MACBETH AS A TRAGIC HEROTragic heroes are within everyone, but cannot be fully exposed or understood without the essential tragic qualities.
One must be a potentially noble character who endures heroic qualities and has respect and admiration from the society. Consequently, they must be essentially great. Also within the character must be a flaw or weakness that leads to a fall. Lastly, one is required to possess an element of suffering and redemption.
Remorse and regret is a necessity for ones wrong doings or deeds. One’s pays for their wrong doings because of failure to find happiness and regrets for actions taken. Therefore they die heroically. In the play “Macbeth” this quality of a tragic hero is portrayed though the character Macbeth. The quality of a tragic hero in Macbeth is portrayed first by his position in society and his establishment of greatness. Macbeth is appreciated as a noble character and endures a high rank in the country of Scotland.
He aided King Duncan in several victorious battles and his ranking was increased as a result of this. He was crowned Thane of Cawdor in addition to the Thane of Glamis. Macbeth’s position was also seen as high to the Scotish citizen’s because of his relation to the king. However, Macbeth’s bravery on the battlefield was great. “Till he unseamed him from the nave to the chops, and fixed his head upon the battlements. ” (Act 1, Sc.
2) And for his victory he receives lavish praise in reports from the Captian and Ross, a Scotish Nobleman. ” As sparrows eagles, or the hare the lion. I must report they were as cannons overcharged with double cracks. ” (Act 1, Sc. 2) Macbeth is shown as extravagant on terms of what they say. He was also complemented several times by the Thane of Fife, Macduff.
Furthermore, he was labeled several strong and brave animals on the battlefield, throughout the play. These many assessments and evaluations contribute greatly towards Macbeth’s appearance as a hero. Macbeth’s relationship with his wife, Lady Macbeth, also confirms his innate goodness and suggests well for him. Lady Macbeth highly respects and admires her husband as the Thane of Cawdor and refers to him as ” my dearest partner of greatness. ” (Act 1, Sc. 5) She constantly demands that she understands Macbeth more than any other.
This results in the others being expected to believe her. However, she incessantly declares that he is much too kind, “Yet I do fear thy nature; It is too full o’ the milk of human kindness” (Act 1, Sc 5) Lady Macbeth acknowledges that he has ambition but maintains that he lacks the evil that should attend it. Furthermore, Macbeth yearn for the crown but would as though he is riding high on the crest of the wave and endures the potential to furthur but his flaw of incessant kindness prevents his yearning. It is those strong brave qualities that rise him high in not play foully for it. It is society and Lady Macbeth wishes he would apply them appropriatly.
Their stable relationship is yet another feature that brings forth Macbeth’s potential. Despite Macbeth’s great potential he endures an overriding flaw that he constantly gives in to. This overbearing flaw is his excessive ambition. He wishes to only get the crown, but demands to do nothing to rightfully achieve it. He refuses to kill his beloved king Duncan.
For he belives he too kind and nice a man to deserve such a punishment. Macbeth initially fights agianst his dark and evil impulses, but he evenutally surcomes to them. It was his wife, Lady Macbeth, who convinced Macbeth to obey his evil urges by her clever manipulation. However, Macbeth’s fall begins when he starts to doubt his untold victory of the crown. “What if we should fail?” (Act 1, Sc. 7) It is the unpleasant deed of Duncan’s murder that stirs his mind.
After his job of comitting the deed he shows immediate regret and remorse for what he had done. Nevertheless, his fall is far from complete, it continues. His ambition “takes reason prinsoner”. Macbeth’s fall continues gradually when he soon grasps the idea that he had not earned his yearning of the crown. “We have scorched the snake, not killed it. ” (Act 3, Sc.
2) There was still a great problem. It was Banquo who would reieve hier to the throne before Macbeth. It was essiential, according to the witches, that he immediately kill Banquo and his descendants. At that demand, the deed was done. However, his attempted murder of Fleance, Banquo’s son, was not achieved.
Consequently, a transition begins in Macbeth. He is acknowledged as a “hell-hound”, “butches”, “tyrant” and a hell kite” (Act 3). These were great turning point for Macbeth. For it is now his evil side that he obeys. He simply resolves his remorse by acting on his initial impulses.
“The very firstlings of my heart shall be the firstlings of my hand. ” (Act 4, Sc. 1) Therefore, Macbeth’s habits became so terrible that he finally reaches his lowest ebb, the murders of the Macduffs. For he had no reason for their murders, it was simply an impulse that he immediately acted upon.
He then caused Scotland suffering, famine, death and disease. This was so because of his absence of the king becoming graces. Macbeth had now lost his “good” reputation. His downfall was now complete. Macbeth, however, is shown throughout the play with an element of suffering and redemption.
The murders that he comitted deeply cause this remorse and guilt. In result, Macbeth is found unable to sleep, pray or even eat because of the murder of his beloved king Duncan. “Methought I heard a voice cry Sleep no more!Macbeth does murder sleep” (Act 2, Sc. 2) Macbeth is also seen a sense of remorse when he was found seeing the ghost of Banquo. He repetedly demanded that he did not murder him. This is a deep symptom of redemption.
However, this sorrow does not compare to the large extent he receives of it towards the end of the play. He sees the future as pointless and unthrilling. He decides that his life is not worth living. “I have lived long enough. ” (Act 5, Sc.
4) He is in complete despair. He soon realizes that there is nothing fo rim but curses, mouth-honor and breath. However, there is an element of self-knowledge. He recognized that he received his yearning, the crown, but it did not bring him happiness. His life becomes completely meaningless when his wife, Lady Macbeth, dies.
Macbeth had lost everything and everyone who was important to him. He is alone and alienated. Despite his lonliness and shame, he still has a conscience. Enduring the strength he has, he does not quit. He continuously falls back on the hopefull predictions of the witches.
“Be bloody, bold, and resolute; laugh to scorn the power of man, for none of woman born shall harm Macbeth. ” (Act 4, Sc. 1) He deeply relies on this apparition, which makes him feel invinsible, until he soon finds out that Macduff was not technically born of woman. “Macduff was from his mother’s womb untimely ripped. ” (Act 5, Sc.
6) For now Macbeth could be easily defeated. From this he is paying for his sins and regreat. Even when the last prop of life is removed, he fights. He decides he will not play the suicidal Roman fool.
So, he does fight bravely and heroically. His wounds were to the front ,theredore he was not killed running away from death. He was killed fighting. Tragedy fell only upon Macbeth because of his inner most yearnings, to be king. However, he would not have been considered a tragic hero without his admiration, flaw and redemption.
These are all parts of the long downfall in which he endured. His life became tragic just to be king. Even when he received his wish he was not happy. He had too much guilt and regret to continue. His life was no longer worth living.
So, he fought to the bitter end and died bravery.
