, Scene ii. He tells the king the battle was “As two spent swimmers that do cling together / And choke their art” (I, ii, 8-9), indicating that the two sides were equally matched and Fortune was favoring Macdonwald. “But all’s too weak / For brave Macbeth (well he deserves that name) / Disdaining Fortune, with his brandished steel … unseamed him from the nave to th’ chops” (I, ii, 15-17, 22).

In addition to fighting for his king, Macbeth is quickly and well rewarded for his efforts as King Duncan makes him the new Thane of Cawdor in addition to his already holding the title of Thane of Glamis. “According to Holinshed, Macbeth’s parents were Sinel, Thane of Glamis (whose existence is otherwise unattested) and a daughter of Malcolm II named Doada (again, modern genealogies mention no such person)” (Friedlander, 2005).

In addition to his supposed genealogy and position of rank, Macbeth himself demonstrates nobility of spirit as he considers the idea of assassinating King Duncan in his own home: “He’s here in double trust: / First, as I am his kinsman and his subject, / Strong both against the deed; then, as his hose, / Who should against his murderer shut the door” (I, vii, 12-15). Beyond this, he also knows that Duncan has been a good and fair king and killing him is unjustified.

However, once the idea that he might be king has entered his brain, thanks to the three witches, Macbeth can’t seem to shake it, particularly as his wife continues to press the issue. “One common form of hamartia in Greek tragedies was hubris, that ‘pride’ or overweening self-confidence which leads a protagonist to disregard a divine warning or to violate an important law” (Zarro, 2001).

Although he knows he has no reason to move against his king other than “vaunting ambition, which o’erleaps itself” (I, vii, 25-27), his commitment to his wife and his greed proves overpowering, forcing him to the act. “Lady Macbeth bitches at her husband and ridicules his masculinity in order to make him commit murder. She talks about a smiling baby she once nursed and what it would have been like to smash its brains out – she would prefer this to having a husband who is unwilling to kill in cold blood” (Friedlander, 2005).

Macbeth’s single evil action of killing his king thus commits him to further evil acts. “That same Macbeth, who once as a warrior could spurn at death, now that he dreads the prospect of the life to come, clings with growing anxiety to his earthly existence the more miserable it becomes, and pitilessly removes out of the way whatever to his dark and suspicious mind seems to threaten danger” (Bates, 1906: 37).

When Macbeth willingly participates in murder, this quickly escalates to massacres of perceived enemies and the propagation of lies and deceits as a means of maintaining the perception others have of him. His own deceit of Duncan forces him to consider the possible schemes of Banquo, thus leading him to order murder once again. In avenge himself on Macduff, he orders the massacre of Macduff’s family, and the evil flows on. In this process, he loses his heath and sanity.

Finally, after having made a mistake in judgment causing a fall from his nobility and high moral station, Macbeth is forced to participate in numerous other actions that continually wear away at his nobility and sanity until he is finally, mercifully, killed by a man who was not born of woman. “Macbeth is still found worthy to die the death of a hero on the field of battle. The noble Macduff is allowed the satisfaction of saving his country by punishing with his own hand the tyrant who had murdered his wife and children” (Bates, 1906: 38).

This, again, is something he has brought on himself as it was Macbeth who ordered the murder of Macduff’s entire household once he learned that Macduff had fled the country in search of justice for Duncan’s murder. “Holinshed spends a lot of time on the incident in which Malcolm (who became a popular king) tests Macduff by pretending to be mean when he is really nice” (Friedlander, 2005), thus establishing the difference between a noble man who would lie and cheat his way to the throne and a noble man who would lie and cheat to determine another’s honesty. In the end, though, Macbeth can be seen to be a tragic hero because he started noble, made a terrible decision based upon his own foolish pride egged on by his ambitious wife and finally died a disgraceful death as the result of his actions.

Works Cited

Bates, Alfred (Ed.). “Macbeth: An Analysis of the Play by Shakespeare.” The Drama: Its History, Literature and Influence on Civilization. London: Historical Publishing Company, 1906, Vol. 14: 34-39.

Friedlander, Ed. “Enjoying Macbeth, by William Shakespeare.” Pathguy. (2005). Web.

Shakespeare. “Macbeth.” William Shakespeare: The Complete Works. Alfred Harbage (Ed.). New York: Viking Books, 1969, pp. 1107-1135.

Zarro, Josephine. “More Terms Defined: Aristotelian Definition of Tragedy.” eGallery of Tragic Heroes in Literature and Life. (2001). Teach the Teachers. Web.

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IvyPanda. (2021, August 28). Shakespearean Macbeth as a Tragic Hero. https://ivypanda.com/essays/shakespearean-macbeth-as-a-tragic-hero/

"Shakespearean Macbeth as a Tragic Hero." IvyPanda , 28 Aug. 2021, ivypanda.com/essays/shakespearean-macbeth-as-a-tragic-hero/.

IvyPanda . (2021) 'Shakespearean Macbeth as a Tragic Hero'. 28 August.

IvyPanda . 2021. "Shakespearean Macbeth as a Tragic Hero." August 28, 2021. https://ivypanda.com/essays/shakespearean-macbeth-as-a-tragic-hero/.

1. IvyPanda . "Shakespearean Macbeth as a Tragic Hero." August 28, 2021. https://ivypanda.com/essays/shakespearean-macbeth-as-a-tragic-hero/.

Bibliography

IvyPanda . "Shakespearean Macbeth as a Tragic Hero." August 28, 2021. https://ivypanda.com/essays/shakespearean-macbeth-as-a-tragic-hero/.

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Literary Theory and Criticism

Home › Drama Criticism › Analysis of William Shakespeare’s Macbeth

Analysis of William Shakespeare’s Macbeth

By NASRULLAH MAMBROL on July 25, 2020 • ( 0 )

Macbeth . . . is done upon a stronger and more systematic principle of contrast than any other of Shakespeare’s plays. It moves upon the verge of an abyss, and is a constant struggle between life and death. The action is desperate and the reaction is dreadful. It is a huddling together of fierce extremes, a war of opposite natures which of them shall destroy the other. There is nothing but what has a violent end or violent beginnings. The lights and shades are laid on with a determined hand; the transitions from triumph to despair, from the height of terror to the repose of death, are sudden and startling; every passion brings in its fellow-contrary, and the thoughts pitch and jostle against each other as in the dark. The whole play is an unruly chaos of strange and forbidden things, where the ground rocks under our feet. Shakespear’s genius here took its full swing, and trod upon the farthest bounds of nature and passion.

—William Hazlitt, Characters of Shakespeare’s Plays

Macbeth completes William Shakespeare’s great tragic quartet while expanding, echoing, and altering key elements of Hamlet, Othello, and King Lear into one of the most terrifying stage experiences. Like Hamlet, Macbeth treats the consequences of regicide, but from the perspective of the usurpers, not the dispossessed. Like Othello, Macbeth centers its intrigue on the intimate relations of husband and wife. Like Lear, Macbeth explores female villainy, creating in Lady Macbeth one of Shakespeare’s most complex, powerful, and frightening woman characters. Different from Hamlet and Othello, in which the tragic action is reserved for their climaxes and an emphasis on cause over effect, Macbeth, like Lear, locates the tragic tipping point at the play’s outset to concentrate on inexorable consequences. Like Othello, Macbeth, Shakespeare’s shortest tragedy, achieves an almost unbearable intensity by eliminating subplots, inessential characters, and tonal shifts to focus almost exclusively on the crime’s devastating impact on husband and wife.

