Macbeth remains a Shakespeare tragic hero

A detailed Summary of Macbeth remains a Shakespeare tragic hero

In the end of the play we view Macbeth as a tyrant, a traitor and a bloody butcher because of the murder of King Duncan, and the chaos he imposed on Scotland. However, Macbeth did have honourable qualities within him, but because he was turned into an evil character from the circumstances the witches, his wife and his country put him in we sympathize with him to the extent of treating him as a tragic hero; an honourable, and important figure who has inherent weaknesses in his character which brings about his tragic end.

Macbeth's honourable character can be seen by his loving, loyal and respectful attitude towards those around him. His loyalty is demonstrated from his inspirational speech after his appointment as the Thane Of Cawdor:

"Macbeth: The service and the loyalty l owe,

In doing it, pays itself. Your Highness' part

Is to receive our duties, and our duties

Are to your throne and state, children and servants,

Which do but what they should, by doing everything

Safe toward your love and honor."

He doesn't want to kill King Duncan because he isn't willing to lose the respect that he has painfully earned: "he hath honoured me of late". This respect Macbeth has for King Duncan is mentioned by Lady

The power of man, for none of woman born

Nevertheless, our sympathy mainly lies in what happens to him and his wife at the end. They become sad and tense characters that are only anxious about protecting their honour:

What, all my pretty chickens and their dam

We feel sad for Macbeth's death, but we also feel happy that he was executed. His death restored the country from chaos ("the minions...turn'd wild in nature") and "illness" to freedom and harmony (Malcolm: " We will perform in measure, time, and place"). The emotional speech by Macduff about the death of his family that was caused by Macbeth is another classic example of the bitterness that we should feel:

His love and respect towards Lady Macbeth is an indication to one of several of Macbeth's honourable character. He told Lady Macbeth that he was appointed as the Thane of Cawdor, and his address to her as a "dearest partner of greatness" in his letter deserves some merit, since it shows his love and devotion towards her. He listens to what she has to say about killing King Duncan without questioning her opinions.

Macbeth: "Lady Macbeth: Yet do I fear thy nature/It is too full o' the milk of human kindness".

To the last syllable of recorded time;

Some common words found in the essay are:
King Duncan, Banquo Macduff's, Macbeth Macbeth, Scotland Macbeth, Lady Macbeth, Consequently Macbeth, Cawdor Macbeth, Thane Cawdor, king duncan, , lady macbeth, macbeth's honourable character, Macbeth Lady, killed king duncan, makes feel, scotland macbeth, woman born, play macbeth, macbeth dies, tomorrow tomorrow, macbeth lady macbeth, kill king duncan, evil character, macduff's family, murder king duncan,

Approximate Word count = 1172
Approximate Pages = 5 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: English

join now Save Paper

Saved Paper

Save your papers so you can locate them quickly!

Newest Essays

Testimonials

"Thank You So Much!!! You have saved me once again!!!"
Jack M.
"With so many papers to chose from, I was able to get ideas to help me with all of my classes. Thank You!"
Brian P.
"I've used this site for the last 3 years to help me come up with ideas for my papers."
Sara J.
"I use this site every week to help me write my own papers!"
Rachel W.
"I love this site!!!"
Marie N.

Macbeth remains a Shakespeare tragic hero

Related Essays

Professional Essays

Saved Paper

Newest Essays

Testimonials