Shakespeare's Macbeth-Tragic Hero

Macbeth is a tragic play that focuses on a character of the same name, and was written by William Shakespeare. Macbeth is an ambitious man, but goes about reaching his ambitions poorly, killing anyone in his way. He has many titles of a high degree, and has a major character flaw, which ends up causing his death and fall from happiness to misery. For these reasons, Macbeth is a tragic hero, despite his murderous and treacherous ways. Macbeth is an exceptional person of a high status, and has many important titles. At the beginning of the play, the audience immediately finds out that Macbeth is a general in the army, and also the thane of Glamis. He and Banquo, another general, encounter three witches, who mention Macbeth’s future titles: “Hail to

The murder of King Duncan had left Macbeth’s wife feeling so guilty and paranoid, she kills herself. The news of this makes Macbeth feel as though “life’s but a walking shadow, a poor player that struts and frets his hour upon the stage, and then is heard no more.” (5.5.26-28) Macbeth knows that despite his sorrowful mood, he must try to defend his crown. His friends-turned-enemies know of his guilt, one even saying, “Now does he feel his secret murders sticking on his hands.” (5.2.19-20) The rebellion is successful, and Macbeth, sadly, is defeated and killed by Macduff. Malcolm is then named the new King of Scotland, as it should have been from the beginning. Although Macbeth can be seen as a terrible person who kills to get what he wants, he does possess many key traits that a tragic hero must have. He isn’t necessarily wholly good or wholly evil, and therefore may not be seen as a true hero in some audience’s eyes, but he does possess many qualities of a tragic hero; Macbeth is a person of high status, and his carelessness causes his fall from happiness, and his ultimate