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Macbeth Tragic Hero Characteristics

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The hero Macbeth from shakespeare’s “macbeth” is considered a tragic hero.The reason that he is one is he has the six characteristic that a tragic hero has. One, nobel structure, two a tragic flaw, three free choice, when the punishment exceeds the crime, increased awareness, and produces catharsis. The first characteristic of a tragic hero is Noble stature. In the play “macbeth” we hear in the beginning just how noble Macbeth by hearing his title, Thane of Glamis. When the witches say “All hail macbeth, Hail thee thane of Glamis”(A1S3). Macbeth got this title from his father showing that he is from a very noble family. Another way that we know he is noble is when we discover that the king is coming to visit him in his castle, the king …show more content…

Sure Macbeth killed the king and his best friend just to get power, but does that really make him a bad person? Some of the events that happen to Macbeth are well deserved, but others seem a little brash. For example, when his wife dies he says “ She would have died later anyway. That news was bound to come someday...the days creep slowly along until the end of time”(A5S5). 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. When Macbeth is told that the Queen has died, he says “She would have died later anyway. That news was bound to come someday.” (A5S5). He is stating that it was going to happen, and it was just a matter of time. When Macbeth finds out that all the rumors he has heard are true, he requests his armor, and says “Scour the whole country and hang anyone spreading fear.”(A5S3). He knows that his country is in fear because he is just as scared as everyone else he knows the end is

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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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When we are first presented with the character of Macbeth he is pictured as a noble and loyal warrior. However, once his future is presented to him by the witches saying that he, Macbeth, is to become the next great King of Scotland, he begins to lose focus and makes the wrong decisions. Macbeth begins to only make choices that will benefit only himself and to gain power. Becoming almost unrecognizable to the person he once was. After confronting his wife, Lady Macbeth, he isn't the only one with a lust for power.

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At the beginning of William Shakespeare’s ‘Macbeth’ the protagonist Macbeth is described as ‘brave’, ‘noble’ and ‘honourable’, however Lady Macbeth’s and Macbeths desire for power consumes them. Macbeth’s ambition overrides his conscience and transformed his greatest strength into his greatest weakness. Macbeth’s inability to resist temptations that led him to be greedy for power, Macbeth’s easily manipulative nature which allowed his mind to be swayed, Macbeth having no self control and his excessive pride was what allowed him to renew his previously honourable and celebrated title into one of an evil ‘tyrant’. Macbeth is led by the prophecies of the witches after they foretell he will become the Thane of Cawdor. Not only the witches, but also his wife easily manipulate Macbeth as she attacks his manhood in order to provoke him to act on his desires.

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1631 Words | 7 Pages

This good side of Macbeth eventually deteriorates, however, as he fights for power and kingship by killing not only King Duncan, but many others. He ends up as a much hated king who is eventually killed. The character of Macbeth shifts from a favourable, loyal person to one that is destructive and consumed by power. This idea is analysed by Shakespeare by the way of his power in his marriage, how he involved himself with the witches, and how willing he was to do things. The first way that Macbeth’s change was shown in the play is how strong he was inside of his relationship with Lady Macbeth.

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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.

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No boasting like a fool; This deed I’ll do before this purpose cool, (iv, ii, 149-153) This shows macbeth's ambition because he is willing to kill kids and a whole family just so he can stay king. Macbeth is a tragic hero because he meet that first requirement which is Hamartia This shows the that Macbeth is very desperate to stay king. By now, Macbeth has changed a lot.

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724 Words | 3 Pages

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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In Macbeth, William Shakespeare portrays the end of a famed hero who chooses to go down a dark path, rather than choosing a path which would have led to glory, making him a tragic hero. When Macbeth is told his prophecy of becoming king, he intends on doing it on his own terms and decides to make impulsive decisions, such as killing Duncan, Banquo and slaughtering Macduff’s family. These impulsive decisions were an effect of Macbeth being blinded by becoming king, as he felt he had other options. Although it may seem that Macbeth was influenced by society to commit these atrocious acts, he was fully aware of the consequences and went ahead with his plan. Macbeth truly fits the role of a tragic hero as he brought his fate upon himself, through

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Literal nobility is shown at the beginning of the play when the audience is shown macbeth is a general, and a good one at that. This is demonstrated in (I.II.2) “For brave Macbeth well he deserves that name disdaining fortune, with his brandish’d steel, which smok’d with bloody excecution, like valor’s minion carv’d out his passage, till he face’d the slave”. This shows that as a noble general, Macbeth deserves more. However, his nobility falls short in act 2 scene 7 after he kills King Duncan to take the throne. Which brings us to Macbeth 's downfall and figurative nobility.

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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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1298 Words | 6 Pages

Introductory paragraph: General statement: Macbeth… husband of Lady Macbeth, Scottish general, later on being king of Scotland looked to be like a tragic hero, but really he was weak male controlled by his ambitions and thirst for power. Commits crime to climb the food chain, but is never comfortable in each crime he does. Not being able to bear the psychological consequences of his atrocities, he continues to them until he is at the top of the food chain with nothing in his way. claim1: Believes he is a great leader and gives into his tragic flaw: ambition. Which leads him to commit a series of crime.

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976 Words | 4 Pages

Macbeth tells Lady Macbeth, “We will proceed no further in this business. He hath honored me of late,”(Act I, pg 25). It is after this statement that Lady Macbeth begins to scold Macbeth,

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803 Words | 4 Pages

Macbeth follows these characteristics as for he is Thane of Glamis and Cawdor. Macbeth knows that what the witches portrayed did come to life and now knows he must do what needs done to hold even higher position. Macbeth says, “The prince of Cumberland!

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593 Words | 3 Pages

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.

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703 Words | 3 Pages

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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