Macbeth is a tragedy, which is a play, novel or other literary work that depicts serious and important events in which the main character comes to an unhappy ending. A tragic hero is a person who usually wins some self-knowledge and wisdom, even though he or she suffers defeat or even death. Macbeth is a classic tragic hero because he is not truly bad but experiences a downfall because of a tragic flaw.

Macbeth is a good man at the beginning of the play. His courage and bravery is highly praised in the battle between Scotland and Norway. For his bravery in this battle, he was given the title Thane of Cawdor. The Captain says, “For brave Macbeth --- well he deserves that name---” (Act I, Scene 2, line 16). Macbeth is also painted as a man of great stature and potential and the savior of his country with great potential for goodness.

Lady Macbeth, his wife, describes Macbeth when she says, “It is too full o’ th’ milk of human kindness.” (Act 1, Scene 5, line 15)

Macbeth’s character has lots of contradictions. His reaction to the prophesy that

“…For mine own good/All causes shall give way. I am in blood/Stepped in so far that, should I wade no more, Returning were as tedious as go o’er.” (Act III, Scene IV, lines 135-138)

Macbeth continues his evil, and his responses to events become twisted and abnormal. He hires men to kill Banquo. He also wants the men to kill Fleance, Banquo’s son, but he escapes. After Banquo’s murder, Macbeth is still in torment, but he sends men to kill Macduff’s wife and children. He orders their murder since he cannot get at Macduff directly.

The witches tempted him with the idea of becoming king. Lady Macbeth helped him overcome his hesitation to commit murder, but Macbeth chooses between his honor and the crown. Macbeth’s tragic flaw is his ambition is much stronger than his conscience. Once he killed to get the crown, his values became totally confused. He lots all sense of good and evil after the king was killed. “Fair is foul, and foul is fair” to him now since he has lost track of the difference between fair and foul.

Macbeth shows that he has lost all sense of good and evil, when he sa

Some topics in this essay:
Lady Macbeth, HERO Macbeth, Dunsinane Ten, Act Scene, Fleance Banquo’s, God King, II Scene, Scene IV, Army Macbeth’s, Duncan Banquo, act scene, tragic hero, lady macbeth, overcome hesitation, sense evil, macduff kills, scene 2, tragic flaw, king killed, murder macbeth,