macbeth as a tragic hero :: essays research papers

Macbeth as a tragic hero The character Macbeth is a classic example of a Shakespearean tragic hero. There are many factors that contribute to the degeneration of Macbeth of which three will be discussed. The three points, which contribute greatly to Macbeth's degeneration are the prophecies, which were told to him by the weird sisters, how Lady Macbeth influenced and manipulated Macbeth's judgment, and finally Macbeth's long time ambition, which drove his desire to be king. Macbeth's growing character degenerate from a noble man to a violent individual.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The prophecies, which were told by the weird sisters, were one of the factors, which contributed to the decline of his strong character. It is believed that if the predictions hadn't been made about Macbeth becoming Thane of Cawdor, and an eventual king, he would still be focused on his career as a warrior. Greed and power drive humans to change themselves, when it is not needed. As a result of the prophecies, Macbeth's curiosity was aroused, and he know was driven to become King of Scotland. As the play progresses, Macbeth slowly relies on the witches prophecies. Shakespeare uses the witches as a remedy for Macbeth's curiosity, which corrupts his character.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The influences of Macbeth's wife, Lady Macbeth, also contributed to his descend of character. Lady Macbeth's character in the beginning reveals that she is a lovable person. When Lady Macbeth was ready to kill King Duncan, she couldn't follow through with it because Duncan reminded her of her father. This example proves that lady Macbeth was not such a bad person. Lady Macbeth played an important role in this play because she provided a scheme, which caused Macbeth to murder Duncan himself. Afterwards, he later regretted his wrongdoing. During this point in the play, the climax, the audience can note the change in Macbeth's character. Macbeth's first murder was a trying experience for him, however after the first murder, killing seemed, to him, the only solution to maintain his eventual reign of Scotland. Therefore, saying that Lady Macbeth was the person who introduced a sin to Macbeth.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Macbeth's ambition also influenced his decline of character. However, Macbeth's ambition wasn't strong enough to carry the motive to kill Duncan. Lady Macbeth's influence also comes into play because if it weren't for her, he wouldn't have been driven to do anything it took to be an eventual king.