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Factors that lead to Macbeth downfall
Macbeth'S Fate
Macbeth'S Fate
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More handpicked essays just for you.
Factors that lead to Macbeth downfall
Macbeth'S Fate
Macbeth'S Fate
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Recommended: Factors that lead to Macbeth downfall
In any tragedy, the tragic hero is a great character with a tragic flaw and is destined for downfall, suffering, or defeat. The tragic hero conclusively can sometimes cause death upon himself due to his tragic flaw. Three main theories of the tragic hero are the Aristotelian model, the Shakespearean model, and the modern tragic hero. Each model has five defining characteristics, which are nobility, hamartia, downfall, anagnorisis, and suffering. In the Shakespearean mode of the tragedy, the play Romeo and Juliet best models the tragic hero.
In the story "Macbeth" by Shakespeare, Macbeth is a character that would overlook his actions consequences as long as he ended up with more power. Macbeth greatest flaws are his desire for power and overconfidence, that also drove to his death. As the story progressed Macbeth loses his humanity and is overpowered by his greatest desire. Macbeth family Is also affected by this flaw.
According to Aristotle, a tragic hero takes on many characteristics. The first of which is to be virtuous. A tragic hero must be high in the totem pole. They must be a noble citizen of society and are usually viewed as a hero. This hero must be held culpable of the responsibilities of the town.
“A man cannot become a hero until he can see the root of his own downfall.” This quote articulated by famous Greek philosopher Aristotle provided the basis for another category of heroes: tragic heroes. Throughout literature’s history there have been various tragic heroes from F. Scott Fitzgerald’s Jay Gatsby in the novel The Great Gatsby to Oedipus Rex in Sophocles’ play Oedipus the King. William Shakespeare created tragic heroes in his plays as well, one of the most famous being Macbeth in the title play Macbeth. In another of Shakespeare’s plays, Hamlet, Prince Hamlet cries out, “To be, or not to be: that is the question:/” which appears similar to the question some readers still ask, “Is or is not Macbeth a tragic hero?” (INTEXTDOCUMENTATION).
A tragic hero is a character who has the potential to have heroic qualities, but their fate is a tragic downfall. Aristotle defined a tragic hero as “a person who must evoke a sense of pity and fear in the audience. He is considered a man of misfortune that comes to him through error of judgment”. Some tragic heroes in literature are John Proctor in The Crucible and Macbeth in the play Macbeth. It is possible for two characters to be labeled a tragic hero, but the audience can feel differently about them.
As defined by Aristotle, a tragic hero is one who is not entirely good or evil. They are an individual who experiences a “reversal of fortune through a fault of character or an uncontrollable accident” (Boucquey). He or she undergoes a dramatic change from happiness to misery (Boucqyey). In Sophocles’ Antigone, Creon is the tragic hero. According to Aristotle, a tragic hero should contain four traits: goodness, appropriateness, lifelike, and consistency, which Creon most prominently displays.
The tragic hero must have a flaw or error of judgment which can come in the from of justice or vengeance. As seen in Creon and Oedipus' story that the justice they serve is immortal and wicked. The hero must also experience a setback of fortune brought forth because of the hero's inaccuracy in discernment. The realization or recognition that the setback was brought by the hero's own actions. Excessive Pride is the most common of tragic hero's flaws which bring forward the remaining of the part the predicaments.
Shakespeare highlights Macbeth’s key flaw, which is conspicuous throughout the chosen scene where he is doubtful and hesitant with the news of himself becoming King, although he knows it is wrong, Macbeth believes he could be a great leader and therefore gives into his flaw of ambition. He is dominated by the influence of the witches where they utilize repetition, “All hail, Macbeth!”, this shows his firm stance shaken by the words of the witches as he is easily influenced thus continues to listen and possibly taken action by the words of the witches. Another flaw of Macbeth is himself doubting the way he thinks. After discovering the prophecy from the witches he believes his future of becoming the king is true while he talks to himself. Macbeth
Tragic Hero A tragic hero is a main character that suffers a downfall through their good fortune because of their tragic flaw. A tragic flaw is a characteristic of the character that leads to their downfall. In Romeo and Juliet Romeo is known to be a Tragic Hero. Although Romeo doesn’t know, his tragic flaw is that he is impulsive.
Tragic Hero characteristics As read in Mrs. Horne’s notes (Horne, “Shakespeare’s tragic hero”), a Shakespearean tragic hero is a “man of noble stature, a man with potential greatness and tragically-flawed,” in Macbeth’s case his flaw was his lust for power, an example was his intention of killing the God-like King Duncan for power and to gain the throne. It was not compulsion to kill Duncan.
According to Aristotle, "A man doesn't become a hero until he can see the root of his own downfall. An Aristotelian tragic hero must possess specific characteristics such as flaw or error of judgment (hamartia), a reversal of fortune brought about because of the hero's error in judgment, the discovery or recognition that the reversal was brought about by the hero's own actions, excessive pride (hubris) and the character's fate must be greater than deserved (The Poetics). In the end these factors lead to a fatal demise to which they are destined. Corresponding to Aristotle’s genre of tragedy Macbeth is in fact a tragic hero. Although his actions do not bestow nobleness, other characters imply that he is honorable for example when Duncan states “True, worthy Banquo.
All throughout the history of storytelling, authors have turned basic characters into tragic figures in order to get a certain point across. They also use this idea to portray particular ideas, and to draw in a specific type of readers. Within plays, authors tell a story of its characters and how they either overcame certain obstacles, or let the obstacles totally define and conquer them. As each story unfolds, certain trials and errors occur that lead to urgent, important decision-making skills to be put to the test. Aristotle defined a tragic figure as “a virtuous man whose misfortune is brought about not by depravity, but by some error of frailty,” meaning that the hero is not some idea of perfection ,but is not a villain either.
A tragic hero is a character who makes a judgment error that inevitably leads to his/her own destruction. A tragic hero always has a tragic flaw which is the problem that causes a character's downfall or death. Hamlet's tragic flaw is indecisiveness. Hamlet is one of the most typical examples of a tragic
William Shakespeare’s play Macbeth, the main character; Macbeth, is seen as an evil character. The play is based off of Macbeth’s decisions and his actions to become King. In the beginning Macbeth starts out as a hero in Scotland’s war with Ireland and towards the end he is transformed into a murderer. Macbeth is not wholly evil because of is heroism in the war, his love for Scotland, and because he didn’t want to kill King Duncan initially. Macbeth was brain washed by his wife and tricked into killing the King.
An Aristotelian tragic hero is a character born of noble birth and, by destiny, has a tragic flaw that inevitably leads to his or her downfall and redeems his or herself by the end of the tragedy. For one to consider a play a tragedy, the character of the play must be noble, and the play typically starts off with happiness and wealth. The play ends with sadness and the hero has a tragic flaw that causes their downfall. In The Tragedy of Macbeth by William Shakespeare, Macbeth fits the definition of an Aristotelian tragic hero. Macbeth is a tragic hero because he starts by being loyal and trustworthy, develops a tragic flaw that leads to his downfall, and he redeems a small measure of himself before he dies.