Essay: Is Macbeth a Tragic Hero? Explore Power and Grief of a Complex Protagonist

The term “tragic hero” can be most associated with Shakesperian plays. According to Aristotle, “A tragic hero is a literary character who makes a judgment error that inevitably leads to his/her own destruction.” This definition can be applied to Shakespeare’s Macbeth. Macbeth is both viewed and not viewed as a tragic hero. His path to power does not follow the “traditional” tragic hero standard,but, he uses his tyrannical mannerism’s to obtain totalitarian control which ends in his tragic death.
Macbeth’s past as a powerful lord gives him the upper hand. When Macbeth is first introduced to the audience, he is seen as a courageous and smart nobleman. His power and strength as a leader helped him to win many wars and battles. When the captain is speaking of Macbeth he says,”But all’s too weak; For brave Macbeth (well he deserves that name), Disdaining Fortune, with his brandished steel, Which smoked with bloody execution,” (Shakespeare 1.2 18-20). Macbeth has killed and saved many people so it was easy to convince the people he was the fit ruler after murdering Duncan. He has the upper hand for gaining control of the throne, whereas Banquo was not relatively known, so it would have been harder for him to take the role of king.
Macbeth changes the role of tragic hero by not inducing pity from the audience. At the beginning of the play, pity might be felt for Macbeth as he is led to commit the heinous act of murder by Lady Macbeth. However, this pity for Macbeth soon after melts away as he murders Duncan and arranges for the gruesome deaths of Banquo, Fleance, and Lady Macduff and her children. Macbeth starts to target innocent people and does not bat an eye at the fact that he has killed children and mothers. All pity is lost for Macbeth, once Lady Macbeth dies. Upon hearing his wife has just died, Macbeth says, “She should have died hereafter. There would have been time for such a word.” (Shakespeare 5.5 20-21) Macbeth shows no sentiment at the fact that he has just lost his wife before quickly moving onto murdering Macduffs. The lack of emotion shown by Macbeth shows how cold and un-human he has become. He would rather have had Lady Macbeth die another day because he is too focused on the impending army to mourn the loss of his wife. At the end of the play, when Macbeth mentions that he does not wish to kill Macduff, a small fragment of pity might resurface but, as a result of all the despicable acts Macbeth has committed, this does not sway the audience.
Macbeth’s desire for power, along with the persistent pressure of Lady Macbeth, ignites a savage-like and gruesome trail to the throne. Following the standards of a tragic hero, Macbeth undergoes multiple tragic flaws the most visible being his determination and his “two-faced” personality. After the witches told Macbeth about his future of receiving power, his noble like attitude vanished, which left it to be filled by an endless void of a power-hungry demeanor. Once the witches have finished casting their spell, one of them says, “ By the pricking of my thumbs, Something wicked this way comes.” (Shakespeare 4.1 44-45) Macbeth has become so ruthless that even the witches understand that he has turned into a crazed leader. After speaking with the witches he even goes so far as to threaten them. His actions have led him to believe that he can get away with reckless decisions because of murdering Banquo, Duncan, and countless others. His thirst for power soon escalates after constant pestering by Lady Macbeth. This toxic advice from Lady Macbeth ultimately to Duncan’s murder. As a result, Macbeth was crowned King, which led to extreme psychotic behavior on both Lady Macbeth and Macbeth’s behalf, viewing anyone with a noble stature a threat to power. By the end of the play, four deaths can be associated with Macbeth’s name. His tyrannical behavior blinds him from seeing the deadly path he has led by as King of Scotland. Macbeth’s gullible nature causes him to be blindsided from what’s right and rather listens to the words of Lady Macbeth and the three witches. These tragic flaws go on to play a major role in Macbeth’s demise.
Macbeth displayed signs of a tragic hero while still continuing to make decisions that don’t follow the typical format. Although he did not entice pity from the audience, his former past as a leader in the battlefield along with his hunger for power helped to define him into a tragic hero. Macbeth was able to keep the audience guessing whether or not his actions would come back to haunt him by the end of the play. His decisions as king helped show the effects of how power can affect someone. In conclusion, Macbeth’s experiences and ultimate downfall make him a famous tragic hero in literature.