What is singular about Macbeth, compared to the other three great Shakespearean tragedies, is its villain-hero. If Hamlet mainly executes rather than murders, if Othello is “more sinned against than sinning,” and if Lear is “a very foolish fond old man” buffeted by surrounding evil, Macbeth knowingly chooses evil and becomes the bloodiest and most dehumanized of Shakespeare’s tragic protagonists. Macbeth treats coldblooded, premeditated murder from the killer’s perspective, anticipating the psychological dissection and guilt-ridden expressionism that Feodor Dostoevsky will employ in Crime and Punishment . Critic Harold Bloom groups the protagonist as “the culminating figure in the sequence of what might be called Shakespeare’s Grand Negations: Richard III, Iago, Edmund, Macbeth.” With Macbeth, however, Shakespeare takes us further inside a villain’s mind and imagination, while daringly engaging our sympathy and identification with a murderer. “The problem Shakespeare gave himself in Macbeth was a tremendous one,” Critic Wayne C. Booth has stated.

Take a good man, a noble man, a man admired by all who know him—and destroy him, not only physically and emotionally, as the Greeks destroyed their heroes, but also morally and intellectually. As if this were not difficult enough as a dramatic hurdle, while transforming him into one of the most despicable mortals conceivable, maintain him as a tragic hero—that is, keep him so sympathetic that, when he comes to his death, the audience will pity rather than detest him and will be relieved to see him out of his misery rather than pleased to see him destroyed.

Unlike Richard III, Iago, or Edmund, Macbeth is less a virtuoso of villainy or an amoral nihilist than a man with a conscience who succumbs to evil and obliterates the humanity that he is compelled to suppress. Macbeth is Shakespeare’s greatest psychological portrait of self-destruction and the human capacity for evil seen from inside with an intimacy that horrifies because of our forced identification with Macbeth.

Although there is no certainty in dating the composition or the first performance of Macbeth, allusions in the play to contemporary events fix the likely date of both as 1606, shortly after the completion and debut of King Lear. Scholars have suggested that Macbeth was acted before James I at Hampton Court on August 7, 1606, during the royal visit of King Christian IV of Denmark and that it may have been especially written for a royal performance. Its subject, as well as its version of Scottish history, suggest an effort both to flatter and to avoid offending the Scottish king James. Macbeth is a chronicle play in which Shakespeare took his major plot elements from Raphael Holinshed’s Chronicles of England, Scotland and Ireland (1587), but with significant modifications. The usurping Macbeth’s decade-long (and largely successful) reign is abbreviated with an emphasis on the internal and external destruction caused by Macbeth’s seizing the throne and trying to hold onto it. For the details of King Duncan’s death, Shakespeare used Holinshed’s account of the murder of an earlier king Duff by Donwald, who cast suspicion on drunken servants and whose ambitious wife played a significant role in the crime. Shakespeare also eliminated Banquo as the historical Macbeth’s co-conspirator in the murder to promote Banquo’s innocence and nobility in originating a kingly line from which James traced his legitimacy. Additional prominence is also given to the Weird Sisters, whom Holinshed only mentions in their initial meeting of Macbeth on the heath. The prophetic warning “beware Macduff” is attributed to “certain wizards in whose words Macbeth put great confidence.” The importance of the witches and the occult in Macbeth must have been meant to appeal to a king who produced a treatise, Daemonologie (1597), on witch-craft.

The uncanny sets the tone of moral ambiguity from the play’s outset as the three witches gather to encounter Macbeth “When the battle’s lost and won” in an inverted world in which “Fair is foul, and foul is fair.” Nothing in the play will be what it seems, and the tragedy results from the confusion and conflict between the fair—honor, nobility, duty—and the foul—rank ambition and bloody murder. Throughout the play nature reflects the disorder and violence of the action. Opening with thunder and lightning, the drama is set in a Scotland contending with the rebellion of the thane (feudal lord) of Cawdor, whom the fearless and courageous Macbeth has vanquished on the battlefield. The play, therefore, initially establishes Macbeth as a dutiful and trusted vassal of the king, Duncan of Scotland, deserving to be rewarded with the rebel’s title for restoring peace and order in the realm. “What he hath lost,” Duncan declares, “noble Macbeth hath won.” News of this honor reaches Macbeth through the witches, who greet him both as the thane of Cawdor and “king hereafter” and his comrade-in-arms Banquo as one who “shalt get kings, though thou be none.” Like the ghost in Hamlet , the Weird Sisters are left purposefully ambiguous and problematic. Are they agents of fate that determine Macbeth’s doom, predicting and even dictating the inevitable, or do they merely signal a latency in Macbeth’s ambitious character?

When he is greeted by the king’s emissaries as thane of Cawdor, Macbeth begins to wonder if the first predictions of the witches came true and what will come of the second of “king hereafter”:

This supernatural soliciting Cannot be ill, cannot be good. If ill, Why hath it given me earnest of success Commencing in a truth? I am Thane of Cawdor. If good, why do I yield to that suggestion Whose horrid image doth unfix my hair And make my seated heart knock at my ribs, Against the use of nature? Present fears Are less than horrible imaginings: My thought, whose murder yet is but fantastical, Shakes so my single state of man that function Is smother’d in surmise, and nothing is But what is not.

Macbeth will be defined by his “horrible imaginings,” by his considerable intellectual and imaginative capacity both to understand what he knows to be true and right and his opposed desires and their frightful consequences. Only Hamlet has as fully a developed interior life and dramatized mental processes as Macbeth in Shakespeare’s plays. Macbeth’s ambition is initially checked by his conscience and by his fear of the unforeseen consequence of violating moral laws. Shakespeare brilliantly dramatizes Macbeth’s mental conflict in near stream of consciousness, associational fashion:

If it were done when ’tis done, then ’twere well It were done quickly. If th’assassination Could trammel up the consequence, and catch With his surcease, success: that but this blow Might be the be all and the end all, here, But here, upon this bank and shoal of time, We’d jump the life to come. But in these cases We still have judgement here, that we but teach Bloody instructions which, being taught, return To plague th’inventor. This even-handed justice Commends th’ingredients of our poison’d chalice To our own lips. He’s here in double trust: First, as I am his kinsman and his subject, Strong both against the deed; then, as his host, Who should against his murderer shut the door, Not bear the knife myself. Besides, this Duncan Hath borne his faculties so meek, hath been So clear in his great office, that his virtues Will plead like angels trumpet-tongued against The deep damnation of his taking-off, And pity, like a naked new-born babe, Striding the blast, or heaven’s cherubin, horsed Upon the sightless couriers of the air, Shall blow the horrid deed in every eye That tears shall drown the wind. I have no spur To prick the sides of my intent, but only Vaulting ambition which o’erleaps itself And falls on the other.

Macbeth’s “spur” comes in the form of Lady Macbeth, who plays on her husband’s selfimage of courage and virility to commit to the murder. She also reveals her own shocking cancellation of gender imperatives in shaming her husband into action, in one of the most shocking passages of the play:

. . . I have given suck, and know How tender ’tis to love the babe that milks me. I would, while it was smiling in my face, Have plucked my nipple from his boneless gums And dashed the brains out, had I so sworn As you have done to this.

Horrified at his wife’s resolve and cold-blooded calculation in devising the plot, Macbeth urges his wife to “Bring forth menchildren only, / For thy undaunted mettle should compose / Nothing but males,” but commits “Each corporal agent to this terrible feat.”

With the decision to kill the king taken, the play accelerates unrelentingly through a succession of powerful scenes: Duncan’s and Banquo’s murders, the banquet scene in which Banquo’s ghost appears, Lady Macbeth’s sleepwalking, and Macbeth’s final battle with Macduff, Thane of Fife. Duncan’s offstage murder contrasts Macbeth’s “horrible imaginings” concerning the implications and Lady Macbeth’s chilling practicality. Macbeth’s question, “Will all great Neptune’s ocean wash this blood / Clean from my hand?” is answered by his wife: “A little water clears us of this deed; / How easy is it then!” The knocking at the door of the castle, ominously signaling the revelation of the crime, prompts the play’s one comic respite in the Porter’s drunken foolery that he is at the door of “Hell’s Gate” controlling the entrance of the damned. With the fl ight of Duncan’s sons, who fear for their lives, causing them to be suspected as murderers, Macbeth is named king, and the play’s focus shifts to Macbeth’s keeping and consolidating the power he has seized. Having gained what the witches prophesied, Macbeth next tries to prevent their prediction that Banquo’s descendants will reign by setting assassins to kill Banquo and his son, Fleance. The plan goes awry, and Fleance escapes, leaving Macbeth again at the mercy of the witches’ prophecy. His psychic breakdown is dramatized by his seeing Banquo’s ghost occupying Macbeth’s place at the banquet. Pushed to the edge of mental collapse, Macbeth steels himself to meet the witches again to learn what is in store for him: “Iam in blood,” he declares, “Stepp’d in so far that, should Iwade no more, / Returning were as tedious as go o’er.”

