The Tragic Hero

A detailed Summary of The Tragic Hero


In the seventeenth century Shakespearian production of Macbeth, William Shakespeare portrays the character of Macbeth as a tragic hero. The character of Macbeth goes through many different changes throughout the coarse of the play. In the opening acts, Macbeth is seen as a brave, noble, and loyal man. He is very highly respected by many, and holds a very high social stature. As the play continues and changes, so does the character of Macbeth. He begins to be too ambitious, which will later prove to be the cause of his downfall.

Macbeth's social stature is an example of why he is viewed as a tragic hero. He battles bravely against the Norwegians, and receives a great amount of gratitude from Duncan when word of his courageousness reaches him. "No more that thane of Cawdor shall deceive our bosom interest. Go pronounce his present death, and with his former title greet Macbeth" (I, 2, 65-68). In saying this Duncan rewards Macbeth by bestowing the title of Thane of Cawdor upon him. This is an indication of the nature of respect that the people have for Macbeth..."and everyone did bear thy praises in his kingdom's great defense, and pour'd them down before him" (I, 3, 98-100). This statement further show


Macbeth unquestionably posses all of the characteristics of a tragic hero. The evidence that we have of this is the downfall that occurs in his life; from the good, noble man with moral values that he once was, to a evil, deceitful, man that he has become. Not only do his changes cause him to lose respect, friendship, and a sense of morality; it also causes him to lose his own life.

Macbeths' ambition became to great, and stealing the throne became the only thing that was important to him. This clearly is evidence of a flaw in Macbeth's character. He unable to resist the temptations of the prophecies that the witches foretell, and he goes to great lengths to ensure that his goals are accomplished. Each one of his actions makes him much more responsible for his death. In the closing scenes of the play Malcolm and his army seek Macbeth to avenge all of the wrong doings that Macbeth has committed as he worked his way up to the top. Macbeth begins to panic and tries to comfort himself by recalling the witches' prophecies as he is told of the approaching armies. At this point of the play it is clearly visible that Macbeth must now suffer the consequences of his actions. Macbeth seems to know that he must die and fights with the desperation of a

Some common words found in the essay are:
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Approximate Word count = 842
Approximate Pages = 3 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: English

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