Macbeth is seen as a tragic hero, he compromises his honor and neglects moral responsibility to attain power resulting in his tragic end. The significant events that are mentioned in this paper are events that show the path that led a misfortuned man to lose his honor in his tragic end. A tragic hero is defined as someone whose life is determined by many important elements. The first and most important of these elements is fate. Fate is defined as the power or force held to predetermine events. Fate is another word for one's fortune and destiny. Macbeth's fate was told to him by the witches. He is told that he will be the Thane of Glamis. "All hail, Macbeth! Hail to thee, Thane of Glamis!" He is also told that he will become the Thane of Cawdor and the king. "All hail, Macbeth! Hail to thee, Thane of Cawdor" and "All hail, Macbeth, that shall be king hereafter!" Macbeth faces another one of his fates at the end of the play after he himself created the monster within. The next characteristic of a tragic hero is Macbeth's poor decision making which results in his tragic end. Macbeth is constantly acting without thinking first because of his lust for power. Like for instance, the fact that he had Banquo killed made him crazed and caused him to see Banquo's ghost. He responded by saying "Take any shape but that, and my firm nerves shall never tremble." He is basically stating that the fact that it was Banquo's ghost made him really tense and nervous, and that it could have been any other person and it would bring him to ease. Throughout the play, Macbeth will make many decisions that lack an honorable outcome. He does not care who his choices will affect as long as he gets what he wants. These are some of the reasons why Macbeth is a tragic hero.
