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Macbeth Tragic Hero Research Paper

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Macbeth is a perfect example of a Shakespearean tragic hero, who possesses a tragic flaw that leads him to his downfall. A tragic hero is one who is born in a noble family with heroic or potentially heroic qualities. A tragic hero has a tragic flaw, a character trait that leads the hero to his or her downfall when overused. A tragic flaw can also be known as hamartia. This is a fatal flaw that leads to the downfall of a tragic hero/heroine. Macbeth’s courage and bravery at battle for his country leads him into being a great thane and eventually a powerful king. His eagerness to become king leads to his tragic downfall. Macbeth’s ambition makes him fall into the temptation of evil which leads to his inevitable downfall. There are many factors which contribute to his fall. The three points which contribute majorly to Macbeth's downfall are the prophecies that are told to him by …show more content…

The witches said to Macbeth “All hail, Macbeth! Hail to thee, thane of Glamis! All hail, Macbeth! Hail to thee, thane of Cawdor! All hail Macbeth, that shalt be king hereafter!” (I.iii. 46-48).When Macbeth heard these prophecies he was astonished by the fact that he was told he was going to be king. This caused his determination and ambition to grow tremendously. He would basically do everything and anything to become king. No matter how bad it was. Macbeth was blinded by the fact that he was going to be king and did not focus on the reality of things. His mind was so set on becoming the ruler of all, that he did not care much of anything but himself. The prophecies provoked Macbeth's curiosity of how he could be King of Scotland. As the play progresses, Macbeth slowly starts to rely on the witches prophecies for everything. Shakespeare uses the witches as a way to make Macbeth fall into the temptation of evil, which eventually corrupts his

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