The witches reassure him that “none of woman born / Shall harm Macbeth” and that he will never be vanquished until “Great Birnam wood to high Dunsinane hill / Shall come against him.” Confident that he is invulnerable, Macbeth responds to the rebellion mounted by Duncan’s son Malcolm and Macduff, who has joined him in England, by ordering the slaughter of Lady Macduff and her children. Macbeth has progressed from a murderer in fulfillment of the witches predictions to a murderer (of Banquo) in order to subvert their predictions and then to pointless butchery that serves no other purpose than as an exercise in willful destruction. Ironically, Macbeth, whom his wife feared was “too full o’ the milk of human kindness / To catch the nearest way” to serve his ambition, displays the same cold calculation that frightened him about his wife, while Lady Macbeth succumbs psychically to her own “horrible imaginings.” Lady Macbeth relives the murder as she sleepwalks, Shakespeare’s version of the workings of the unconscious. The blood in her tormented conscience that formerly could be removed with a little water is now a permanent noxious stain in which “All the perfumes of Arabia will not sweeten.” Women’s cries announcing her offstage death are greeted by Macbeth with detached indifference:

I have almost forgot the taste of fears: The time has been, my senses would have cool’d To hear a nightshriek, and my fell of hair Would at a dismal treatise rouse and stir As life were in’t. Ihave supp’d full with horrors; Direness, familiar to my slaughterous thoughts, Cannot once start me.

Macbeth reveals himself here as an emotional and moral void. Confirmation that “The Queen, my lord, is dead” prompts only the bitter comment, “She should have died hereafter.” For Macbeth, life has lost all meaning, refl ected in the bleakest lines Shakespeare ever composed:

Tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow Creeps in this petty pace from day to day To the last syllable of recorded time; And all our yesterdays have lighted fools The way to dusty death. Out, out, brief candle! Life’s but a walking shadow, a poor player That struts and frets his hour upon the stage And then is heard no more. It is a tale Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, Signifying nothing.

Time and the world that Macbeth had sought to rule are revealed to him as empty and futile, embodied in a metaphor from the theater with life as a histrionic, talentless actor in a tedious, pointless play.

Macbeth’s final testing comes when Malcolm orders his troops to camoufl age their movement by carrying boughs from Birnam Woods in their march toward Dunsinane and from Macduff, whom he faces in combat and reveals that he was “from his mother’s womb / Untimely ripp’d,” that is, born by cesarean section and therefore not “of woman born.” This revelation, the final fulfillment of the witches’ prophecies, causes Macbeth to fl ee, but he is prompted by Macduff’s taunt of cowardice and order to surrender to meet Macduff’s challenge, despite knowing the deadly outcome:

Yet I will try the last. Before my body I throw my warlike shield. Lay on, Macduff, And damn’d be him that first cries, “Hold, enough!”

Macbeth returns to the world of combat where his initial distinctions were honorably earned and tragically lost.

The play concludes with order restored to Scotland, as Macduff presents Macbeth’s severed head to Malcolm, who is hailed as king. Malcolm may assert his control and diminish Macbeth and Lady Macbeth as “this dead butcher and his fiendlike queen,” but the audience knows more than that. We know what Malcolm does not, that it will not be his royal line but Banquo’s that will eventually rule Scotland, and inevitably another round of rebellion and murder is to come. We also know in horrifying human terms the making of a butcher and a fiend who refuse to be so easily dismissed as aberrations.

Macbeth Oxford Lecture by Emma Smith

Analysis of William Shakespeare’s Plays

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An Examination of Macbeth’s Characterization as the Archetypal Tragic Hero in Shakespearean Drama

Shakespearean drama, transcending the confines of time and culture, has firmly entrenched itself as an essential cornerstone of world literature. William Shakespeare’s plays, written between the late 16th and early 17th centuries, portray an intricate tapestry of human emotions, political intrigues, moral dilemmas, and philosophical debates. These dramatic works, ranging from the light-hearted comedies like “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” to the somber tragedies like “Hamlet,” illuminate the universalities of the human experience. Shakespeare’s acute observation of life and unmatched linguistic prowess made his dramas not just plays to be performed, but profound literary texts to be studied, analyzed, and revered.

Central to many of Shakespeare’s tragedies is the figure of the ‘tragic hero.’ The concept of the tragic hero is not exclusive to Shakespeare—it has ancient roots, tracing back to the plays of Sophocles, Aeschylus, and Euripides in classical Greek literature. A tragic hero is typically a character of noble birth or high societal standing who possesses an intrinsic flaw, or ‘hamartia.’ This flaw, be it hubris, unchecked ambition, or an overwhelming passion, becomes the catalyst for their downfall. As the tragic narrative unfolds, the hero, despite their initial virtues and merits, succumbs to their flaws, often leading to catastrophic consequences and ultimately, their demise. Yet, the real tragedy is often accentuated by the hero’s moment of ‘anagnorisis’ or realization of their misdeeds and the irreversible nature of their actions. This poignant moment, a blend of regret, recognition, and often despair, evokes a cathartic response from the audience, a purging of emotions that Aristotle famously termed as ‘catharsis.’

In essence, Shakespearean drama, with its rich characterizations and intricate plots, offers a window into the myriad facets of human nature. And it is through figures like the tragic hero that we are invited to reflect, empathize, and even learn from the timeless tales penned by the Bard of Avon.

Historical Context

In the Elizabethan and Jacobean eras, the societal and political climate was marked by profound transformation and tension. England, under the rule of monarchs like Elizabeth I and James I, witnessed a confluence of Renaissance ideals, religious upheavals, and political intrigues. This backdrop was instrumental in shaping the drama of the period, particularly the works of William Shakespeare.

The late 16th and early 17th centuries were marked by the English Renaissance, a cultural and artistic movement which saw a renewed interest in the classical arts, humanism, and scientific inquiry. At its heart was an emphasis on human potential, individualism, and the quest for knowledge. This spirit of the age was reflected in the arts, with literature, especially drama, thriving. Playhouses like the Globe Theatre were established, drawing audiences from varied social strata. The societal fabric, however, was complex. While the Renaissance ideals were blossoming, there were stark contrasts in society. The hierarchical structure remained rigid with clear distinctions between the nobility, the burgeoning middle class, and the lower classes.

Religiously, England was in turmoil. The Protestant Reformation, initiated by Henry VIII’s break from the Roman Catholic Church, led to the establishment of the Church of England. This shift was not merely religious but deeply political. The monarchs oscillated between Protestantism and Catholicism, each shift accompanied by persecution of the opposing faction. Elizabeth I tried to maintain a relative religious peace with the Elizabethan Settlement, but tensions simmered beneath. Under James I, the rise of the Puritans and their dissatisfaction with the Anglican Church’s practices further complicated the scenario.

Politically, the monarchy was asserting its dominance, and the concept of the “Divine Right of Kings” was gaining traction, especially under James I. This doctrine posited that the monarch was God’s representative on Earth, answerable only to the divine. Such assertions often led to clashes with Parliament, setting the stage for the eventual civil wars of the mid-17th century. Moreover, England’s imperial ambitions were beginning to take shape, with explorations and the early seeds of colonization.

