Macbeth Tragic Hero Essay Sample

A tragic hero is a protagonist in a tragedy, usually the main character, who demonstrates heroic qualities that make them virtuous and earn the audience's sympathy. In many of Shakespeare's tragedies, the tragic hero begins noble but as the story develops this character may begin to change due to a fatal flaw. In this case, Macbeth is the tragic hero whose flaws such as ambition and greed lead to his downfall. 

At the beginning of the play, Macbeth was a Scottish general known as the thane of Glamis, he was very loyal to his king. In the text it states, “The service and the loyalty I owe In doing it pays itself. Your highness' part Is to receive our duties, and our duties Are to your throne and state children and servants, which do but what they should, by doing everything 

Safe toward your love and honor” (Act I Scene 4). This means that Macbeth was loyal after he learned of the prophecies. He may not have wanted the title of king but if lady Macbeth wants something to happen Macbeth with do it. In source two it states, “Glamis thou art, and Cawdor; and shalt be What thou art promised. Yet do I fear thy nature; It is too full o' th' milk of human kindness To catch the nearest way: thou wouldst be great, Art not without ambition, but without 

The illness should attend it. What thou wouldst highly, That wouldst thou holily; wouldst not play false, And yet wouldst wrongly win. Thou'ld’st have, great Glamis, That which cries, “Thus thou must do,” if thou have it, And that which rather thou dost fear to do,Than wishest should be undone. Hie thee hither, That I may pour my spirits in thine ear And chastise with the valor of my tongue All that impedes thee from the golden round, Which fate and metaphysical aid doth seem To have thee crowned withal (Act 1 Scene 5). This shows that Macbeth knows what's right and what's wrong but Lady Macbeth belittles him to get what she wants. When briefly looking at the facts it may seem as if Macbeth was a bad person from the start but after close examination, it is clear that manipulation was a key role in why Macbeth began to do what he did. For this reason, it is clear that Macbeth is a tragic hero.