Shakespeare once said, "A man cannot become a hero until he can see the root of his own downfall." What makes a tragic hero? A tragic hero is typically a figure who is high in power, usually with a noble background. They are predominantly good in nature, but end up suffering a self inflicted falling-out due to flaws in their own personality. In a Shakespearean play, it isn't rare for the tragic hero to lose their own life so good can be reestablished.
Macbeth, for instance, is considered the tragic hero in Shakespeare's Macbeth. He is first introduced as Thane of Glamis, which is considered a high position in the kingdom. After killing Macdonwald in battle, King Duncan decides to crown Macbeth Thane of Cawdor, which is considered an even higher power in the Scottish Empire.
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In Act one, scene 2, Duncan addresses Macbeth as "valiant cousin, worthy gentlemen" and later as "worthy Thane". The way King Duncan addresses Macbeth is crucial to his character. The King himself addressing Macbeth as worthy shows the reader how highly Duncan views Macbeth. If the King sees Macbeth as respectable and honourable, the audience is tricked into believing that he really is. This being said, Macbeth is in fact good in nature at the beginning of the play. However, Macbeth's blind ambition along with Lady Macbeth's constant tactics of manipulation, later leads him to take a very violent and bloody path to the throne. Macbeth's tragic flaw is his vaulting ambition and how naive he is. Following the witches prophecies, the reader sees Macbeth's once bright and promising future begin to fade as a consequence to his brutal actions. As he