Monday, September 8, 2014

How is Macbeth a tragedy of his character?

Macbeth is presented at first as a hero of Scotland, having protected the country from attack and civil war. As is typical with a Shakespearean hero, Macbeth enters the story from a high position of nobility and honor. The opportunity is presented to him to achieve more power through his own efforts at the expense of others. Macbeth ponders this dilemma that is presented in the prophecy of the three witches. Does he let fate give him the throne, or should his own efforts lead him to it? If fate has determined that he will be king, does he need to do anything? Macbeth does not trust fate that extensively, so he decides to take fate into his own hands, committing several murders as a result. He is driven to this by Lady Macbeth, who chides him for being weak. As in the story of the Garden of Eden, the wife (Eve/ Lady Macbeth) drags the husband (Adam/ Macbeth) into sin and evil. This shows a weakness in Macbeth’s character. His hubris is his fatal flaw, as it is with most of Shakespeare’s tragic heroes. With humility, Macbeth could have saved himself, but his pride leads to his downfall and death.

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