Within this sociopolitical milieu, the concept of the tragic hero saw its evolution. Long before Shakespeare penned his tragedies, the Greeks had laid the groundwork for the archetype of the tragic hero. In ancient Greek tragedies, playwrights like Sophocles, Aeschylus, and Euripides introduced characters that, despite their nobility and greatness, were flawed. Oedipus, for instance, in Sophocles’ “Oedipus Rex,” is a classic tragic hero. His quest for knowledge and truth, ironically, becomes the very source of his downfall. His tragic flaw, or ‘hamartia’, is his hubris – an excessive pride that blinds him to the truth of his actions.

The Romans, too, had their share in shaping the tragic hero’s concept. Seneca, a Roman playwright, wrote tragedies that were marked by their emphasis on supernatural elements, moral lessons, and heightened emotions. These plays, though not as popular in their time, would profoundly influence the Renaissance tragedians, including Shakespeare.

During the Medieval period, the concept of tragedy took a backseat, with religious morality plays dominating the stage. But with the advent of the Renaissance, there was a revival. Drawing inspiration from classical sources, playwrights of the Renaissance period began to infuse new life into the tragic hero archetype. Christopher Marlowe’s “Doctor Faustus” is a prime example. Faustus, with his boundless ambition, makes a pact with the devil, leading to his eventual damnation – a clear precursor to Shakespearean tragic figures.

Shakespeare, standing on the shoulders of these giants, redefined and elevated the tragic hero’s concept. Within the intricate web of the societal and political climate of his era, he crafted characters that were products of their environment, yet universal in their appeal. His tragic heroes, while rooted in their Elizabethan and Jacobean contexts, spoke to the timeless and universal themes of ambition, jealousy, love, and betrayal.

In understanding Shakespeare’s tragic heroes, the historical backdrop is indispensable. The societal shifts, the political power plays, and the rich tapestry of literary history all converged to shape the tragedies of the Bard of Avon, making them resonate deeply with audiences then and now.

Defining the Tragic Hero

literary essay on macbeth as a tragic hero

Emerging from the rich tapestry of literary history and the sociopolitical intricacies of the Elizabethan and Jacobean periods, the tragic hero, as portrayed by Shakespeare, is an embodiment of the very complexities and dualities inherent in human nature. This archetype’s profound resonance with audiences, both past and present, can be attributed to specific defining characteristics that make these figures both grand and fatally flawed.

The first, and perhaps most obvious characteristic, is the tragic hero’s noble stature or high societal standing . This position allows their eventual downfall to be all the more profound, emphasizing the tragedy’s depth. For example, King Lear, as the ruler of Britain, begins his journey from a place of immense power, which makes his descent into madness and eventual destitution a poignant commentary on the frailties of human nature and the impermanence of power.

Another essential trait of the tragic hero is the presence of a tragic flaw, or ‘hamartia’ . This intrinsic flaw is neither an external force nor a villain’s influence but stems from the hero’s own personality or choices. Macbeth’s unchecked ambition, driven to its extreme by the witches’ prophecies and Lady Macbeth’s persuasions, leads him down a path of regicide, guilt, and eventual doom. Similarly, Othello’s intense jealousy, spurred by Iago’s manipulations, results in the tragic deaths of Desdemona and himself.

The journey of a tragic hero also involves a moment of ‘anagnorisis’ or realization . It’s a moment of clarity where they recognize their flaws and the ramifications of their actions. In “Hamlet,” the Prince of Denmark’s realization occurs when he remarks, “O, from this time forth, my thoughts be bloody or be nothing worth!” This self-awareness is a testament to the tragic hero’s inherent nobility, as they recognize their misdeeds, even if it’s too late to reverse their fate.

Furthermore, the tragic hero’s downfall is, more often than not, a result of their own choices rather than mere fate. While external factors might play a role, it is the hero’s decisions that steer the narrative towards tragedy. For instance, despite the prophecies, Macbeth chooses to murder Duncan, setting in motion a series of events that lead to his tragic end.

Moving on to a comparative analysis, Shakespeare’s tragic heroes, though sharing the aforementioned characteristics, vary widely in their motivations, actions, and outcomes.

Take, for example, Hamlet . He is paralyzed by indecision and introspection. His tragic flaw is not ambition or jealousy but procrastination and overthinking. While Macbeth acts swiftly upon hearing the witches’ prophecies, Hamlet grapples with the ghost’s revelation, musing on life, death, and the nature of existence. His tragedy lies in his inability to act until it’s too late.

In contrast, Othello is a man of action, a seasoned general who has faced numerous battles. However, his downfall is not on the battlefield but in his personal life. Unlike Hamlet, who hesitates, Othello, spurred by Iago’s manipulations, acts impulsively, leading to catastrophic consequences. His tragic flaw is not inaction but misplaced trust and overwhelming jealousy.

King Lear , on the other hand, embodies the tragedy of arrogance and misplaced trust in appearances. His decision to divide his kingdom based on his daughters’ flattery leads to a sequence of events marked by betrayal, madness, and profound loss. His journey from a powerful monarch to a frail, mad old man is a stark commentary on the ephemeral nature of power and the human condition’s vulnerabilities.

In juxtaposition, these figures highlight Shakespeare’s unparalleled genius in portraying diverse facets of the tragic hero. While they share common characteristics, each tragic hero, set against the backdrop of their unique circumstances and personal flaws, offers a distinct exploration of tragedy. This diversity, rooted in the societal and political milieu of Shakespeare’s time and influenced by the evolution of the tragic hero archetype, ensures that these characters remain eternally relevant, prompting audiences to reflect on their own flaws, decisions, and human frailties.

Macbeth’s Ascension and Fall

Macbeth’s narrative arc, one of the most compelling in Shakespeare’s oeuvre, exemplifies the trajectory of the tragic hero. Stemming from the discussions of the defining traits of such heroes, as previously articulated, Macbeth’s journey from a valiant warrior to a tyrannical ruler encapsulates the dangers of unchecked ambition and the profound influence of external provocations.

When we first encounter Macbeth in Shakespeare’s eponymous tragedy, he is presented as the epitome of virtue and valor. Before he even graces the stage, we hear of his prowess on the battlefield. A sergeant, reporting to King Duncan, paints a vivid picture of Macbeth as a brave soldier, likening him to “Bellona’s bridegroom,” the consort of the Roman goddess of war. This commendation is no light praise, as it sets Macbeth apart as a figure of exceptional martial skill. Furthermore, his victory over the traitorous Macdonwald showcases his loyalty to the Scottish crown and his commitment to duty. His initial stature is undeniably noble, deserving of the accolades and titles he subsequently receives.

However, this heroic image begins its descent into darkness with the introduction of the three witches and their cryptic prophecies. Upon meeting them on the desolate heath, Macbeth is greeted with the salutations: “Thane of Glamis,” which he already is; “Thane of Cawdor,” a title he is yet unaware has been bestowed upon him; and the most bewildering of all, “that shalt be king hereafter!” These prophecies, particularly the third, light the spark of ambition within Macbeth, making him contemplate the possibility of ascending to the throne. When the second prophecy swiftly materializes, with Ross informing Macbeth of his new title as Thane of Cawdor, the allure of the final prophecy becomes nearly irresistible.

The prophecies, while undeniably a crucial component in Macbeth’s downward spiral, are but catalysts that awaken latent desires. It is essential to discern that the witches, in all their mystical ambiguity, do not directly command actions. Their utterances are mere projections, and it is Macbeth, with Lady Macbeth as a driving force, who chooses the path of regicide to actualize the prophesied kingship. As he grapples with the moral implications of such a heinous act, it’s evident that the prophecies have deeply unsettled his previously firm moral compass.

His inner turmoil, poignantly expressed in soliloquies, reveals a man wrestling with ambition and morality. The metaphorical “vaulting ambition, which o’erleaps itself,” captures the dangerous allure of unchecked desires that could lead to one’s downfall. And while he initially hesitates, reasoning that “If chance will have me king, why, chance may crown me, without my stir,” Lady Macbeth’s persuasive tactics and his own burgeoning ambition converge to seal King Duncan’s fate.

