The play is named after him and he dies at the end. These two facts are indicative of Macbeth being a tragic hero, but they don’t make him one. So what does?
What is a Tragic Hero?
Shakespeare’s perception, and our modern view, of tragedy are founded in Aristotle’s theories on the subject. Aristotelian tragedy, as described in Poetics, has shaped every form of dramatic art, from Ancient Greek theatre to big-budget, Hollywood blockbusters.
According to Aristotle, tragic heroes must conform to a few rules, most notably:
- They should not be too good. Otherwise, an audience will feel that their downfalls are unjust.
- They should not be too bad. Otherwise, an audience will feel no sympathy for them.
- They must have an intrinsic character flaw ‘hamartia’, which causes them to do something horrific and instigates their fall from grace.
Macbeth’s Bad Side
It’s not difficult to explain how Macbeth conforms to the first of the rules above. As soon as the witches tell him that he’ll be king, he begins to have rather dark thoughts about how he can make it happen. “…why do I yield to that suggestion/Whose horrid image doth unfix my hair/And make my seated heart knock at my ribs,/Against the use of nature?…My thought, whose murder yet is but fantastical,/Shakes so my single state of man…”(I.iii)
Of course, he doesn’t stop at the assassination of Duncan, either. In order to retain the throne, he is driven to even more heinous acts, such as ordering the murders of Banquo, Fleance and Macduff’s household.
Macbeth’s Good Side
However, in concordance with Aristotle’s opinion, Macbeth isn’t all bad. At first glance, it may seem difficult to find redeeming features in a mass-murdering tyrant. But it’s important to remember that, at the beginning of the play, he is lauded as a great and loyal soldier. “For brave Macbeth--well he deserves that name--Disdaining fortune, with his brandish'd steel…”(I.ii)
His hesitancy over committing regicide, “We will proceed no further in this business…”(I.vii) is also evidence of the fact that he is not an innately ‘evil’ person.
Macbeth’s Tragic Flaw
Often, Aristotle’s use of the word ‘hamartia’ is translated as a fault that causes a horrific act to occur as an unforeseen consequence or accident. Alternatively, the terrible act can be as a result of ignorance or negligence. For example, Hamlet’s murder of Polonius is an accidental act, which is caused by his reluctance to exact revenge in the previous scene.
However, Macbeth’s flaw, which is initially that of ambition, does not cause an accidental or unforeseen event. The murder of Duncan is a very purposeful act, although it could be argued that, as he was focused solely on the witches prophecy, it was an act of ignorance rather than malice.
Later, after he has met with the witches for a second time, he begins to develop another flaw; hubris, which mistakenly convinces him that he is immortal. “Be bloody, bold, and resolute; laugh to scorn/The power of man, for none of woman born/Shall harm Macbeth.”(IV.i)
The tragic flaws of ambition and hubris cause Macbeth, the loyal and honourable soldier, to become a mass-murdering despot. Despite the many horrific, bloody acts he has committed, an audience feels empathy for him, because he isn’t a bad guy. And there is a sense that, if he had never met the witches, he would not have met his downfall, either.
For a more detailed look at Macbeth, read the author’s ‘Character Analysis of Macbeth’
Source and Further Reading
- Aristotle, Poetics
- Shakespeare. W., Macbeth
Samantha Markham - Samantha Markham is a professional freelance writer with a particular passion for literary and theatrical subjects.
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