Greek Influence On Macbeth

“Unity of plot does not, as some persons think, consist in the Unity of the hero. For infinitely various are the incidents in one man's life which cannot be reduced to unity; and so, too, there are many actions of one man out of which we make one action”(“Poetics of Aristotle”). According to Aristotle, the plot of a story is not always consistent with the hero’s actions or decisions. In the play Macbeth, set during the middle ages in Scotland, a tragic hero, Macbeth, is introduced as a noble and brave warrior who initially fought for his King. However, as the plot moves, Macbeth becomes disunified and influenced from prophecies instituted by witches, which promised him the throne of Scotland. Basing his future on the witches prophecies, Macbeth’s
flawed character is evident by the actions he makes, and his ultimately persuaded by his wife, Lady Macbeth, to kill King Duncan, the King of Scotland. While Macbeth constantly questions his own actions, he is also compelled to commit further evils in order to cover up his previous murders. This ultimately leads him to murdering his dearest friend, Banquo, and others. Such actions demonstrate Macbeth’s character and can be classified as a classical and complex hero due to his qualifications of a tragic hero described by Aristotle, and his transition from a noble warrior, to a tyrant leader. Macbeth at the start of the play embodied a characterization as a noble, or one who has high standards and is valued by many. During the second scene of Act I, the characterization by a sergeant of Macbeth illustrates his high standards and virtuous, yet brutal behavior, in which he slays Macdonwald, a traitor, during a battle. The sergeant begins: “For brave Macbeth - well he deserves that name - disdaining fortune, with his brandished steel, Which smoked with bloody execution, Like a valor’s minion, carved out his passage till he faced the slave, which ne’er shook hands nor bade farewell to him, Till he unseamed him, from the nave to the chaps, and fixed his head upon our battlements”(I.ii.16-23).
The description is utterly brutal, but demonstrates Macbeth’s almost God-like character.
The sergeant emphasizes the fact that Macbeth is a great and brave warrior, chopping through anyone, no matter what size or shape. The fact that Macbeth unseamed Macdonwald, from the nave to the chaps, before he could even say a goodbye further demonstrates Macbeth’s nature of a great warrior, a characteristic he will adopt that will award him glory and respect until he sees a chance is obtaining the throne of Scotland. Furthermore, Duncan, the king of Scotland during the first Act, comments about Macbeth’s description in which he states, “Oh valiant cousin! Worthy gentleman!”(I.ii.24). Macbeth’s glory is perceived by the highest power in Scotland, the king. King Duncan addresses Macbeth’s positive qualities which earns him noble respect and tremendous wealth. However, Macbeth’s spurt of glory causes him to make choices based on the situation he was put in, causing the thirst for power and wealth, and thus is the leading cause to his downfall which occurs as the play
commences. Another characteristic where Macbeth falls into that of a tragic hero is the fact that many other characters within the play view him as great, and Macbeth initially embodies a respected reputation, and is full of virtue. Within the first act in scene two, King Duncan holds a brief conversation with the sergeant who reports to Duncan the good news of Macbeth's victory over the traitor Macdonwald, and the bad news that Norway was readily armed with a new supply of men and weapons. Duncan responds by saying, “Dismayed not this / Our Captains, Macbeth and Banquo”(I.ii.34-35). To which the sergeant replies:
Yes, as sparrows eagles, or the hare the lion. If I say sooth, I must report they were as cannons overcharged with double cracks, so they doubly redoubled strokes upon the foe. (I.ii.34-8).
When King Duncan asks if Macbeth and his companion were scared about the powerful Norwegain attacking force, the sergeant replies that the two were as scared as sparrows frighten eagles, or rabbits frighten a lion. Basically, the sergeant is trying to illustrate that Macbeth has adopted a strong virtue of fortitude and bravery. In addition, he states that two fought harder than before, like a cannon loaded with double ammunition. This further proves Macbeth’s virtuous behavior by adopting a strong value of fortitude, and characteristics as a great and powerful warrior. Later within the act, Macbeth encounters the three witches, who spill out their prophecies over the futures of Macbeth and Banquo.The witches state that Macbeth will become the future king of Scotland. While Macbeth was discussing the “supernatural soliciting” with Banquo, he expresses his own thoughts within an aside, “If chance will have me King, why, have the chance may crown me, / Without my sir”(I.iii.144-5). Macbeth states that if fate will crown him king, then he will not have to do anything, or use violence to obtain the throne. Macbeth is still loyal to the king initially, and although he somewhat believes the prophecies of the witches, the murdering of King Duncan is not within his conscience. However, as the play continues, Macbeth begins to loyalty begins to corrupt, and the emergence of greed and potential of power leads him to do actions which will lead Macbeth on the road to downfall. Lastly, a tragic hero’s downfall is demonstrated as a result of the actions they make, not merely on fate.
Macbeth’s tragic downfall is illustrated by the events and actions he makes once given the throne of Scotland. Although the witch’s prophecies and lady macbeth’s manipulation might influence Macbeth’s decisions, Macbeth was ultimately in control of his actions. Even when Macbeth questioned his action towards killing King Duncan, this only led him to commit further acts of evil in order to cover up his previous murders. The witch’s prophecies stated that Banquo, Macbeth’s close friend, would become the father of a series of kings. Macbeth, greedy and tyrannical, devises a plan to execute Banquo and prevent such actions from occurring. While conversing with the two murderer’s Macbeth
states:
So is he mine; and in such a bloody distance that every minute of his being thrusts against my near’st of life. And though I could with barefaced power sweep him out of my sight…(III.i.116-19).
Macbeth is saying that Banquo is his enemy, and that every minute Banquo is alive, he “thrusts” his life and causes him pain. And since Macbeth has absolute power, he has the ability to hire trained individuals to murder Banquo and prevent his heirs from benefiting the throne later on. However, Macbeth’s decision by attempting to murder Banquo and his son, only led to Banquo’s son Fleance to escape. Not only does this represent the failure of the murderer’s to complete their affair, but signifies that it’s impossible for Macbeth to escape his fate. A realization he will finally come to just before his downfall.

“The hero’s misfortune is not wholly deserved. The punishment exceeds the crime.” This is where Macbeth does not meet up to Aristotle’s definition. Although some may argue, in general Macbeth deserved his outcome. His punishment, which is death is not greater than murder, so therefore, Aristotle’s fourth criteria of a tragic hero cannot be compared to Macbeth. Macbeth’s downfall was his own fault. His character and overall exposure to power led him to make decisions that eventually lead to tragic events. The murder of King Duncan, Banquo, and Macduff’s family was all in control of Macbeth. It’s Macbeth’s flaw in character and power corruptness that caused him to make tyrannical actions, and as a result, directly lead to his death and downfall. And since Macbeth meets three of the four criteria of a described by Aristotle, it can be clearly stated that Macbeth qualifies as a tragic hero.