Following the regicide, Macbeth’s decline is swift and profound. Paranoia, guilt, and an insatiable hunger for power consume him. The once-valiant hero, now ensnared by the prophecies, seeks the witches once more, further sealing his tragic trajectory with new predictions. His actions post these prophecies, including the merciless killing of Banquo and the massacre of Macduff’s family, solidify his transformation from a revered warrior to a despotic ruler.

In analyzing Macbeth’s ascension and fall, it becomes evident that while external forces, like the prophecies, play a role, it’s the internal moral conflict and unchecked ambition that govern his tragic path. His journey, emblematic of the broader spectrum of Shakespearean tragic figures discussed earlier, serves as a cautionary tale about the perils of ambition untethered from morality and the consequences of letting external influences dictate one’s choices. As with many tragedies, the audience, referencing their own ‘textbook’ of life experiences, finds in Macbeth’s tale a mirror reflecting the fragility of human virtue when confronted with temptation and aspiration.

The Role of Ambition

In the vast landscape of Shakespearean drama, ambition emerges as one of the most potent and recurrent motifs, acting as the Achilles’ heel for several iconic characters, most notably Macbeth. As dissected in our prior discourse on Macbeth’s descent, this insatiable hunger for power and status serves as both a driving force and a destructive flame, illuminating the intricacies of human nature and the potential pitfalls of unchecked desires.

Macbeth’s trajectory is, in many ways, the embodiment of ambition’s dual nature. Initially, his ambition aligns with his duties and societal expectations. As a warrior, his aspirations are to serve his king and protect his land, earning him accolades and reverence. However, with the witches’ prophecies, his ambition starts to mutate, shifting from service to self-aggrandizement. The throne’s tantalizing prospect, coupled with Lady Macbeth’s goading, intensifies his thirst for power. His soliloquy in Act 1, Scene 7, lays bare this conflict as he acknowledges the only compelling reason to commit regicide: “I have no spur to prick the sides of my intent, but only vaulting ambition.” This “vaulting ambition” propels him into a spiral of paranoia, treachery, and eventual doom. The repercussions of his unchecked ambition manifest not just in his downfall but also in the ensuing chaos in Scotland’s socio-political fabric.

Drawing parallels from the ‘textbook’ of Shakespeare’s plays, Macbeth is not alone in his tragic entanglement with ambition. Let’s consider the Roman general Julius Caesar. Caesar’s increasing ambition and aspirations for absolute power sow distrust among certain senators, leading to his assassination. The conspirators, especially Brutus, fear that Caesar’s ambition will lead to tyranny, suppressing the Roman Republic’s freedoms. Ironically, Brutus, driven by his ambition to preserve the republic and his honor, becomes an instrument in its very destruction. Here, ambition, though stemming from seemingly noble intent, culminates in tragedy for both Caesar and Brutus.

Another poignant example is Rodrigo Borgia, more infamously known as Pope Alexander VI, from historical references rather than directly from Shakespeare’s canon. While not a traditional tragic hero, his insatiable ambition for power, wealth, and influence, both for himself and his family, led to widespread corruption within the Church, creating ripples of distrust and upheaval in the religious and political spheres.

Turning our gaze towards Richard III, we find a protagonist whose ambition is matched only by his ruthlessness. Richard’s desire for the English crown is clear from the very outset, as he plots, manipulates, and murders his way to the throne. His ambition, unlike Macbeth’s, is unambiguous and unapologetic. The consequent tyranny and the civil unrest underline the perils of unchecked ambition, as both Richard and the realm suffer.

Drawing from these varied narratives, it becomes evident that while ambition, in itself, is a neutral force, its manifestation can lead to both triumph and tragedy. Its inherent duality lies in its alignment (or misalignment) with moral and societal boundaries. Macbeth’s initial ambition, rooted in service and duty, is laudable, but when redirected by the prophecies and his inner desires, it becomes his very undoing. Similarly, Caesar’s aspirations to elevate Rome clash with Brutus’s ambition to safeguard the republic, leading to tragic consequences for both.

Ambition’s role, therefore, in shaping the narrative arc of a tragic hero is multifaceted. It can be a source of motivation, resilience, and greatness. Yet, when untethered from ethical considerations, it can precipitate a hero’s fall, echoing the sentiment from our previous exploration of Macbeth’s journey. This exploration underscores the timeless relevance of Shakespeare’s works , offering a mirror to reflect upon our aspirations and the lengths we might go to achieve them.

Macbeth’s Fatal Flaw: Hubris

The annals of literature, especially in Shakespeare’s oeuvre, abound with characters who manifest tragic flaws – innate characteristics that precipitate their downfall. In Macbeth’s tapestry, woven intricately with threads of ambition, destiny, and morality, one of the most defining threads is that of hubris, or excessive pride. As we traverse the path of ambition’s role, it’s crucial to delve deeper into this particular flaw, distinguishing it from mere ambition and understanding its grave implications in Macbeth’s narrative.

Macbeth’s hubris doesn’t manifest immediately. Initially, his humility is evident when he grapples with the idea of the throne, hesitant to act on mere prophecies. However, as these prophecies begin to materialize, his sense of invincibility burgeons. With each prophecy’s fulfillment, Macbeth’s confidence in his ordained greatness swells, blurring the lines between ambition and hubris. By the time he becomes king, he believes not only in his right to the throne but also in his invulnerability. This conviction is further fortified when the witches provide him with another set of prophecies: that he cannot be harmed by any man born of a woman and will remain unvanquished until Birnam Wood comes to Dunsinane Hill.

This newfound sense of invincibility feeds Macbeth’s hubris. He misinterprets these prophecies, believing himself to be invulnerable. This overconfidence becomes his undoing. Rather than proceeding with caution, he becomes reckless, believing himself to be beyond the reach of fate or consequence. As a result, he further isolates himself, spiraling deeper into a vortex of paranoia and tyranny. This is evident in his decision to have Banquo murdered, driven by the prophecy of Banquo’s descendants being kings. His excessive pride prevents him from acknowledging potential threats, leading him to underestimate his adversaries and overestimate his own prowess.

The external entities – Lady Macbeth and the witches – play instrumental roles in nurturing Macbeth’s hubris. Lady Macbeth’s initial influence cannot be understated. Her derision of his masculinity and her assertion that they are destined for greatness stoke the flames of his burgeoning pride. She acts as a catalyst, converting his hesitant ambition into assertive action. However, as Macbeth’s hubris grows, her influence wanes, underscoring the self-consuming nature of unchecked pride. Their relationship, initially one of shared aspirations, mutates, reflecting the dissonance between hubris and reality.

The witches, with their enigmatic prophecies, are more insidious agents of Macbeth’s inflated pride. Their predictions are not false, but their ambiguity allows for interpretation, and Macbeth, in his hubris, chooses interpretations that feed his sense of invulnerability. For instance, the prophecy about Birnam Wood is taken literally by Macbeth, making him dismissive of any real threat. However, when the opposing army uses branches from Birnam Wood as camouflage, the prophecy’s true meaning dawns on him, shattering his overconfidence. Similarly, the proclamation that no man born of a woman shall harm him gives him a false sense of security. This is undone when he faces Macduff, who reveals he was born of a Caesarean section. In essence, the witches’ prophecies serve as a double-edged sword: they empower him, but his misinterpretations, stemming from hubris, set the stage for his downfall.

Drawing connections to our prior exploration of ambition, it becomes evident that while ambition might have been the seed of Macbeth’s tragic journey, hubris was the soil that nurtured it. The unchecked growth of this excessive pride, exacerbated by external influences, culminated in Macbeth’s tragic end. Shakespeare masterfully demonstrates the dangers of interpreting destiny through the lens of hubris. Macbeth, in his overconfidence, fails to discern the nuances of the prophecies, illustrating the perils of pride clouding judgment. This theme, resonating beyond the confines of the play, serves as a timeless cautionary tale about the inherent dangers of overestimating one’s invulnerability in the face of destiny and external influences.

