Role Of Heroes And Villains In Macbeth

Hero’s and Villain’s in Shakespeare’s Macbeth Within every society there are some individuals who are hero’s and some who are villain’s. Heroes are people who have certain character traits such as courage, bravery, and determination. Most people favor heroes over villains: who hurt the people around them for personal benefit. Both heroic and villainous characteristics can exist in a single person, but they can change depending on their situation. In Shakespeare’s Macbeth: a tragic story about a worrier who is psychologically destroyed after committing acts for political benefit. Macbeth, who is the protagonist in the play, has a desire to become King of Scotland, but to accomplish this he needs to deal with the obstacles in his way. Macbeth …show more content…
He is seen as a hero by is fellow soldiers because he is skilled and confident in battle. Macbeth has just achieved victory in battle and the Captain, Malcolm and Duncan talk about Macbeth’s actions and skills together: “Disdaining Fortune with his brandish’d steel / Which smoked with bloody execution / Like Valour’s minion carv’d out his passage” (1.2.17-19). Macbeth is a brave and courageous soldier. He is not afraid to fight. Macbeth has the determination to fight to the best of his abilities. He is a heroic soldier because he does not let anything get in his way; he is fearless while battling his way through the waves of enemies trying to kill him. Next, when Macbeth is overwhelmed with tough decisions, he can turn against the people he loves. Macbeth has murdered King Duncan and enters into the hall to speak to his wife. Lady Macbeth is shocked to see that Macbeth is still holding the daggers in his hand: “I’ll go no more / I am afraid to think what I have done; / Look on’t again, I dare not” (2.2.53-55). Macbeth is overpowered with the fear of getting caught and the guilt from murdering an innocent man. Refusing to re-enter Duncan’s room forces Lady Macbeth to take control and find a way to hide the evidence so her and her husband do not get caught and charged with treason. Macbeth forces his his wife to do his job for him is a cruel act against Lady Macbeth. By making his wife return the …show more content…
He is a skilled warrior who shows determination but when he is struck with fear, Macbeth will go against people who care about him. Macbeth shows several acts of villainous behaviour throughout the play; from having his loyal friend Banquo murdered to having Macduff’s innocent family killed. Macbeth changes from being a villain to a hero after he has lost everything and recognizes that his actions have negatively affected other people and himself. These character traits of being a hero and a villain within a single person are not just fiction in Shakespeare 's Macbeth. People like this exist within every society. Sometimes it takes a certain situation to make their true personality come