Creeps in this petty pace from day to day,

To the last syllable of recorded time;

And all our yesterdays have lighted fools

The way to dusty death. Out, out, brief candle!

Macbeth. Act V, Scene V, Lines 19-24

In one of his most celebrated plays, 'Macbeth', William Shakespeare illustrates the classical tragic hero pattern: a character regarded with the utmost admiration, demoted to an evil villain, despised by all. Like most tragic heroes, Macbeth has hidden flaws which ultimately lead to his fall from grace. Influences from other characters play a role in his downfall, but the greatest cause comes from his own actions and thoughts. Murdering the

beloved king caused his future subjects to loose faith in his leadership. His delusional suspicion of others isolated him and drove him mad. Finally, his failure to recognize the warning signs of danger led to his doom. As a result of his ruthless quest for power which set in motion the resistance against him, the growing paranoia that caused him to make more enemies, and his failure to heed the warnings of the danger mounting towards him, Macbeth

himself is the one responsible for his own tr

Fife; give to the edge of the sword his wife, his babes, and all unfortunate souls that trace him in his line." (4.1.150-153) The news of this ruthless act of violence reaches Macduff, as he is preparing his troops against Macbeth. Distraught by his treachery, Macduff decides to attack Dunsinane immediately and lay revenge upon Macbeth. This leads to Macbeth's downfall, as his castle is overrun and his reign brought to an end. As a result of his thoughtless murders intended to keep his crown, Macbeth became isolated and his once good friends became his mortal enemies.

As a result of his ruthless quest for power which set in motion the resistance against him, the growing paranoia that caused him to make more enemies, and his failure to heed the warnings of the danger mounting towards him, Macbeth himself is the one responsible for his own tragic downfall. As with most tragic heroes, Macbeth's character flaws destroyed his future and proved fatal in the end. Doomed from the start, his monstrous quest for power turned into nothing more than a sad fight for survival. In one of his greatest plays, Shakespeare's use of the tragic hero pattern makes us both despise and pity Macbeth. We hate him when he slaughters and innocent family, and feel sorry for him when he realizes his

Northumberland and war-like Siward." (3.6.29-31) As a result of his crimes and his guilty confession to everyone, a resistance army builds up and marches towards Macbeth. Left with only a handful of soldiers, Macbeth's own ambition led the armada of then thousand

inadvertently reveals his part in the deed. This

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Approximate Word count = 1081
Approximate Pages = 4 (250 words per page double spaced)