A tragic hero has the potential for greatness but is doomed to fail. He is trapped in a situation where he cannot win. He possesses some sort of tragic flaw, and this causes his fall from greatness. Even though he is a fallen hero, he still wins a moral victory, and his spirit lives on. Macbeth Portrays a tragic hero in the play by falling from high esteem, realizing he has made a irreversible mistake, and ultimately accepts his death with honor. Throughout the course of the play Shakespeare uses Macbeth’s heroic qualities to show how true evil can destroy people by holding their good qualities against them. A tragic flaw is an inherently good characteristic that, in excess, brings about a character’s downfall. Macbeth is an ambitious man, which drives him to want more power.
His bravery and authority portray his heroic qualities. “For brave Macbeth(well he deserves that name), Disdaining fortune, with his brandished steel, which smoked with bloody execution, like valor’s minion, carved out his passage”(9) Macbeth is a good fighter and he is not afraid. His noble, good qualities and courageous mindset sets up his failure. “O valiant cousin, worthy gentleman!” Everyone looked up to Macbeth because of his noble caliber. (9) His heroic qualities begin to be used against himself and this is what sets up the tragic flaw. The witches and his own wife, Lady Macbeth, take advantage of Macbeth. The witches use Macbeth’s courageous qualities to eventually hurt him, which all begins with the murder of King Duncan. “I have no spur to prick the sides of my intent, but only vaulting ambition, which o’erleaps itself and falls on th’ other”(41). Although Macbeth is not necessarily determined to kill anyone, he does. His ambition is taken advantage of to gain more power. This is tragic because it shouldn’t be like this, but it is. Lady Macbeth and the witches take his authority and power and make the worst out of him. “Why did you bring these daggers from the