Macbeth: At War with Himself
Aristotle once said, "A man cannot become a hero until he can see the root of his own downfall." This can be related to the tragedy of Macbeth by William Shakespeare. The protagonist of the play, Macbeth, depicts the role of a hero for various reasons. Not only is he bold enough to change his life completely, but he trusts his fate so much that he lets it kill him. On his suspenseful journey to success, Macbeth only has one goal, and that is to become King of Scotland. He will not allow anything to get in the way of his objective. Power-hungry Macbeth will also go great lengths in order to become King. The ambitious Thane of Glamis leads in the tragedy of Macbeth which unravels the characteristics of a tragic hero, …show more content…
"All hail Macbeth, hail to thee, Thane of Glamis. / All hail Macbeth, hail to thee, Thane of Cawdor. / All hail Macbeth, that shalt be king hereafter" (I.iii.47-9). Already Thane of Glamis, Macbeth receives the titles of Thane of Cawdor and future king by the three witches. An odd way to be given such news, Macbeth is in disbelief. When the title of Thane of Cawdor upon Macbeth is confirmed by Ross and Angus, Macbeth 's conscious is filled with thoughts of his potential. Noble titles signify Macbeth 's worth, and thus fuels his confidence when presented with the titles of future king and Thane of Cawdor. Macbeth longs for superior titles to the extent that he will commit any crime to rank himself above all, including murder of the current king. The ambitious Macbeth slaughters Duncan, and is rewarded with the title of King soon after. Although titles dictate Macbeth 's desire for the crown, what lies in store for him in battle is simply accepted by the new …show more content…
Even so, the king courageously takes on the battle and attempts to maintain an optimistic outlook on the occurrence. "At least we 'll die with harness on our back" (V.v.51). Macbeth suggests that he knows his death is near, however he will die with no regrets. Once the battle has commenced, Macbeth kills Young Siward. This instills more confidence in Macbeth, for he has not reached the end of his reign. The prosperous king refuses to surrender to England or step down from the throne, and makes this evident to Macduff, the Thane of Fife, when the two encounter one another. "I will not yield / To kiss the ground before young Malcolm 's feet / And to be baited with the rabble 's curse" (V.viii.27-9). Malcolm, the eldest son of King Duncan, was appointed Prince of Cumberland, in other words, the heir to the throne. This has not changed, and it becomes of threat to Macbeth and his position. As the Thane of Fife and King Macbeth fight, the king is slain. Macbeth 's tragic death is coupled with excessive pride and acceptance of his
Aristotle once said, "A man cannot become a hero until he can see the root of his own downfall." This can be related to the tragedy of Macbeth by William Shakespeare. The protagonist of the play, Macbeth, depicts the role of a hero for various reasons. Not only is he bold enough to change his life completely, but he trusts his fate so much that he lets it kill him. On his suspenseful journey to success, Macbeth only has one goal, and that is to become King of Scotland. He will not allow anything to get in the way of his objective. Power-hungry Macbeth will also go great lengths in order to become King. The ambitious Thane of Glamis leads in the tragedy of Macbeth which unravels the characteristics of a tragic hero, …show more content…
"All hail Macbeth, hail to thee, Thane of Glamis. / All hail Macbeth, hail to thee, Thane of Cawdor. / All hail Macbeth, that shalt be king hereafter" (I.iii.47-9). Already Thane of Glamis, Macbeth receives the titles of Thane of Cawdor and future king by the three witches. An odd way to be given such news, Macbeth is in disbelief. When the title of Thane of Cawdor upon Macbeth is confirmed by Ross and Angus, Macbeth 's conscious is filled with thoughts of his potential. Noble titles signify Macbeth 's worth, and thus fuels his confidence when presented with the titles of future king and Thane of Cawdor. Macbeth longs for superior titles to the extent that he will commit any crime to rank himself above all, including murder of the current king. The ambitious Macbeth slaughters Duncan, and is rewarded with the title of King soon after. Although titles dictate Macbeth 's desire for the crown, what lies in store for him in battle is simply accepted by the new …show more content…
Even so, the king courageously takes on the battle and attempts to maintain an optimistic outlook on the occurrence. "At least we 'll die with harness on our back" (V.v.51). Macbeth suggests that he knows his death is near, however he will die with no regrets. Once the battle has commenced, Macbeth kills Young Siward. This instills more confidence in Macbeth, for he has not reached the end of his reign. The prosperous king refuses to surrender to England or step down from the throne, and makes this evident to Macduff, the Thane of Fife, when the two encounter one another. "I will not yield / To kiss the ground before young Malcolm 's feet / And to be baited with the rabble 's curse" (V.viii.27-9). Malcolm, the eldest son of King Duncan, was appointed Prince of Cumberland, in other words, the heir to the throne. This has not changed, and it becomes of threat to Macbeth and his position. As the Thane of Fife and King Macbeth fight, the king is slain. Macbeth 's tragic death is coupled with excessive pride and acceptance of his