The Tragic Cycle: Realization and Catharsis

One of the most profound aspects of a tragic narrative lies in the inevitable arc of realization that befalls its protagonist, followed by the cathartic experience it offers to its audience. In the intricate tapestry of “Macbeth,” this arc is manifested through Macbeth’s moments of self-awareness and introspection. The realization of his flaws, when juxtaposed against his earlier hubris, adds depth to his character, making him more than a mere tyrant but a flawed human, susceptible to grand delusions and grim realities alike.

Throughout the play, Macbeth experiences moments of acute self-awareness that provide a window into his tormented psyche. These moments, often couched in soliloquies, afford the audience a glimpse into his innermost thoughts and conflicts. Consider his reflection in Act 3, Scene 1, where he acknowledges that for Banquo, “To be thus is nothing, but to be safely thus.” Here, Macbeth is acutely aware of the precariousness of his position, realizing that mere possession of the crown does not guarantee security or peace. This sentiment is further echoed in his famous soliloquy in Act 5, Scene 5, where he reflects on the ephemeral nature of life: “Life’s but a walking shadow… a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing.” Such moments of profound introspection paint Macbeth not as an irredeemable villain but as a man caught in the throes of his own ambitions and fears.

These reflections, interspersed throughout his descent into tyranny, make his character more relatable. Every instance where he grapples with his actions, doubts his choices, or fears his future humanizes him. His journey becomes not just one of a man succumbing to his baser instincts but also of a soul striving for meaning in a world that seems increasingly chaotic and hostile. Such a portrayal encourages the audience to empathize with Macbeth, even if they do not condone his actions.

This brings us to the second pivotal aspect of the tragic cycle: the cathartic response. Aristotle, in his seminal work “Poetics,” elucidates the concept of catharsis as the purification and purgation of emotions, especially pity and fear. “Macbeth,” with its poignant portrayal of its titular character, elicits these very emotions. The audience, witnessing Macbeth’s internal and external struggles, feels a mix of pity for his doomed fate and fear of the extent of human fallibility.

While the audience might shudder at Macbeth’s deeds, they also recognize the universality of his struggles. Who hasn’t grappled with ambition, fear, or the need for validation? Who hasn’t, at some point, felt the weight of their choices bearing down on them? By holding a mirror to these all-too-human experiences, “Macbeth” enables the audience to confront and process their own fears and insecurities. This is where the cathartic experience is rooted.

Drawing parallels with our previous discourse on Macbeth’s hubris, the tragic cycle underscores the dichotomy of his character. His excessive pride and ambition lead to his fall, but his moments of reflection humanize him, completing the tragic cycle. As the audience navigates this journey with Macbeth, they undergo a cathartic release, purging their emotions and leaving the theater with a heightened sense of self-awareness and introspection.

In essence, the tragic cycle in “Macbeth” serves a dual purpose. On one hand, it deepens the characterization of Macbeth, allowing for a more nuanced understanding of his psyche. On the other, it facilitates an emotional release for the audience, making the play not just a tale of a fallen hero but a therapeutic exploration of the human condition. This duality, a hallmark of Shakespeare’s genius, ensures that “Macbeth” remains not just a play but an experience, resonating with audiences across ages and cultures.

Comparisons with Other Shakespearean Tragic Heroes

The Shakespearean pantheon of tragic heroes, replete with complex personalities and intricate moral dilemmas, provides a rich tapestry against which we can juxtapose Macbeth. While each tragic figure is a unique embodiment of particular human flaws and circumstances, there exist overlapping threads of ambition, hubris, love, and betrayal that weave their narratives together. Here, let’s explore how Macbeth stands distinct when set against the illustrious likes of Hamlet, Othello, and King Lear.

First, consider Hamlet, the introspective Prince of Denmark. At the core of Hamlet’s tragedy is his deep-seated indecision and proclivity for philosophical introspection. While Macbeth’s downfall is catalyzed by his ambition and subsequent actions based on the witches’ prophecies, Hamlet is paralyzed by his incessant overthinking, culminating in the iconic soliloquy, “To be or not to be.” Both characters experience a kind of paralysis: Hamlet’s is born of doubt and introspection, while Macbeth’s emerges from overconfidence in prophecies and his misinterpretation of them. Macbeth’s quickness to action contrasts starkly with Hamlet’s hesitancy, emphasizing their divergent tragic paths.

Othello, the Moorish general of Venice, presents another illuminating contrast. While both he and Macbeth are esteemed warriors, their tragic flaws differ. Othello’s downfall is rooted in jealousy, meticulously stoked by Iago. This jealousy, unlike Macbeth’s ambition, is intensely personal, stemming from doubts about his wife Desdemona’s fidelity. Macbeth’s ambitions are grander, tied to power and kingship. Additionally, while external influences shape both their fates (the witches for Macbeth and Iago for Othello), Othello’s tragedy feels more intimate, a result of personal relationships gone awry, whereas Macbeth’s has broader, kingdom-wide ramifications.

King Lear, the aged monarch, offers yet another dimension of tragedy. His narrative revolves around the themes of aging, family, and the quest for genuine love and loyalty. At the outset, Lear’s hubris leads him to misjudge his daughters’ affections, setting into motion a series of events that strip him of his power and sanity. While both Macbeth and Lear are kings who face tragic downfalls, their trajectories are distinct. Lear’s tragedy is born from a familial context, whereas Macbeth’s arises from political ambition. Furthermore, Lear begins his play in a position of established power and witnesses its gradual erosion, while Macbeth’s narrative charts his ascent to power and the subsequent descent into tyranny.

Drawing connections to our prior discussion on the tragic cycle and catharsis, each of these characters, including Macbeth, facilitates a cathartic experience for the audience, albeit through different emotional avenues. With Hamlet, we grapple with existential dilemmas; with Othello, we navigate the tumultuous waters of jealousy and trust; with Lear, we confront the harsh realities of aging, familial discord, and betrayal; and with Macbeth, we journey through the treacherous terrains of unchecked ambition and the consequences of hubris.

Yet, what truly distinguishes Macbeth is the speed and intensity of his transformation. While the other tragic heroes undergo gradual declines or experience pivotal moments that trigger their downfalls, Macbeth’s transformation from a valiant general to a tyrannical ruler is swift and propelled by a combination of internal and external forces. This rapid metamorphosis, coupled with the supernatural elements unique to his narrative, sets Macbeth apart.

In conclusion, while each of Shakespeare’s tragic heroes embodies specific flaws leading to their eventual downfalls, Macbeth stands distinct in his rapid descent into tyranny, spurred by ambition and manipulated prophecies. His narrative, though sharing thematic parallels with the likes of Hamlet, Othello, and Lear, retains its unique flavor, cementing its place as one of the most compelling tragedies in Shakespeare’s oeuvre.

The figure of Macbeth, with its intricate layers and psychological depth, remains an indelible creation in the annals of literature. His characterization, a masterful blend of ambition, hubris, and introspection, resonates deeply, transcending the boundaries of time and culture. As underscored by our examination alongside fellow Shakespearean luminaries like Hamlet, Othello, and Lear, Macbeth’s unique narrative trajectory and the intensity of his transformation underscore his enduring impact and relevance.

Furthermore, the archetype of the tragic hero, epitomized by Macbeth, continues to influence contemporary adaptations and interpretations. Whether in film, theatre, or literature, the allure of a character propelled by profound internal and external conflicts, culminating in inevitable downfall, remains potent. These modern retellings, while bearing the distinct imprints of their creators, invariably hark back to the essence of Shakespeare’s original vision. They stand testament to the timeless nature of Macbeth’s tale and the universal appeal of the tragic hero, reminding us of the inexhaustible depths of human nature and the boundless potential for storytelling that delves into its core.

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Essay Topics About Macbeth: Is Macbeth a Tragic Hero?

Is Macbeth a tragic hero? Explore the factors that say “yes” to this common literary question.

Macbeth fits the role of a tragic hero because he is born to nobility, and he has good character. But his fatal flaw, his ambition, leads to his death at the end of the play. It also pushes him to commit many atrocities, including murder, as he falls deeper and deeper into darkness. Some characteristics of the character are not perfect examples of tragic heroes, but overall, he fits this archetype.

