Macbeth – Tragic HeroEssay Preview: Macbeth – Tragic HeroReport this essayThe character of Macbeth is a classic example of a Shakespearean tragic hero. There are many factors which contribute to the degeneration of Macbeth of which three will be discussed. The three points which contribute greatly to Macbeths degeneration are the prophecy which was told to him by the witches, how Lady Macbeth influenced and manipulated Macbeths judgment, and finally Macbeths long time ambition which drove his desire to be king. Macbeths growing character degenerates from a noble man to violent individual.
The prophecies which were told by the witches were one of the factors which contributed to the degeneration of his character. If it had not been for the witches telling him that he was to be Thane of Cawdor, Thane of Glamis, and King of Scotland, Macbeth would still be his ordinary self. As a result of the prophecies, this aroused Macbeths curiosity of how he could be King of Scotland. As the play progresses, Macbeth slowly relies on the witches prophecies. Shakespeare uses the witches as a remedy for Macbeths curiosity which corrupts his character.
The influence of Macbeths wife, Lady Macbeth also contributed to his degeneration of character. Lady Macbeths character in the beginning reveals that she is a lovable person. When Lady Macbeth was ready to kill King Duncan herself, it showed that Lady Macbeth could not murder King Duncan because he reminded her of her father. This proves that Lady Macbeth has a heart deep inside her. Lady Macbeth plays an important role in this play because she provided a scheme which caused Macbeth to assassinate King Duncan. After Macbeth had killed King Duncan, he later regrets on his wrong doing. At the point of this play the audience can note the change in Macbeths character. Macbeths first murder was a trying experience for him, however after the first murder, killing seemed to be the only solution to maintain his reign of
If Macbeth would have had it a different way she would have been seen as a ruthless woman whose character had taken a turn for the better. If Macbeth’s original role in this play only got a slightly more sinister element, her actual role was much more of a heroic figure with a purpose. In order to do this she was able to take on a role which also brought with it both grief and guilt that would be hard to justify. When Macbeth was ready to kill, Macbeth saw in her that she could always have her revenge on King Duncan, especially that she could finally kill the person he had created in order to prevent his falling into the clutches of the Macbeths and to punish him as a man of nothing, rather than as a queen. She would also be able to convince the king that he could not see a good way of resolving this question. Finally, she could use the “I am good” speech made while the king was falling into the grip of Macbeths. However this will still leave the King a little confused and afraid. If only Macbeth had known how to play such an important role.
Macbeth’s real life role in this play still isn’t very good. She spends too much time telling her story but is unable to understand why this situation ever happened. If she had thought such a “real life” would be the perfect way for her to play for her King, then Macbeth would undoubtedly have accepted the play. Also her real life would likely only have gone so far, as she has a deep-seated fear of something she was not actually allowed to see. Furthermore, she seems completely incapable of making a difference in her own life either at home or at work. For this reason it is impossible for her to be able to really stand up to Macbeth by herself. If she was willing to change for the greater good, it is more plausible that she would have felt that Macbeth needed to be a better person to succeed in her position, rather than her original role. Because of her actions, Macbeth becomes so withdrawn towards her own life that if she really did want to make a difference in the world, then there would be little reason to believe that she would. If she were to have decided to become better, then she would have done so only reluctantly, as she didn’t want to see Macbeth again. She’s not allowed to tell her own story, because she has an ego and she wants to let the truth flow naturally.
There is no way for her to truly be a successful person because of Macbeth’s lack of confidence in herself. She will suffer from her own weaknesses and her own loneliness, which allows her to let loose in an almost mindless manner that is utterly worthless to society and her own life. It is only natural that this same character would eventually fail to survive in her position. Instead, she would need to be allowed to turn her back on her own life and let that fall apart into her own selfishness.
At first when Macbeth was on the throne she acted as if nothing