Macbeth – A Tragic Hero? “Macbeth” by Shakespeare tells the story of a high birth who ends up bringing about his own downfall. Macbeth is led behind the curtain by his own urge to possess power. First, he is a hero, then a villain, then a human being feeling regret. Is Macbeth a tragic hero?
Typically, tragedies feature a central character (protagonist) possessing a fatal flaw which leads them to their downfall. Shakespeare takes this “Greek Tragedy” concept and uses it in this play, presenting Othello as the un-mistakable tragic hero. However, whether Othello is noble is argued against by critics, such as F.R Leavis. Leavis fails to understand how someone responsible for their own suffering can be deemed heroic. I, on the other hand, stand closer to Bradley’s early 20th century interpretation of Othello’s character.
A tragic hero is a character who makes an error of judgment that, combined with fate and external forces, brings on a tragedy. In addition, this character is happy at the beginning of the play. A tragic hero must be of noble birth and demonstrate a tragic flaw throughout the story. This character will realize their flaw once it is too late to overcome the conflict. In The Tragedy of Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare, Marcus Brutus exhibits qualities that make him the tragic character.
Is Oedipus a Tragic Hero? In the play of “Oedipus the King”, Oedipus is in fact a tragic hero according to Aristotle’s definition. Aristotle defined a tragic hero according to these standards: A tragic hero has to be a king or a man of noble stature, a tragic hero must be an honorable man and his downfall occurs from an act injustice cause by ignorance, the downfall of a tragic hero is his own fault and nobody is to blame for, the hero’s downfall is not always earned but his punishment goes beyond from his or her crime, and after his or her downfall the hero learns a valuable lesson. They play is written like it was purposely wrote to meet the qualities of a tragic hero according to Aristotle by using Oedipus as an example. Oedipus meets all the qualities of a tragic hero by him being a man of noble and honorable stature, but his downfall is caused by his own fault but by an act of unfairness, his downfall is not earned by his acts, but at the end he learns a lesson.
This fact is seen not only in modern times, but also at various points in history, including in great works of literature. In the play, Julius Caesar, Shakespeare demonstrates, through Brutus, Caesar and Portia, the ways in which one small detrimental character flaw can rapidly lead to one’s demise. Julius Caesar, for example, had one flaw in his otherwise immaculate personality, that is consequently the cause of his downfall. Though the great Roman leader has many admirable qualities of a ruler, such as his intelligence and oratory abilities, his arrogance overpowers his other traits. For instance, when a soothsayer cautions Caesar to “beware of the ides of March,” Caesar’s supercilious character is exposed when he coolly replies, “He is a dreamer, let us leave him.
“How far would you agree that the characters’ susceptibility to deception is what drives the plot in this dramatic comedy?” Much Ado About Nothing is a dramatic comedy written by William Shakespeare. Its main themes include deception, social grace, honour, marriage and gender- with characters falling in love, falling out of love, being disgraced and being accepted once more; but what really drives the plot in this dramatic comedy? Many would argue that it is the characters’ susceptibility to deception as deceit is one of its main themes. I am going to argue for and against this and come to a conclusion of how far I’d agree that it is what drives the main plot. Much Ado is a play based around the theme of deliberate deception- sometimes this deception is malevolent and sometimes benevolent but much of the play hinges around them and their effect on the characters.
The tragic hero possesses the following characteristics: 1) Flaw or error of judgment (hamartia) Note the role of justice and/or revenge in the judgments. 2) A reversal of fortune (peripeteia) brought about because of the hero's error in judgment. 3) The discovery or recognition that the reversal was brought about by the hero's own actions (anagnorisis). 4) Excessive Pride (hubris). 5) The character's fate must be greater than deserved.
Spartacus is the protagonist of the film and shows strong characteristics of bravery, leadership, and a passion to be free. Spartacus is a very likeable character due to these characteristics. In the end there are not many good reasons to not enjoy his character because of the traits he has and the way he lives a life of pure drive and passion to be free. Spartacus is in every way the protagonist. He is a major character and the whole story consists of his want for freedom of the brutal and unjust life of a slave.
In the play Macbeth by William Shakespeare, Macbeth starts out as a hero. He is a very loyal and trustworthy person. As the play progresses Macbeth ruins himself because of the impact of vaulting ambition. Greed takes over and soon he is making ill-advised decisions. Macbeth changes into a tragic hero by his tragic flaws tainting his decision making.
Is Othello Naïve In the dramatic stories of William Shakespeare each of the heroes has a flaw. This flaw contributes to the hero’s downfall. In Othello, Othello has certain traits that make him naïve. Iago is able to use these traits against him and create a false image for Othello. This image and story that Iago creates helps bring Othello down.