In the play Macbeth, by William Shakespeare, the protagonist is a tragic hero. Tragic heroes are people who have been dealt an unfortunate hand but do not give up and continue with the fight even if it means their death. In a way, these characters are admired for how they persevere in the face of adversity.
Macbeth is a tragedy by William Shakespeare. Though the play does not have much in the way of comic relief, many people think Macbeth is a tragic hero because he has noble intentions at the beginning of the play, and he undergoes terrible changes throughout.
What is a tragic hero?
A tragic hero is a character that faces difficulty or tragedy due to a flaw in his or her character. The tragic hero has a sense of nobility and worth, but they are unable to let go of their mistakes. They have a divine charisma, which is part of what makes them lovable. A tragic hero will usually commit suicide at the end of the story as they try to avoid the pain and humiliation, they know is coming for them.
A tragic hero is usually a protagonist with exaggerated greatness but falls from grace with a tragic flaw that leads to his downfall. Macbeth has as his tragic flaw ambition and as such as his fall is as great as he was before the tragedy.
What are the qualities of a tragic hero?
A hero is a person who is admired for their special achievements, courage, or noble qualities. A tragic hero is a protagonist, usually from a tragedy, who must overcome serious obstacles and eventually dies as a result of those struggles.
In Shakespeare’s play Macbeth, Macbeth embodies this definition as he kills Duncan to become king. He must flee his kingdom due to prophecies that fate will catch up with him and he will be killed by one of his sons. A tragic hero is someone who possesses several qualities that are found in Shakespearean tragedies. These include the following: the hero is noble, has good intentions, has a tragic flaw, and suffers inevitable defeat.
Tragic elements in the play Macbeth
The play Macbeth is a tragedy that follows the protagonist from the point of view of his actions. It is a story about one man’s passion for power and greed which leads to betrayal, war, and death. The story begins with a prophecy from three witches who tell him he will eventually become king. In order to fulfill this prophecy, Macbeth murders Duncan, the king of Scotland. However, Lady Macduff tries to stop him, and he murders her as well. Macbeth is most seen as a tragic hero and is often cited as Shakespeare’s most poetic and beautiful tragedy.
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The pivotal moment in the play, which defines his heroic nature, is when he chooses to kill Duncan instead of Gaulton. It is his choice to commit the murder that would make him a traitor, but he still goes through with it knowing that he will then be killed for it. Macbeth is one of Shakespeare’s most popular tragedies, with its flawed protagonist, Macbeth. The play starts out with three witches who are meeting on a heath. They give Macbeth an ominous prophecy that he will become king, but once that happens his downfall will be swift and tragically fast. His wife, Lady Macbeth also convinces him to murder the King so they can seize the throne.
This sets in motion a tragic chain of events where Macbeth is torn between his cowardliness and ambition for power until eventually, he becomes consumed by fear and guilt.
Macbeth is a tragic hero because his tragic flaw defines what makes him a hero. His ultimate downfall is due to his greed and ambition. Macbeth has the qualities of being courageous, strong willed, loyal, he’s willing to take risks, etc. but it’s these same qualities that are the reasons for his downfall.
How does Macbeth seem to fit this definition?
Macbeth is easily the most tragic of Shakespeare’s heroes. His fate leads him to commit murder after murder, and eventually leads to his downfall. Macbeth kills Duncan, the King of Scotland, in order to gain power for himself. The play also alludes to his lust for power throughout the course of the story.
Macbeth ends up dying by suicide after he hears that he has lost everything because someone else assassinated him. Macbeth is a tragic hero because by the end of the story, Macbeth has done many things that can cause him to be seen as a hero. He kills Duncan in order to claim the throne and then he even goes on a killing spree to protect his kingship. However, when Lady Macbeth commits suicide, she was the real tragic figure of this story.
Macbeth is a tragic hero because he has noble qualities and because he does two honorable things: He acknowledges that he was wrong to murder Duncan and he shows remorse. However, his dishonesty and the many murders he commits mean that he can’t escape tragedy.
Conclusion
Macbeth is a tragic hero as he is characterized as a man who makes a great mistake and pay for it with his life. Macbeth’s heroism derives from the fact that he faces the consequences of his actions head-on and tries to correct them, which runs in contrast to most tragic heroes in literature. Macbeth is not considered a villain, but one does not need to be a villain in order to be considered a tragic hero.
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