Macbeth a Tragic Hero
The qualities that Macbeth possesses and the circumstances that he went through
make him a classic tragic hero. Macbeth’s noble birth and good character show him to be
a fine man and well liked. But like all tragic heroes Macbeth’s tragic flaw overtakes him
and he falls into a spiral of self-destruction. As Macbeth comes to terms with his wrong
doings the audience feels pity for Macbeth. These things contributed make Macbeth a
tragic hero.
In the play Macbeth by William Shakespeare, the main character Macbeth comes
from a noble line, “Great Glamis!”(I, v, 55), and he is and outstanding citizen whose
honorable qualities make him well liked by all those who know him, “For brave
Macbeth-well he deserves that name”(I, II, 16). The people love and think highly of the
thane. Even the king becomes impressed with the things he has heard about Macbeth’s
courage and bravery. Macbeth holds a great amount of potential to move up even higher
in society if he chooses to use it. However Macbeth encounters the weird sisters who give
him new ideas to think about. The weird sisters meet Macbeth after the great battle,
where they tell Macbeth shocking things about his future, “Hail to thee Thane of
Cawdor! All hail, Macbeth, that shalt be King hereafter!”(I, iii, 49-50). The weird sisters
message about his future get Macbeth thinking of how he will end up becoming king, and
this thinking leads him down a very destructive path.
Like all tragic heroes Macbeth has a tragic flaw that pilots his destruction, and he
suffers from unchecked ambition. One might say that his wife or the witches tricked him
into committing murder, but they only suggested the path of evil, Macbeth chose it for
himself. The witches only had to plant the idea of Macbeth becoming king for him to
start having awful imaginings and horrible thoughts, “If good, why do I yield to that
suggestion whose horrid image doth unfix my hair and
make him a classic tragic hero. Macbeth’s noble birth and good character show him to be
a fine man and well liked. But like all tragic heroes Macbeth’s tragic flaw overtakes him
and he falls into a spiral of self-destruction. As Macbeth comes to terms with his wrong
doings the audience feels pity for Macbeth. These things contributed make Macbeth a
tragic hero.
In the play Macbeth by William Shakespeare, the main character Macbeth comes
from a noble line, “Great Glamis!”(I, v, 55), and he is and outstanding citizen whose
honorable qualities make him well liked by all those who know him, “For brave
Macbeth-well he deserves that name”(I, II, 16). The people love and think highly of the
thane. Even the king becomes impressed with the things he has heard about Macbeth’s
courage and bravery. Macbeth holds a great amount of potential to move up even higher
in society if he chooses to use it. However Macbeth encounters the weird sisters who give
him new ideas to think about. The weird sisters meet Macbeth after the great battle,
where they tell Macbeth shocking things about his future, “Hail to thee Thane of
Cawdor! All hail, Macbeth, that shalt be King hereafter!”(I, iii, 49-50). The weird sisters
message about his future get Macbeth thinking of how he will end up becoming king, and
this thinking leads him down a very destructive path.
Like all tragic heroes Macbeth has a tragic flaw that pilots his destruction, and he
suffers from unchecked ambition. One might say that his wife or the witches tricked him
into committing murder, but they only suggested the path of evil, Macbeth chose it for
himself. The witches only had to plant the idea of Macbeth becoming king for him to
start having awful imaginings and horrible thoughts, “If good, why do I yield to that
suggestion whose horrid image doth unfix my hair and