William Shakespeare’s tragedies have several examples of tragic heroes, but many literary analysts are divided about whether or not Macbeth, the Thane of Cawdor, is one of them. Does the character and his tragic flaw fit the definition of the tragic hero, or is Shakespeare’s Macbeth a different type of character?

Here we will take a closer look at the answer to this question, for you to use in your next argumentative essay.

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Definition of a Tragic Hero

1. macbeth’s background, 2. the audience’s view of macbeth, 3. macbeth’s tragic flaw, 4. the wicked actions of the character of macbeth, 5. macbeth’s tragic ending, 1. he is not born with his tragic flaw, 2. his heroic nature is suspect, 3. little pity from the audience, macbeth as a villain instead of a tragic hero, macbeth as a victim instead of a tragic hero, though not perfect, macbeth shows many characteristics of a tragic hero.

Before looking more closely at whether or not Macbeth is a tragic hero, first, you must understand what a tragic hero is.

According to the dictionary , a tragic hero is a character in a drama who is “destined for downfall, suffering, or defeat.” However, in literature, the definition is slightly more in-depth.

In Greek literature, Aristotle defined the tragic hero as someone whose mistakes or errors in judgment were the ultimate cause of their downfall. Other components of the tragic hero literary archetype are:

Creates fear or pity in the audience’s mind, which creates a sense of catharsis at the end of the work.
Have a tragic or fatal flaw, which is a character trait that causes the character’s downfall
Be nobility, monarchy, or in leadership in some other way.
Has heroic or potentially heroic tendencies.
They endure great suffering and have a tragic ending

Based on these character traits, you can decide if Macbeth is, in fact, a tragic hero.

Ways Macbeth Fits the Idea of a Tragic Hero

In the play Macbeth, the main character fulfills some of the characteristics of the tragic hero. Looking more closely at these will help you decide whether or not you believe that Macbeth is a tragic hero.

One of the characteristics of the tragic hero is being of noble background, and Macbeth fits this profile well. He starts the play as the Thane of Glamis and quickly becomes the Thane of Cawdor. From the very beginning of the play, he is in a leadership role.

Early in the play, Macbeth has the king’s trust. The king has this to say about him:

“What bloody man is that? He can report, As seemeth by his plight, of the revolt. . . O valiant cousin! Worthy gentleman! Dismay’d not this Our captains, Macbeth and Banquo?” Macbeth

This quote shows a high level of trust between the king and captain.

Macbeth is also a member of the military. Early in the play, the three witches prophesy that he will become king of Scotland. Through their prophecy and the urging of his wife, Lady Macbeth, he pursues the throne very violently.

With all three of these roles and his leadership in the military, Macbeth fulfills the requirement of noble birth or being a member of the monarchy.

Similarly, at the start of the play, he seems to be a nice man and a military hero. Until he meets the three witches, he also appears to be loyal to his king. The classic tragic hero will start as a pleasant character until the tragic flaw takes over. in this way, Macbeth fits the archetype.

To be a tragic hero, the audience must develop feelings of fear or pity for the character, which often occurs in Macbeth. At the start of the play, he seems to be an honest man of noble character. The play describes how he killed McDonald, a traitor, which could cause the audience to view him as a hero.

However, as the play unfolds and the external forces, like the three witches, impact the Thane, his moral character and mental health decline. He changes into a completely different type of person, eliciting the audience’s sympathy.

As the play continues, Macbeth’s outside influences grow stronger, as does his desire for power. Eventually, this causes him to become insane, and the audience feels fear and pity for the man and where his choices may take him.

Again, because the audience starts to feel this sense of pity for the once brave Macbeth, he fits the definition of a tragic hero.

That said, this is one area where Macbeth is not quite as clear a fit for the definition of a tragic hero. While some audience members may feel pity and fear, others will detest his fall from power and his poor character throughout the play.

“My thought, whose murder yet is but fantastical, Shakes so my single state of man That function is smother’d in surmise, and nothing is but what is not.” Macbeth

Macbeth’s tragic flaw is the subject of much debate in the literature. Many will state that Macbeth’s ambition leads him down such a dangerous path. He wants to become king so badly that he is willing to murder.

Yet Macbeth also has a bit of hubris. He believes he can achieve everything in the witches’ prophecies without help, and he takes matters into his own hands to do so.

Finally, as the play progresses, he seems to develop some insanity. Though the vaulting ambition is likely the cause of some of his insanity, the insanity and mental health issues could be the fatal flaw that ultimately contributes to Macbeth’s downfall.

“For mine own good All causes shall give way. I am in blood Stepped in so far that, should I wade no more, Returning were as tedious as go o’er.” Macbeth

Another component of a tragic hero is the errors in judgment that cause evil actions. As Macbeth pursues his desire for the throne, pushed toward that desire by the prophecy of the three witches and various other apparitions that encourage him, he commits many crimes.

His criminal behavior starts with the murder of the Scottish King Duncan, a necessary move for him to take the throne. However, as he ascends to rule Scotland, he becomes paranoid about keeping his power, especially since Duncan’s sons, Malcolm and Donalbain, got away and remained a threat to his power.

Yet Macbeth’s murderous path is not over after the murder of Duncan. His friend Banquo, who spoke against his murderous intentions, is the next to fall.

Macbeth then sights Macduff, a loyal thane who believes Macbeth is King Duncan’s assassin. Macduff flees to England to escape the treachery, yet he leaves his family behind. Macbeth kills Macduff’s family. Eventually, this action leads to Macbeth’s death at the hands of the grieving husband and father.

These actions further solidify that Macbeth is a tragic hero. He makes errors in judgment that lead him to murder to retain his power.

“It will have blood, they say. Blood will have blood.” Macbeth

The final characteristic of a tragic hero is a tragic downfall. In a Shakespearean tragedy, this typically includes the main character’s death.

At the end of the play, Macbeth’s tragedy begins when his wife starts to show signs of mental decline and ends up taking her own life. This causes him to sink into despair, withdrawing to Dunsinane to try to protect his throne and defend himself. The English army, with Macduff, comes to the castle in search of him.

As the battle unfolds, Macbeth fights hard, but his castle is no match for Macduff’s forces. Macduff confronts Macbeth and cuts off his head, allowing Malcolm to become the King of Scotland. Peace comes back to the land, but only because the traitor Macbeth died.

“Despair they charm And let the angel whom thou still hast served Tell thee. Macduff was from his mother’s womb Untimely ripp’d” Macbeth

Arguments Against Macbeth as a Tragic Hero

Though many literary analysts believe Macbeth to be a tragic hero, some will argue that he is not. Macbeth is not the perfect example of a tragic hero. Here are some of them.

Many tragic heroes have a tragic flaw that is part of their inborn character, but this is not the case with Macbeth. His ambition is not entirely present at the start of the play. It is the prophecies of the witches and the urging of Lady Macbeth that fuels the flame of Macbeth’s ambition. When he starts to believe that he is destined to be king, and Lady Macbeth perpetuates that belief, he starts down his dangerous path.

In addition, his tragic flaw of ambition and desire to keep his power dos not become evident until the play is well underway. Their tragic characteristic is present in most tragic heroes from the very beginning.

Another reason some claim Macbeth is not a tragic hero is that the play shows little to indicate he has heroic tendencies. While it shows he is a good soldier, his descent into madness starts fairly early in the play, and thus he does not have much time to show his good character.

For someone to be a tragic hero, they must have good character qualities that take a wrong turn. Macbeth may not fulfill this role well, depending on how the audience views his character.

Some literary analysts state that the character of Macbeth does not evoke much pity. When he dies at the end, you do not experience catharsis but rather a sense of justice. His ruthlessness makes it hard to pity the character, which is an essential part of the idea of a tragic hero.

That said, the feelings of an audience are not always the same from one reader to the next. Some may feel pity for Macbeth, thus allowing him to fulfill this role, while others may not.

