Cale Schrantz Mrs. Thomas English 2, Period 5 11 March 2024 Macbeth’s Tragic Structure Throughout every tragic hero in literature, a character trait, or multiple, collectively leads the character to their eventual downfall. In his infamous tragic play, Macbeth, William Shakespeare explores the characteristics of a tragic hero through the main protagonist, Macbeth, the King of Scotland. Shakespeare exhibits this characterization by giving Macbeth many defining character traits that can be related to the traditional meaning of a tragic hero originating from Aristotle. Specifically, when Macbeth’s ambition overcomes his moral sense progressively through the play, and guides him into an unshakeable demise. Macbeth is a tragic hero because he displays …show more content…
Ere the bat hath flown, / His cloistered flight, ere to black Hecate’s summons” (Mac.3.3.95). When speaking with Lady Macbeth, Macbeth is confident in his decision to send murderers to have Banquo and his young son, Fleance, killed. He does not hesitate to plot their deaths as soon as he discovers they may be a threat to his throne. Because of this, it is clear that Macbeth feels he has the freedom to make his own choices and decide which path he is willing to take, which demonstrates his foundational characteristics as a tragic hero. Literary critic, James Berquist supports this assertion that Macbeth is knowledgeable and understands his actions in his criticism “Macbeth as a Tragic Hero: A Defense and Explanation of Macbeth’s Tragic Character”: “When Lady Macbeth is trying to convince him to do the murderous deed, she first impugns his courage. This has no effect since he, along with everybody else in the play, knows already that he is courageous” (111). Along with this argument, contributing to the same notion, during the play, when Macbeth visits the witches, he receives the prophecy depicting that he is destined to be king. He takes this information into his own hands and makes the choice to do whatever he can to become king from that point forward in the