Shakespeare's Macbeth: A Tragic Hero

As the former president, Abraham Lincoln once said, “Nearly all men can stand with adversity, but if you want to test a man’s character, give him power.” People all over the world have their difficulties, but if someone gets the opportunity to change it and make things better, it is what they do with that power. Many people would take the power and make things worse. They might make things better for themselves, but that will not benefit others surrounding them. In Shakespeare 's Macbeth, the main character Macbeth had a huge opportunity. Macbeth got the opportunity to become king, but instead of building Scotland and making it better, he took the power and created violence and chaos. The things he did with the power benefited him in many ways,

This made Macbeth lose all of his good characteristics and brought him down. By investigating Macbeth as a character and his tragic flaw, the error in his judgement leading to many consequences and his downfall, and his realization of wrong actions, it is true that Macbeth is a tragic protagonist. Macbeth 's character and his tragic flaw prove that he is a tragic protagonist. Firstly, Macbeth is of noble birth. If a character is born into nobility and aristocracy, then they can be considered a tragic hero. Macbeth has two titles that show he is of noble birth; Thane of Glamis and Thane of Cawdor and when he encounters the witches, they greet him, “All hail Macbeth, hail to thee, Thane of Glamis./ All hail Macbeth, hail to thee, Thane of Cawdor.” (Shakespeare 1.3.47-48). The witches meet with Macbeth to give him a prophecy and when

The error in Macbeth’s judgement leading to his downfall show that Macbeth is a tragic protagonist. Firstly, Macbeth murders king Duncan leading to his downfall. Macbeth and Lady Macbeth had a plan to kill the king. At the sound of the bell, rang by Lady Macbeth, it meant the guards were drugged and duncan can be killed, Macbeth hears the sound and proceeds, “I go, and it is done. The bell invites me./ Hear it not, Duncan, for it is a knell/ That summons thee to heaven or to hell.” (2.1.62-64). Macbeth heard the bell and went to commit the murder; so that he will become king himself. Macbeth explains how Duncan will not know that this bell is his death bell and Duncan is off to heaven or hell. This act of killing the king of Scotland was the beginning of Macbeth’s downfall and showed that he had made a huge mistake, therefore proving Macbeth can be a tragic protagonist. Secondly, Macbeth listened to the witches equivocations. Macbeth is unsatisfied with his life as king and is worried about the prophecies given to Banquo. He meets with the witches for a second time and gets tricked into believing false information. Not knowing the information was untrue, Macbeth believes, “Whate’er thou art, for thy good caution, thanks;/ Thou hast harp’d my fear aright.” (4.1.72-73). The witches shown Macbeth three apparitions, one being an armed head, one being a bloody child and the last being a crowned child with a tree in his hand. The apparitions told Macbeth misleading material