Some literary scholars view Macbeth as the play’s villain, not a hero. The antagonist can still be a tragic hero if the audience has empathy for them, but if not, then he is just a villain.

To state that Macbeth is a villain, you must prove that he would have done the actions in the play regardless of the other events of the play. His character flaws would have pushed him to murder the king, even without the prophecy and his wife’s influence.

Shakespeare does not give enough detail in the play to draw this conclusion. However, Macbeth feels fear and defiance, not guilt, when he sees Banquo’s ghost, which may show that he is more villainous than heroic.

Another potential view is that Macbeth is the story’s victim . To prove this view, you must prove that the outside influences, including the witches and his wife, push him toward his murderous actions rather than his character.

The key question here is whether or not these influences force Macbeth’s hand or if they encourage him along a path that he would have followed on his own.

One argument toward Macbeth being a victim is the intense guilt he feels after killing Duncan. The guilt is almost enough to drive him mad, and it is the start of his loss of peace through the end of the play.

You could also argue that Macbeth is a victim of himself. At the end of the play, when Macduff strikes the fatal blow, it is the witches Macbeth curses. This points toward him viewing himself as a victim.

This question is probably one that literary analysts will continue to debate. However, one thing is clear: Macbeth is not a perfect example of a tragic hero, but he does display many of the characteristics.

In literature, characters are not always perfectly representative of the archetypes they portray. Writers can give their characters different traits that pull them away from a particular path. Yet more of Macbeth’s characteristics align with that of a tragic hero than do not, and thus the conclusion that he is one is valid.

Tip: If writing an essay sounds like a lot of work, simplify it. Write a simple 5 paragraph essay instead.

If you’d like to learn more, in this guide our writer explains how to write an argumentative essay .

Bryan Collins is the owner of Become a Writer Today. He's an author from Ireland who helps writers build authority and earn a living from their creative work. He's also a former Forbes columnist and his work has appeared in publications like Lifehacker and Fast Company.

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Shakespeares Macbeth: A Tragic Hero Essay

Francis Scott Key Fitzgerald once said, “Show me a hero and l’ll write you a tragedy”. Decades apart, Fitzgerald did not know that he would be making a claim that William Shakespeare, the author of the play, Macbeth, had perfected before. According to Wayne C. Booth he would, “Take a good man, a noble man, a man admired by all who know him – and destroy him, not only physically and emotionally” (Booth 17). Shakespeare was shown a hero, Macbeth, and made his story into a tragedy resulting in Macbeth becoming a tragic hero. Macbeth is tragic hero because he has hamartia, hubris, and experiences peripeteia.

Hamartia, by definition, is the tragic flaw that causes the downfall of a hero. The tragic flaw that Macbeth possesses that leads him to his downfall is his constant need for power; Macbeth is power hungry. His major flaw lead him down wicked roads and eventually lead him to his death. His need for power pushes him to make one bad mistake after another. His first mistake was when he agreed to murder King Duncan and finished the act out. Even after he murders the King, he could still have been safe. Instead, he kept seeking out power and that brought him to his own destruction.

He kept murdering people that he elieved were a threat to his power. People became suspicious and started to turn against him. If he had not done anything else besides killing Duncan, he could have taken the throne and no one would have questioned him. He had the perfect plan because people believed that the King’s sons, Malcolm and Donalbain, murdered him. However, he ruined that perfect plan by his need for power. He kept becoming more vicious and others started to wondering if that truly happened, when no one use to think the lesser of Macbeth.

His actions that were fueled by his hunger for power caused people to turn against im and lead to his death. If Macbeth was not power hungry, then he could possibly still be alive. He could have still been the Thane of Cawdor and possibly never been king. He wouldn’t have a high status, but he would still be alive. He probably would have been content with being the Thane of Cawdor too if he had never met the witches. He would have believed that it was a true honor like he did when he was decided that he would not kill the King. I have no spur / To prick the sides of my intent, but only / Vaulting ambition, which o’erleaps itself / And falls on th’ other-” (I. vii. 5-28). “. Macbeth might have always been power hungry, but the witches’ idea brought out his major flaw. The few words, “All hail, Macbeth! Hail to thee, Thane of Glamis! / All hail, Macbeth! Hail to thee, Thane of Cawdor! / All hail, Macbeth, that shalt be King hereafter! ” (I. ii. 48-50). Started his way down from a noble man to the worst of them all. Hubris is the excessive pride and disrespect of hero for natural order and the ultimate sign of disrespect is murder.

Macbeth murdered several people in order to protect his seat at the throne, but there are two specific murders that Macbeth ommits that are of the utmost disrespect. The first murder was of the beloved King Duncan. King Duncan was gracious king and was loved by many. People adored him, even Macbeth. Macbeth speaks of his praise when he said, “He hath honored me of late, and I have bought / Golden opinions from all sorts of people, / Which would be worn now in their newest gloss, / Not cast aside so soon” (I. vii. 32-35).

Macbeth spoke to Lady Macbeth reminding her of the mercy and kindness that he showed him. He appointed him to an honorable position, which resulted in people looking among Macbeth more favorably. He was a hero n the eyes of many of the people that he ruled, including Macbeth. However, Macbeth disrespected King Duncan in a way no one else did. He murdered King Duncan with his bare hands. The murder is especially disrespectful because Macbeth did it himself, even though he had some assistance from his wife, he was still the one who committed the act of murder.

He took daggers and slit the throat of the man who just awarded him a prestigious position. Even though, he later regretted the murder. It can not undo the mistake that he made. The second murder that was incredibly disrespectful was the one of Macbeth’s trusted friend, Banquo. Banquo was dear to Macbeth’s heart and was there for him in the beginning. He was even there when the witches told Macbeth all of the great things that he would become, however, that ended up being the same reason that he died. Banquo his son.

His last living actions cause Banquo to be seen as hero through the eyes of the audience as well because, “His dying words are spoken in our presence, and they are unselfishly directed to saving his son” (Booth 22). Banquo knew that he was about to die, but rather than trying to save himself, he saves his son. Banquo is a hero and Macbeth disrespects him. Even though Macbeth does not commit the murder himself, the murder is just as disrespectful as King Duncan’s because the audience knows Banquo personally. It is more wicked to kill Banquo than to have killed Duncan” (Booth 22). The reasoning for this is because the audience knows more about Banquo. seen as a hero in the eyes of They have witnessed the goodness of Banquo rather than just hearing about it, which is the case for King Duncan. Macbeth sent out the order for Banquo to be murder, so even though he did not perform the deed himself, the blood is still on his hands. If Macbeth was not around, then Banquo would have lived longer. Macbeth experiences peripeteia, which is the reversal of fate that the hero experiences.

Macbeth decided the fate of others and others decided the fate of Macbeth. Macbeth took it upon himself to play the role of God and decide who was going to live and who was going to die. He decided the fate of King Duncan, Banquo, Macduff’s wife and children, and others. Macbeth figured that they were obstacles in the way and decided it was in his best interest to remove them from his path. Macbeth did not need help to come up with ideas on how to chieve his goals, he always has that idea in the back of his mind.

The idea of playing dirty was not new to Macbeth, “When the play begins, he has already coveted the crown, as is shown by his excessively nervous reaction to the witches’ prophecy; it is indeed likely that he has already consider foul means of obtaining it” (Booth 18). Even though M he coveted the crown, Macbeth did not always think that he was destined for the throne. However, it did not take much for him to get completely on board with the idea. Once the idea was planted, he took charge of it. Macbeth thought that the highest power that he ould amount to would Thane of Glamis.

When he is moved up to the position of Thane of Cawdor, he allowed the words of the witches to get into his mind and cloud his focus. Rather than being grateful for his new appointed job, he focussed on trying to fulfil the rest of his prophecy from the witches. He takes King Duncan’s fate in his own hands, which resulted in someone else taking the fate of Macbeth into their own hands. He determined the fate of someone else and later in the story, someone would decide the fate of Macbeth. Macbeth murdered King Duncan, in retribution Macbeth is murdered.

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