How Does Mcginn Use Real Character Flaws In Macbeth
How “Bad Luck” is evident in Macbeth
PHIL 375 March 30, 2012
Many people are superstitious, which leads to the belief that “bad luck” is often the cause of tragic circumstances. “Bad luck” can be something as simple as your shoelace breaks to something cataclysmal like a windstorm blows a tree through your living room. McGinn describes tragedy as “a miss match between situation and character” (194) but in Shakespearean literature you need an element of “bad luck” to get a tragedy. McGinn explains that everyone has flaws but there generally is no flaw that will cause a tragedy by itself. McGinn clarifies that you need a flawed character and the right situation in order to have a tragedy. If we have a flawed situation with a good character …show more content…
McGinn makes a clever observation when he says that you could intertwine the characters in Shakespeare’s tragedies and in most circumstances the tragedy would not unfold. Placing Macbeth into Hamlet’s role would not yield the same tragedy because the flaw would not react with the situation (194). This “bad luck” that combines the two ingredients is very influential to the theme, plot and message because without the tragedy that Macbeth brings upon himself there would be no story and ultimately no message at all. Without the inclusion of “bad luck” the character flaw does not combine with the situation and create the mismatch that is tragedy. McGinn is quoted saying Shakespeare “has the curiosity of a scientist” (Abstract) which is ironic because the way he combines two seemingly random things with “bad luck” brings to mind what happens when you mix a strong acid and a strong base with just a little water can cause a big explosion, which is what Shakespeare has done with his
PHIL 375 March 30, 2012
Many people are superstitious, which leads to the belief that “bad luck” is often the cause of tragic circumstances. “Bad luck” can be something as simple as your shoelace breaks to something cataclysmal like a windstorm blows a tree through your living room. McGinn describes tragedy as “a miss match between situation and character” (194) but in Shakespearean literature you need an element of “bad luck” to get a tragedy. McGinn explains that everyone has flaws but there generally is no flaw that will cause a tragedy by itself. McGinn clarifies that you need a flawed character and the right situation in order to have a tragedy. If we have a flawed situation with a good character …show more content…
McGinn makes a clever observation when he says that you could intertwine the characters in Shakespeare’s tragedies and in most circumstances the tragedy would not unfold. Placing Macbeth into Hamlet’s role would not yield the same tragedy because the flaw would not react with the situation (194). This “bad luck” that combines the two ingredients is very influential to the theme, plot and message because without the tragedy that Macbeth brings upon himself there would be no story and ultimately no message at all. Without the inclusion of “bad luck” the character flaw does not combine with the situation and create the mismatch that is tragedy. McGinn is quoted saying Shakespeare “has the curiosity of a scientist” (Abstract) which is ironic because the way he combines two seemingly random things with “bad luck” brings to mind what happens when you mix a strong acid and a strong base with just a little water can cause a big explosion, which is what Shakespeare has done with his