Macbeth's Hamartia Research Paper

Set mainly in Scotland, the classic tragedy of Macbeth written by William Shakespeare dramatizes the consequences to those who seek power for their own well-being. In order for a story to be considered a Shakespearean tragedy, it must have certain characteristics. A tragic hero must face an unfortunate fate due to his tragic flaw and throughout the play also face certain obstacles. The protagonist Macbeth is noble and valiant, thereafter his positive qualities amplifying negatively, and becoming an obsessive trait, all to seek power for his own well-being. Macbeth is a Shakespearean tragedy because it includes a tragic hero, an anagnorisis, and a hamartia.
Instantly at the beginning of the play, one of the qualities a tragic hero composes,
The hamartia is something that is within a hero’s central part of virtue, leading to an error in action and resulting in their downfall. In this case, Macbeth’s hamartia is ambition. While it amplifies negatively throughout the course of the play, it pre-exists positively, he even being referred to as: “full so valiant, and in his commendations I am fed… It is a peerless kinsman.” (Shakespeare 1.4.62-66). The evil aspects of Macbeth’s ambition overpowered the good and resulted in his death and those around him. His ambition always resided within him, but only becomes a problem when his desire for power develops into an obsessive trait. Macbeth himself even recognizes his ambition: “I have no spur to prick the sides of my intent, but only vaulting ambition.” (Shakespeare 1.7.25-27). He realizes that his ambition influences his actions, a main source to death and suffering that disturbs the moral order of the world. If Macbeth only had let the prophecy of the witches happen, his ambition would have not amplified and resulted in his downfall. Ambition often associated as a good thing, it being Macbeth’s hamartia is hard to consider it being something that can also be