Macbeth Character Analysis Tragic Hero English Literature Essay

Macbeth can be thought as a tragic hero or a dead meatman. In my sentiment, Macbeth is a tragic hero harmonizing to the Aristotle ‘s tragic hero regulations. The position of Macbeth diminutions as the drama moves on. Harmonizing to Aristotle, a tragic hero must worsen in position due to their ain mistake besides known as Hamartia, a fatal defect, which is his aspiration to go a male monarch. A Shakespearian tragic hero may be defined as “ an exceeding being of high grade ” who contributes to his ain devolution and illustrates a personality defect. The character of Shakespeare ‘s Macbeth is in all ways the perfect illustration of a tragic hero.

Scotland was losing the conflict against Norway, but Macbeth viciously killed the MacDonwald, a ferocious Norse warrior who was truly courageous and barbarous every bit good. The description of Macbeth winning against Macdonwald makes Macbeth seems a batch braver and heroic. Macbeth is besides referred as ‘Valour ‘s minion. ‘ Valour is the God of war, so Macbeth is described as Valour ‘s retainer, which shows how great Macbeth is at combating.

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& lt ; br & gt ; Macbeth was a brave and strong Lord. He and Banquo were leaders of King Duncanaa‚¬a„?s ground forces. His personal powers and strength as a general won him the conflict as described by the captain ( I,2, “ But allaa‚¬a„?s excessively weak: / For brave Macbeth — good he deserved that name — / Disdaining luck, with his brandished steel, / Which smoked with bloody executing, / Like valoraa‚¬a„?s minion carved out his passage/ Till he faced the slave ; ” ) . Macbeth was even undeterred when he was attacked by the King of Norway, “ assisted by that most unpatriotic treasonist, the thane of Cawdor. ” Lady Macbeth convinced her hubby to slay Duncan by seting his manhood and bravery at interest ( I,7, “ When you durst make it, so you were a adult male ; / And to be more than what you were, you would be so much more the adult male ” ) . As Macbeth started degrading he lost some courage ( IV, 1, “ That I may state pale-hearted fright it lies ” ) . In his battle with Macduff, some of his old bravery and strength returned.

& lt ; br & gt ; Macbeth could be brave when it came to action but when he started believing he would waver and would hold to be urged into action by his married woman or by the sense of security that he obtained from the prognostications of the supernatural. He changed his head five times before slaying Duncan. The witchesaa‚¬a„? prognostication that he would be king made him make up one’s mind to go forth it to “ opportunity, ” but Duncanaa‚¬a„?s proclamation that Malcolm was to be his inheritor made Macbeth recognize that he would hold to take a class of action for the prognostications to come true. He changed his head once more before he reached place until his married woman persuaded him that it could be done safely. Then he changed his head once more before eventually being forced by Lady Macbeth to do up his head to perpetrate the slaying. Macbeth besides did non fear the moral effects of his offenses ( I,7, “ Weaa‚¬a„?d leap the life to come ” ) . After the slaying of Duncan, Macbeth sinks into uninterrupted moral debasement. He was in a barbarian craze when he planned the slaying of Banquo and Macduffaa‚¬a„?s household. His ethical motives sink so low that even his enemies said “ Who so shall blame/ His pesteraa‚¬a„?d senses to flinch and get down, / When all that is within him does condemn/ Itself for being there? ”

& lt ; br & gt ; Macbeth had great aspiration and wished to stand good with the universe. He had perfectly no feelings for others and he merely cared about what others would believe of him. The witchesaa‚¬a„? prophecies merely encouraged this aspiration to be king. The enchantresss who symbolized Macbethaa‚¬a„?s evil aspirations put his ideas into existent words. The thought of slaying had already occurred to him ( I,3, “ great prediction/ Of baronial holding and of baronial holding and of royal hope, / That he seems ecstatic withal, ” “ My idea, whose slaying yet is but fantastical, ” and I,7, “ What beast wast then/ That made you interrupt this endeavor to me? ” ) . Macbeth himself acknowledged his “ overreaching aspiration ” that would drive him to slay after Duncan evaded destiny ( I,3, “ If opportunity will hold me King, why, / Chance may coronate me ” ) by denoting Malcolm as his Successor.

& lt ; br & gt ; Macbethaa‚¬a„?s powerful imaginativeness made him already victim to superstitious notion. His superstitious notion was seen by his susceptibleness to the witchesaa‚¬a„? influence unlike Banquo who still was non certain about their credibleness. It was his superstitious notion that made him so unquestioningly the promises of the phantoms and rest so easy assured. It was all his superstitious notions that made him cleaving to his belief in these promises when fortunes became hard. His imaginativeness was so strong that when it was left to roll uncontrolled his “ function/ Is smotheraa‚¬a„?d in guess. ” This was seen in the “ sticker ” scene and in the terror which Macbeth suffers after the slaying of Duncan. This was besides seen with Banquoaa‚¬a„?s shade at the feast. His resulting exhilaration put him in great danger of exposing his offenses wholly.

& lt ; br & gt ; Macbeth loved his married woman really much. At the beginning of the drama she participated avidly in his life and he informed her of everything that was traveling on ( for illustration he sent her a missive stating her of the witchesaa‚¬a„? prognostications ) . He widely accepted her advice and thoughts and they were both devouring spouses in the slaying of Duncan. Macbeth was really fond with his married woman and when he was talking to her he frequently used words of endearment ( Dearest love, ” “ Dearest chow ” and “ Sweet remembrancer ” ) . At the terminal, he was so weary from everything that was traveling on that when he received the intelligence of his wifeaa‚¬a„?s decease he accepted it with merely a yearning surrender.

& lt ; br & gt ; Macbethaa‚¬a„?s whole narrative after Duncanaa‚¬a„?s slaying was one of uninterrupted character impairment. Once he had begun his life of offense he became further and further detached from his married woman to the point where she had lost all control over him. He had become so accustomed to violence that he did non waver at all in the planning of Banquo and Fleanceaa‚¬a„?s slaying ( “ The really firstling of my bosom shall be/ The really firstling of my manus ” ) . He even went every bit far as to slay Macduffaa‚¬a„?s married woman and household when he knew that their decease would non help him in any manner. He became so stray, to the point where he could non swear any of the other Godheads ( “ Thereaa‚¬a„?s non a 1 of them but in this house I keep a servant feeaa‚¬a„?d ” ) . His inhuman treatment and perfidy ended up doing all of Scotland suffer ( “ Sighs and moans and shrieks that rend the air, are made, non markaa‚¬a„?d ” ) .

Macbeth started as a brave and courageous general who loved his married woman really much. But because of the mistakes that must attach to every tragic hero, he was led to his ruin by his overpowering aspiration, superstitious notion and moral cowardliness. Macbeth changed from a baronial hailed as the Jesus of his state, a “ valorous cousin, ” a “ worthy gentleman, ” to a adult male of boundless inhuman treatment.

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