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Macbeth Tragic Hero Research Paper

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A tragic hero is someone who faces adversity or demonstrates courage in the face of dangers and confronts his/her downfall. Whether due to fate, by his own mistake, or any other social reason. By possessing supreme pride and ambition by believing to be superior over others, having a capacity for suffering through guilt, and finally Macbeth’s transfiguration throughout the entire play. Therefore, for these three reasons I believe that Macbeth is a tragic hero. The first reason Macbeth is a tragic hero is by possessing supreme pride and also ambition leading him to believe he’s superior over others.Macbeth is prideful by laughing at any man born of a woman with a weapon and he says to Siward he has no fear because of the prophecy. This is …show more content…

At the beginning, Macbeth was a respected man who was loyal to Duncan and was an amazing fighter, however after hearing about the witches prophecies he changed. In act 1 scene 1 15-25 a soldier speaks of Macbeth highly to Duncan about Macbeth saying ”For brave Macbeth—well he deserves that name”. However after Lady Macbeth questions Macbeth's masculinity and he eventually kills Duncan in Act 1 Scene 7 verses (92-95). The once respected and liked Macbeth turned into a murder machine who begins to kill anyone who affects his way to the …show more content…

In act 1 scene 7 (Verses 0-25) he gives reasons for not wanting to kill Duncan saying things like “ 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”. Macbeth was at first reluctant to commit the murder but he eventually does kill Duncan. However, when Macbeth decides he needs to kill Banquo and Fleance he needed no convincing and he decided to kill right away. Macbeth also killed Macduff's wife and son. Macbeth's hope and confidence about his spot as a King was all dependant on the witches prophecies and his confidence and hope changed once he realized the truth behind the prophecies. After hearing the 3rd apparition in act 4 scene 1 (verse 106) he’s happy because the prophecies make it seem like nothing can happen to him or defeat him. He says “ Sweet bodements,good!”. However as he’s faces Macduff to fight he realizes that the prophecies were tricks and they didn't mean truly mean what they meant. Macbeth says in act 5 scene 8 (verses 35-40) “Though Birnam Wood be come to Dunsinane,And thou opposed, being of no woman born,Yet I will try the last. Before my body I throw my warlike shield.” When Macbeth hears how good and favouring the prophecies were he couldn't do anything but smile and rejoice, which boosted his overall hope and confidence on how

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Then last words that Macbeth says is, “Though Birnam Wood be come to Dunsinane,\And thou opposed, being of no woman born,\Yet I will try the last” (V.VIII.35-37). Macbeth suspects that he will be killed by Macduff so he rather tries his best to fight and die with honor than suiciding and die as a

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One way Macbeth exemplifies a tragic hero is through his error and flaw in judgment throughout the play. Macbeth states “ I am settled, and bent up Each corporal agent to this terrible feat” (Shakespeare 1.7.89-90). This quote talks about how Macbeth will put everything he has into killing King

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In the beginning, Macbeth is shown as a brave hero that kills traitors, making killing almost holy. But when the witches tempted him with three prophecies, he couldn’t resist. Since Macbeth is greatly praised and respected by the King, the first prophecy of him being the Thane of Candor became true. Therefore, Macbeth let his hopes of being King led high.

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“For brave Macbeth, well he deserves that name,with his brandish’d steel,Which smok’d with bloody execution, ( I.ii.15-23)”. It is vital that the audience is aware of Macbeth’s strengths early in the play, because it evolves Macbeth as a tragic hero when the audience witness Macbeth’s downfall, instigated by the witches and Lady Macbeth. Macbeth is seen as intelligent and kindhearted by Lady Macbeth who illuminates Macbeth’s personality" too full o’ th’ milk of human kindness/ Thou wouldst be great (1.v.15-19)”.

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Tragic heroes are destined for a downfall, which is what makes them a “tragic” hero. A tragic hero is usually great, and respected by not only his followers but by everyone. A tragic hero can also lose everything he has worked so hard to get. His downfall is because of a bad judgements or a serious of bad decisions like Macbeth. The downfall usually happens at the characters high point.

