Play? Essay, Research Paper
Is Macbeth The Tragic Hero of The Play?
Is Macbeth the tragic hero of the play “Macbeth?” This question may seem to
be redundant; however, not all of Shakespeare’s Tragedies are named after their
tragic heroes. For example, Julius Caesar is not the tragic hero of “Julius
Caesar.” A tragic hero must conform to a set of characteristics which evolved
all the way from ancient to medieval times. Macbeth conforms to these
characteristics and is the tragic hero of “Macbeth.”
The death of an ordinary person in Medieval times was not considered tragic.
This idea was based on the notion of “fall”. If a peasant died, his death meant
very little because he had not far to fall. In other words, a peasant did not
have much of a life to lose. However, if a king or noble were to die, his death
would be a very long fall, since to the Medieval mind, he had a great deal to
lose. Macbeth is a very important person. He is a cousin to the king of
Scotland. He is the highest ranking noble, the thane of Cawdor and Glamis, and a
general of the Scottish army. He also becomes the king of Scotland later in the
play. Despite his status, he has a character defect.
A tragic hero must have a character flaw. This character flaw causes him
to make an error in judgment, “a mistaken act,” which leads to his downfall.
Because Macbeth is ambitious, he wants to become king. In order to take over the
throne, he kills Duncan, and thus commits his terrible crime, and eventually is
punished.
The tragic hero must deserve his fate. He must not simply make a mistake,
like stepping off a curb in front of a moving vehicle. He must commit some
terrible crime for which he is punished. People of the Elizabethan Period were
well aware of the problems created when kings are murdered. The Fifteenth
Century was a period of almost constant ruinous civil war in England. The dire
consequences of this act are a constant theme in Shakespeare’s plays. According
to the medieval Theory of Divine Right, God appoints the king, thus Macbeth
committed a religious crime when he kills the king. This is also the highest
form of treason that one could commit. Moreover, Duncan is no ordinary king. He
has been a great king. Even Macbeth says of him, “Besides, this Duncan / hath
borne his faculties so meek hath been /So clea
(Shakespeare 57) This, of course, makes the crime even worse. After all he is
not killing a bad king. But did Macbeth decide to kill Duncan by himself? Who
persuaded Macbeth to kill Duncan?
As with every tragic hero in Shakespearean times, Macbeth must be tempted
or persuaded to commit a crime. Lady Macbeth is the catalyst. She does a very
good job of persuading Macbeth to kill Duncan. When Macbeth refuses to kill
Duncan, she says, ” And live a coward in thine own esteem,” (Shakespeare 59) She
also says she is braver than he is when she says, ” I would, while it was
smiling in my face, / Have plucked my nipple from his boneless gums, / And
dashed the brains out, had I sworn / As you have to this.” (Shakespeare 59) This
infuriates Macbeth, which in turn sparks his ambition to kill Duncan. Lady
Macbeth is very clever because she uses Macbeth’s good quality, his bravery,
against him.
By giving him a good quality, the author creates sympathy for Macbeth.
Philosophers, such as Aristotle, believed that the audience must feel sympathy
for the tragic hero; otherwise, it was not considered a good play because the
audience could not empathize with the tragic hero.( Abram 190) Macbeth has a
very good quality which his courage. He says, ” I’ll fight till from my bones my
flesh be hacked. / Give me my armor.” (Shakespeare 225) He says this even though
he realizes he will die.
The tragic hero and everyone associated with him must die. Macbeth should
die because he has committed both treason and a religious crime. Macbeth is
killed by Macduff as revenge for the murder of Macduff’s family. Lady Macbeth
commits suicide towards the end of the play, and Macbeth’s followers are killed
in the last battle of the play.
Is Macbeth the tragic hero? Macbeth fits all of the characteristics of a
tragic hero. He is an important character in the play, has a character flaw,
has one good quality, has someone to tempt him, deserves his fate, and was
punished for the crime which he has committed. Macbeth definitely is the tragic
hero of “Macbeth.”
Works Cited
Abrams, M.H. A Glossary of Literary Terms. Holt, Rinehart and Winston:
Toronto,1985.
189-192.
Shakespeare, William. “Macbeth” Ed. Margaret Kortes. Toronto: Harbrace
Brace,1988.