The Degeneration of a Hero: Macbeth Essay Example

the title, the Thane of Cawdor in addition to being the Thane of Glamis. This action demonstrates the King’s trust in Macbeth to handle increased responsibility. Through his bestowal of the title upon Macbeth, Duncan also displays strong favoritism towards Macbeth. “What he [Macdonald] hath lost, noble Macbeth has won” (4). Furthermore, this portrayal of Macbeth, we are led to believe that he is a just person. Macbeth’s portrayal as a noble warrior however, is all but temporary.

Macbeth soon encounters the Three Witches, who in Shakespeare’s play, act as the main forces of insinuation to the protagonist. Upon the hearing of the witches’ prophecy, Macbeth’s inner man is stirred as he charges the “imperfect speakers [to stay and to], tell [him] more” (7), initiating his degeneration as a hero. This stating of partially true ideas to Macbeth by the witches lead him away from the path of loyal gentlemen into that of a cold-blooded killer. The actions of the witches reveal his yearning for power no matter the consequences, which in turn are one of his shortcomings.

This malign prophecy becomes the only thing he can rely on; the only thing that would not fall through. His vaulting ambition is heightened as he starts to depart from his dear friend Banquo physically and mentally. “[Aside] Glamis, and Thane of Cawdor: The greatest is behind” (9). The use of the witches as a remedy for Macbeth’s curiosity originates his corruption of himself. Consequently, Macbeth’s troubled personality is extenuated further in the form of reckless ambition, ill-found bravery, and self-doubt causing him to lose sense of right and wrong.

Macbeth’s deterioration in personality

is ultimately the reason he loses control over everything he gained, including his life. Following his encounter with the witches, Macbeth begins to saturate his mind with thoughts of being king and his desire of pocessing power erupts. Suddenly, Macbeth has the ambition to become king. Even though he knows it would be irregular for him to be king, he still acknowledges the possibility of it occurring. “If chance will have me king, why chance may crown me” (9).

Later on in the play, Malcom becomes king, leaving a sense of jealousy in Macbeth. The tragic hero’s bravery turns for the worse the extent that he will kill anyone to be king. “The Prince of Cumberland: that is a step/ On which I must fall down, or else o’erleap” (13) Macbeth’s ill-found bravery is amplified by Lady Macbeth who chastises him by questioning his manhood. “[When you wanted to kill Duncan to become king], then you were a man” (20). This questioning of masculinity arouses Macbeth to do something in which he desires to do, but lacks intent after further thought.

His wife become the source of his bravery and Macbeth thus murders Duncan and all the people that could be detrimental to his goal of being king. However, Macbeth is left severely traumatized after all of his cold-hearted killing. After Macbeth is crowned king, he fluctuates between fits of fevered action, in which he plots a series of murders to secure his throne, and moments of terrible guilt (as when Banquo’s ghost appears) and absolute pessimism (after his wife’s death, when he seems to succumb to despair).

These fluctuations reflect the

tragic tension within Macbeth: he is at once too ambitious to allow his conscience to stop him from murdering his way to the top and too conscientious to be happy in his new role as a murderer. Subsequently, these inner conflicts influences Macbeth’s desire for power which weakens his moral thus leading him to evil suggestions which inevitably causes his downfall. After the murder of Duncan, Macbeth is consumed by a life of evil. He is aware of the wrong he has committed of which he deeply regrets, but he is also aware that he can never turn back.

Macbeth makes the mistake of relying solely on the witches’ prophecies. He begins to think that all are against him, and with that thought, he decides to kill his noble friend, Banquo, in hopes of securing his crown. “Whose being I do fear; and under him my genius is rebuk’d... They hail’d him father to line of kings... If’t be so, for Banquo’s issue have I fil’d my mind” (43). Consumed by the words of the witches, Macbeth refers back to them and is giving four more prophecies, he misinterpreted his own power into believing he was invincible also, mistakenly believed he could change fate.

Just like Aristotle once said, a tragic hero must not be a man of virtue nor a villain. Macbeth has proven himself to be an archetypal tragic hero. He begins as a fine natured gentlemen but as the play progress his sole reliance on the witches’ prophecy further intensifies his ambition, bringing a devastating end to all those close to him. In the end, Macbeth’s life closes with a

tragic ending, proving Shakespeare’s belief that no matter how just a character is- a tragedy is still possible within a lifetime.