Essay/Term paper: Macbeth-tragic hero

Essay, term paper, research paper:  Macbeth

The most recent meaning of the word Tragic Hero as defined by Microsoft Works
dictionary is "A hero of noble stature whose fortunes are reversed as a result of weakness."
Many characters in the play were affected by tragedy for a number of reasons, but without
argue, Macbeth and his reverse of fortunes are due to his own actions, and the rest of the cast
were merely victims of this. Macbeth's action's lead to his very nemises. From the beginning of
the play this tragedy of his was manifested through forces beyond human; the supernatural if you
will. These forces were that of the witches. The next factor in determining his fate was his own
decision's and action's. Lady Macbeth is the second reason for Macbeth's tragedy; without her
support in aiding his decision, Macbeth would have never had the strength to lie, scheme, and
destroy to such extremes. The last, and most devastating to Macbeth, was his cripled conscious
which made him act out of selfeshness and lust. The sequence of these factors were most
defenitely provoked by the evilness and twisted nature of the witches, for if it weren't for their
influence, then Macbeth would have never turned his desires into reality.
At the very beginning of the play Macbeth is nothing but a general fighting for his country.
His fellow fighter's admire Macbeth, for in their eyes, and even in the eyes of the highest of
authority, his nobility and couragousness is looked up to. His success for his acheivement is
rewarded, and his confidence is made stronger because of this. But this is only the beginning, and
soon these good fortunes will come to a tragic end. The audience is then introduced to a group of
witches. Three witches who appear as wicked and repulsive. They seem to signify all that is
wrong and corrupt. Macbeth's over-confident attitude is the first characteristic the witches
detect, and they take advantage of this trait to make his life as miserable as they possibly can. He
encounters the witches in Act1, scene1, and from this point he is now a step closer to realising
what his future holds... so he thinks. The witches first address Macbeth as king, and Banguo as
one
"Lesser than Macbeth."(1.2.65) Infact, Macbeth isn't king, never the less, the witches
insist in prophecising that he is and will be. The witches are already planting seeds of
persuation into his head which are made to bloom into tragedy. These destructive and
manipulative forces the witches have power over alter his viewpoints about his values and morals
beyond the point of no return. Already, it is a tragedy in itself that Macbeth's invulnarability lead
him to believing such evilness.
Macbeth may have listened and considered what may be true about the witch's
prophecie's, but he should be credited with the fact that he did have doubt. It is true that
Macbeth thought about what he had to do in order to ever become king, and he could never
imagined himself going as far as killing king Duncan: "Why, if fate will have me king, fate may
crown me."(1.7.14) In other words, he hasn't established his decision yet.
But now we are introduced to Lady Macbeth. She is very pleased to hear of Macbeth's
victory and she is very supportive once he's successfully considered thane of Cawdor. She sees
the horizon for her husband is now broader, and she wants only the best for him. Macbeth tells
her what the witches see in his future, and this gives her scope
to an even grander possibilty; they can kill the king and make the vision actuality. So at this point
it is Lady Macbeth's to encourage Macbeth into following his dreams, despite what is right or
wrong. She doesn't allow Macbeth to be coward and she makes it very clear to him that he lacks
manhood:
What beast was't then/ That made you break this enterprise to me?/ When you durst do
it, then you were a man;/ And, to be more than what you were, you would Be so much
more the man. Nor time nore place Did then adhere, and yet you would make both;/They
have made themselves, and that their fitness now/ Does unmake you. I have given suck, and
konw How tender 'tis to love the babe that milks me:/ I would, while it was smiling in my
face,/ Have pluck'd my nipple from his boneless gums,/ And dash'd the brains out, had I so
sworn as you/ Have done to this.(1.7.48-59)
Lady Macbeth convinces Macbeth to follow through with the killing of King Duncan. She's now
the second persuasive factor which aids Macbeth into the tragic demise which is soon to come.
Now it is up to Macbeth to analyze his thoughts and decide his fate.
He great "hero of noble stature", Macbeth, chose the wrong path for himself; he chose to
follow his greed as well the depraved influences around him. These components lead to his killing
the king, killing innocent people like women and children, which is cruel in itself, the loss of his
morals and sanity, the lose of love for his wife, and at the end of the play, the loss of his very life.
All that he worked for was "reversed as a result of his weakness", as defined by the word tragic
hero. His conversion from bad to good ultimately affected his fortunes.