Macbeth: Tragic Hero Or Bust

Tragic Hero or Bust Shakespeare's Macbeth, the story of a tragic hero and his journey for power, is a classic high school play read across the country by thousands of students and everyday people. Shakespeare wrote Macbeth to be a tragic hero. Even though there is some speculations on weather Macbeth qualifies as a tragic hero, Macbeth is a tragic hero because he is flawed, he suffers for his actions, he has a reversal of fate caused by excessive pride. In the beginning Aristotle created 5 criterias that a hero must meet to be considered a tragic hero, the hero must meet at least 4 of them. (Tragic Hero). One of those characteristic is that a hero must be flawed in some way. Macbeth’s fatal flaw is his weak will and easily persuaded …show more content…
There is a very important scenes in Macbeth referred to as the dagger scene and the banquet scenes. These scenes shows Macbeth's guilt eating away at him to the point he is starting to have mental breakdowns. The dagger scene is the scene right before Macbeth kills king Duncan , this scene shows Macbeth having an internal conflict with himself. He is confused about whether to fulfil his and his wife's wishes or to do the moral things and let nature take it's course. “ I go and it is done. The bell invites me. / Hear it not Duncan for it is a knell. /That summons thee to heaven or hell.” (2-1-62). Then the banquet scene. This scene shows Macbeth’s guilt causing him distress over his decision to have Banquo killed. During this scene Macbeth is having a dinner with his friends and family. During the dinner Macbeth see the ghost of his then dead friend, this hallucination caused from guilt causes Macbeth to have a fit. “[To Banquo's ghost] Thou canst say that I did it. Never shake / Thy gory locks at me”(3-4-50). Seeing these hallucinations causes Macbeth a great amount of stress and causes him to suffer. A hero suffering for his actions is another one of Aristotle's criterion for a tragic hero; “ a hero must suffer more than he deserves”(Tragic Hero). There are 2 out of the 5 criterias that Macbeth …show more content…
They are change of fate and excessive pride. Macbeth’s friend Malcolm and MacDuff join together and plan an attack against Macbeth in hopes to remove him from the throne. These turns of events reverse Macbeth’s future by challenging him for the throne. In Macbeth’s eyes this was a surprise and an unexpected turn of events that will become the death of Macbeth. In act 4 scene 2 Macbeth finds the witches and they tell him another prophecy. “ Be bloody, bold, and resolute. Laugh to scorn. / The power of man, for none of woman born. / Shall harm Macbeth”(4-1-80). This prophecy states that no man born of woman can hurt Macbeth. Because of this prophecy Macbeth does not fear MacDuff tries to duel. This excessive pride Macbeth holds with him sets him doom. During their battle Macbeth tell Macduff of the prophecy and how he cannot be killed by a man of woman. Macduff responds with that he was not born of woman “Tell thee Macduff was from his mother’s womb / Untimely ripped.” (5-8-130). MacDuff then slays Macbeth and Malcolm is throned King. Due to Macbeth’s excessive pride his fate is turned and he is killed . There are the 3rd and 4th criteria that Macbeth meets to be considered a tragic hero.
Even though Macbeth clearly meets severely of the characteristic Aristotle. Readers try to say that Macbeth doesn't qualify to be one because he understands that what he is doing is wrong and he can stop at any time, but