Is Macbeth A Hero Or A Villain

It is important for Shakespeare to present Macbeth as a hero in order to prepare the reader for his tragic downfall. Shakespeare first presents Macbeth as a hero when he is called “brave Macbeth” by the captain. In many ways the captain represents the whole army and this could be a way for Shakespeare to show how Macbeth is viewed by the army it could also show how Shakespeare is seen as brave by a high up member of society. As well as being praised by the captain Macbeth is also praised by the King, the line ‘more is thy due than more than all can pay’ shows how the King respects Macbeth “more is thy due” shows Macbeth is a hero in the eyes of the King as the King believes he owes Macbeth for what he has done.

Aristotle's tragic hero is a man who is characterized by good and evil. He is a mixture of good characteristics and bad characteristics. For example, Macbeth was an honorable Thane of Glamis. He was a valiant fighter who had protected his country of Scotland well, but he wanted to be king. His "vaulting ambition" caused him to kill King Duncan which ended up in his fall.  Aristotle's tragic hero has a tragic flaw, or harmatia, that is the cause of the downfall.

Just as the character spectrum flows from hero to villain, Macbeth also gradually makes his way down the line. In the very beginning of the play (before making his appearance), Macbeth’s fellow Scots and lords praise him for his loyalty and noble deeds. Here, it is made clear that the public initially views him as a heroic figure who is loyal to Scotland; “for brave Macbeth, (well he deserves that name)”(9) Admittedly, Macbeth does unseam a man “from the nave to th’ chops”(9), however this is considered an act of valor in the service of his country and his king. However, Macbeth’s loyalties soon become questionable, as he plots to and then commits the murder of his honored king, Duncan. At this point, the audience

in all purity. This is mainly due to the fact that he was willing to

From hero to villain – how and why does Macbeth fall from celebrated loyal subject to murderous villain?

In Shakespeare’s “Macbeth”, destruction is wrought when ambition goes rampant by moral constraints. “Macbeth” amplifies the fight amidst good vs evil, analyzing the psychological effects of King Duncan's murder. This tragedy concerned the plunge of a great man (King) from his position of nobility to humility on behalf of his ambitious pride. This pride causes the downfall of Macbeth that triggers a series of deaths down the line. Ambition is the driving force of the play.

Whilst the character of Macbeth is initially portrayed as a noble kinsman, his ambition and motivation, directly influenced by the witches and Lady Macbeth, ultimately transforms him into a corrupt and ruthless tyrant. William Shakespeare’s most famous tragedy “Macbeth” clearly depicts this notion of change, illustrated through Shakespeare's utilisation of literary techniques. The tragic downfall of Macbeth is mainly attributed to Macbeth’s own greed and hubris.

Throughout the story of Macbeth, by William Shakespeare, Macbeth acts in a much despised manner: he becomes a murderer and later, when king of Scotland, a tyrant. Many who have read or seen the play are left wondering how a man’s whole approach to life can change; how Macbeth turned from the hero whom all adored, to the tyrant who was hated and ended up a lone man, fighting for his life.

What makes someone a tragic hero? Many agree that Aristotle’s definition of a tragic hero is a good description. The description comes from Aristotle’s Poetic, “The tragic hero is "a [great] man who is neither a paragon of virtue and justice nor undergoes the change to misfortune through any real badness or wickedness but because of some mistake” (Poetics). The mistake or

Poetics, where he defines what makes a tragic hero. Aristotle suggests that a tragic hero is a

A tragic hero in literature is a type of character who has fallen from grace, where the downfall suggests feelings of misfortune and distress among the audience. The tragic flaw of the hero leads to their demise or downfall that in turn brings a tragic end. Aristotle defines a tragic hero as “a person who must evoke a sense of pity and fear in the audience. He is considered a man of misfortune that comes to him through error of judgment.” The characteristics of a tragic hero described by Aristotle are hamartia, hubris, peripeteia, anagnorisis, nemesis and catharsis which allows the audience to have a catharsis of arousing feelings.

Aristotle’s definition of a tragic hero is someone of great importance or royalty. The hero must go through something terrible such as a relative’s death. We must feel what this character is feeling throughout the story. Aristotle also said that a tragic hero scan be defeated by a tragic flaw, such as hubris or human pride. In Sophocles’ tragedy Antigone, both Creon and Antigone are tragic heroes.

   The dark aura surrounding Shakespeare's Macbeth is well deserved, as is the darkness shrouding its title character. Although Macbeth is certainly a villainous, evil man based solely on his actions, a fuller examination of his character's portrayal leads to a more sympathetic view of him. The play does not portray Macbeth simply as a cold-blooded murderer, but rather as a tortured soul attempting to deal with the atrocities surrounding him.

The tragic hero has been a major storytelling tool in recent years that makes the audience relate to, respect, and feel sympathy for a character which is undone by the end of the story. But can this title be given to Macbeth, the titular hero of the Shakespeare play by the same name? Yes, absolutely- Shakespeare’s Macbeth follows this plot path in numerous ways. Throughout the play, we are introduced to Macbeth’s belovedness, the crushing of said established belovedness, and his own undoing.

Macbeth has some combination of both a villain and a victim in the novel ‘The Tragedy of Macbeth’ by William Shakespeare. Macbeth is a brave and powerful nobleman that was urged by his wife lady Macbeth to invite his cousin King Duncan to sleep over. Then, later on kill him so he can become king and become more powerful. Lennox, arrives early in the morning to wake the king and sees that King Duncan is dead. They announce that King Duncan is dead. Macbeth acts upset, Macduff and Banquo are frightened. Lady Macbeth faints once she hears that King Duncan has been murdered. Donalbain flees to Ireland and Malcolm flees to England because they think the murderer of their father will come after them next. Macduff gets very suspicious about Macbeth that he raises an army in order to kill Macbeth. Macbeth goes from an innocent nice nobleman to a murderer.