The Not-so-Tragic Tragedy of Macbeth Is Macbeth a true...

Amongst all of Shakespeares tragedies, Macbeth is the most inconsistent and fragmented. Like the mental state of the protagonist, the tragic structure of the play is in disarray from the very onset. According to Aristotle, all tragedies must follow a certain set of characteristics, and the most important of these is the presence of a tragic hero. This tragic hero must possess a tragic flaw, or hamartia, which is a good quality taken to such an extreme that it now exhibits immoral behaviour from the hero. He must also draw sympathy of his plight from the audience. Macbeth, although the protagonist, is not a tragic hero because he does not possess this hamartia. This significant absence of a flaw leads to his actions being without†¦show more content†¦Macbeth is self-doubting all through the first three acts of the play; in his lines following the witches initial prophecies, he states Come what come may (I.iii.146), portraying his lack of wilful decisiveness. Yet after the wit ches second set of prophecies, he takes decisive measures to crown [his] thoughts with acts (IV.i.149), and his imagination vanishes. Similarly, Lady Macbeths first statement of Glamis thou art, and Cawdor, and shalt be/What thou art promisd (I.v.15-16) establishes her steely resolve. She is practical and untroubled by any visions. When she realizes the extent of the damage she has caused, however, her imagination takes full reign. In the sleepwalking scene, she is depicted as a broken figure, tormented by imaginative hallucinations. In both cases, imagination comes along when the character is in a disorderly state of mind; therefore, imagination, like ambition, is not Macbeths tragic flaw, testifying that Macbeth does not possess one and therefore is unrecognizable as a tragic hero. Macbeths lack of such a flaw deems all his heinous actions without justification, and as a result, draws no sympathy from the audience. The blame for his lapse in character can be placed upon nothing but his own non-tragic flaws. He is depicted as a cowardly man: he kills Duncan because of his inability to make decisions for himself; Banquo out of paranoia:Show MoreRelatedEssay on Shakespeares Macbeth - The Tragic Hero717 Words   |  3 PagesMacbeth - The Tragic Hero      Ã‚  Ã‚   Every true Elizabethan Tragedy comes complete with a tragic hero.   The tragedy Macbeth, written by William Shakespeare, has a perfect example of a tragic hero, otherwise known as Macbeth.   A tragic hero must be a man who is great and admirable in various ways.   He should be placed in society in such a way that everything he does affects all of the members of his society.   A tragic hero should at some point reach the top of Fortune’s Wheel, but land upRead MoreThe Tragedy Of Macbeth By William Shakespeare1052 Words   |  5 PagesEnglish II 2 October, 2015 â€Å"Tragedy† of Macbeth Macbeth, a play written by one of the most influential English writers of all time William Shakespeare. It was created to be a Shakespearean tragedy. 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