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The Tragedy of Macbeth by William Shakespeare Essay

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Macbeth is the leading character of Shakespeare’s The Tragedy of Macbeth, in which he struggles to deal with the consequences of his actions. Is he a Tragic Hero? His brutal actions make it very questionable, but yes, Macbeth is a Hero in his own Tragedy. There are positive connotations to being a tragic hero, the first being that in order to be one, the character must have one of the starring roles. It is obvious that Macbeth has a leading part in the play, since not only does it revolve around him, but also that his name is in the title. “There to meet with Macbeth” (Shakespeare, I.i.8) He is the topic of conversation between the three witches in the first scene, so the audience is aware that he is the protagonist of this tragedy. …show more content…

One of mankind’s biggest flaws in arguable giving in to temptation, which is a flaw that Macbeth has trouble with. This is something that everyone in the audience would have been able to relate to while watching the play. Another key factor to being a tragic hero is having a hubris, which in the end proves him or her wrong. “I bear a charmed life, which must not yield To one of woman born.” (Shakespeare, V.viii.149) After being given ambiguous predictions by the three witches, Macbeth has a certain confidence and believes he cannot be killed. Of course, a tragic hero must suffer, which again adds to the tragedy of his story and continues to show how human he is. “What hands are here? ha! they pluck out mine eyes!” (II.ii.59). Macbeth suffers psychological trauma after his first kill. He is overwhelmed with guilt, so much so that he does not even recognize himself. All tragic heroes must have a downfall, something to get their head out of the clouds. This downfall shows the hero that they are not invincible, and that they are very much flawed. “The wood began to move” (V.v.34). Macbeth’s downfall would be when he is under attack, and another of the witches’ prophecies becomes a reality. At this point, the audience can see that what Macbeth though was impossible, (being attacked by a forrest), was just a disguise. Following their downfall, a tragic hero must develop a new self-knowledge,

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