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Macbeth is the protagonist in this play, though he cannot be considered a hero or a truly righteous man. His character is dynamic as it undergoes drastic transformations throughout the play. At the start of the drama, we come to know Macbeth as a brave and a corageous Scottish soldier as this is clearly shown to the reader by his heroic actions in a battlefield against the Irish army. “The wounded sergeant bears ample testimony to his heroism when fighting against Macdonwald and Sweno” (Deighton, 2013). He says “for brave Macbeth—well he deserves that name— Disdaining fortune, with his brandished steel, Which smoked with bloody execution, Like valor’s minion carved out his passage Till he faced the slave” (Shakespeare, Act I, Scene II, 16-20).

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So Macbeth was just waiting for the right time to do kill Duncan now that he has the chance to kill him he is going to do it. Which is very sick of him because he is doing it for the power and he wants to run the country a certain way and he knows that the people he is friends with will protect him so no can get to the him. Another way Macbeth should be known as a merely monster is that the witches who were

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Macbeth’s mental condition begins to dwindle as time goes on, starting with the murder of Duncan. At first, Macbeth is seen as a soldier that everyone aspires to be, strong, brave, and compassionate about his duties to the king. In act one scene two, Captain says, “...For brave Macbeth-well he deserves that name-...” This shows that he is a likeable person who has only the objective of serving his king. After meeting with the witches and hearing his prophecy, Macbeth starts to think about what it would be like to be king of Scotland.

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In the beginning, Macbeth was rational and did not desire to kill King Duncan but Lady Macbeth provoked him of his manhood and the prophecy influenced him: “We will proceed no further in this business:/ He hath honored me of late, and I have bought/ Golden opinions from all sorts of people,...” (1.7.31-32). After Macbeth’s succession as King, his power increased along with his humanity and sanity diminishing, thus he carried out malicious deeds. He became obsessed with his power that he couldn’t trust anyone and believed everyone to be after his power, “Fleance his son, that keeps him company,/ Whose absence is no less material to me/ Than is his father’s, must embrace the fate/ Of that dark hour.

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Consequently, a war breaks out and takes Macbeth and his wife. Macbeth is considered a tragic hero because of his excessive pride, reversal of fate when Fleance escapes, and his tragic flaw ambition. Macbeth is a tragic hero because of his excessive pride. This can be seen in Act III Scene IV when Macbeth says, “Ourself will mingle with society, And play the humble host.”

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Macbeth being conscious of his actions show the qualities of a tragic hero as he acknowledges the fact that he brought his downfall upon

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Should his wife suffer for macbeth's faults, he doesn't deserve her dead and she doesn't deserve to be dead. Also when Macbeth says “ I will not be afraid of death and destruction until Birnam forest picks itself up and moves to Dunsinane.(A5S3) he is saying it to prove that he will never be afraid of death, but when his messenger says that the forest is actually moving, we can't help but feel bad for the man. Increased awareness is another Characteristic of a tragic hero. Macbeth seems to have an idea of what the future has in store for him.

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In Shakespeare’s well known tragic story,“Macbeth”,there are multiple various scene’s involving war, celebration and murder. In the play, many character’s are described to have different types of literary characteristics and Macbeth, the main character, is considered a tragic hero. Macbeth’s tragic flaws qualify him as a tragic hero, these flaws are ambition and having lack moderation. The tragic flaws contributed to Macbeth’s downfall since it set his life to be in danger from the events taken place after the tragic decisions he made from his actions/flaws. Macbeth in Shakespeare’s well known play is considered as a tragic hero, with tragic flaws and those flaws contributing to his death.

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In conclusion, although some believe that Macbeth is aware of what he is doing for himself Macbeth is a tragic hero. In Shakespeare 's Macbeth he holds high praise of being Thane of Glamis and Cawdor, knows of his flaw and after putting himself in a situation he fought to the end of his own death. By Aristotle 's characteristics guide of a tragic hero and how Macbeth responses to his flaw is what makes Macbeth a tragic hero instead of an

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He let his ambitions take control of his actions. Macbeth is a tragic hero because he redeemed a small measure of his nobility. He redeemed himself by fighting until the end of his life. He understood his fate and still fought.

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