Macbeth: Tragic Hero
Macbeth: Tragic Hero A tragic hero is a character that is honorable and noble but possesses a significant character flaw that leads to his/her demise. Macbeth starts off the play as being a nobleman and proves to a brave general. Although, Macbeth’s tragic flaw throughout the play is his overpowering ambition to his rise as King. Different factors induced him to give in to his tragic flaw but ultimately it was how his reoccurring ignorance of how ambition will lead him to his demise and death. The rise and fall of Macbeth as a noble character due to his own character flaw is a classic example of a tragic hero. Towards the start of the play, Macbeth, was perceived as a noble person who led his soldiers to victory. In Act 1 scene II, King Duncan asks a wounded Sergeant about the battle with the Irish, the Sergeant responds by saying they have won the battle due the bravery of both Macbeth and Banquo. Here noble Macbeth is seen as brave general who the King wants to now make him Thane of Cawdor. In this scene Shakespeare sets the stage for a tragic hero by initially depicting Macbeth as a noble and superior character in the play. Macbeth is significantly influenced by the prophecies that foretell the future and due to his overpowering ambition for power he is unable to keep the superstition from corrupting him. The “weird sisters” bring a sense of corruption and evil to the play. Their dialogue is reads in a completely different rhythm than the other character. In the first scene of the play the chant “fair is foul, and foul is fair: Hover through the fog and filthy air” (1.1). This quote which ends off the first scene leaves an eerie mood to come give the audience a sense that evil is to come. The evil and corruption that the “weird sisters” bring to the play helps lead to Macbeth’s ambition and greed, which aids to his demise as a tragic hero. In Act 1 Scene III, Macbeth and Banquo are confronted by the three witches who proclaim the prophecy that Macbeth