Macbeth tragic hero
Macbeth-tragic heroMACBETH
Towards the end of the play, Macbeth reveals himself as a ruthless beast who values his position of King more than anything. But it is hard to imagine that in the beginning Macbeth was manipulated to aim for his throne. This meek and faithful character was persuaded to kill the King and later he became a lunatic and strived hard to keep his title.
When Macbeth hears of the witches' predictions, he writes a letter, telling his wife of the prophecies. Lady Macbeth reveals her deep desires and wishes to take up the earlier thought of action- killing Duncan. However, she is insecure about her husband's thoughts. As she says after receiving his letter:
..Yet do I fear thy nature.
It is too full of the milk of human kindness
To catch the nearest way. Thou wouldst be great,
Art not without ambition, but without
The illness should attend it.
(1.5, 14-18 )
Lady Macbeth then discusses the issue of killing Duncan with her husband. He first disagrees but then approves of the idea. Lady Macbeth wins largely by appealing to Macbeth's valour. This proves that Macbeth was greatly influenced by his wife and that she toyed him around using his only weakness- his vaulting ambition. As Schucking talks about Shakespeare's tragic heroes:
He creates a hero such as Macbeth, who is a moral coward
and for a while a henpecked husband, who in critical moments
is rebuked like a schoolboy by his wife and who, on the other
hand, proves himself a lion on the battle field.
(p.95, The character of the Elizabethan Tragic Hero)
Macbeth's vulnerability to the witches is caused by his corrupt desire, which moves him to take a false step. Macbeth is aware that the deed he contemplates is evil from the very beginning. He admits that its 'horrid image' makes his hair stand on end, and his heart knock against his ribs. Macbeth does not have an inclination towards murder; he has merely an unwarranted ambition that makes murder itself seem to be a lesser evil that failure to achieve the crown. After hearing the prophecies of the witches, aside Macbeth declares that -
.Present fears
Are less than horrible imaginings.
My thought, whose...
To view the complete essay, you be registered.