Macbeth, A Tragic Hero

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Essay which shows how Shakespeare's Macbeth was a "tragic hero" using direct quotations from the play, based on Aristotle's theory.

1,278 words () | 0 sources | 2001 United States

Paper Summary:

Using the four ideas defined by Aristotle of what a tragic hero is, this paper shows Macbeth being a tragic hero. The four points are that he was of noble birth, he had a huge fatal flaw, he took a great fall at the end of the play, and he showed recognition of what he has done.

From the Paper:

"A couple thousand years ago, a writer by the name of Aristotle made a set of rules by which many other writers, famous or not, set the basis of their stories and plays. Very well known in his time for his philosophies and his writings, Aristotle's works have been guidelines for all. One specific piece of work has changed the idea for all plays and stories of today: Aristotle's Poetics. In this very well known piece of literature, Aristotle discusses and lays down his guidelines for a tragic play. There are four ideas which he says every character must have in order to be a tragic hero. He must be of noble birth, he must have a fatal flaw, he must take a great fall, and he must have recognition of what he has done. Several centuries later, a man by the name of Shakespeare wrote several famous plays, one of which is named Macbeth. Shakespeare is one of those great writers who followed Aristotle's great idea for a tragic hero. In Macbeth, the main character does many things that seem not to make him a tragic hero, but by definition Macbeth is a tragic hero."