Greek Influence On Macbeth

“Unity of plot does not, as some persons think, consist in the Unity of the hero. For infinitely various are the incidents in one man's life which cannot be reduced to unity; and so, too, there are many actions of one man out of which we make one action”(“Poetics of Aristotle”). According to Aristotle, the plot of a story is not always consistent with the hero’s actions or decisions. In the play Macbeth, set during the middle ages in Scotland, a tragic hero, Macbeth, is introduced as a noble and brave warrior who initially fought for his King. However, as the plot moves, Macbeth becomes disunified and influenced from prophecies instituted by witches, which promised him the throne of Scotland. Basing his future on the witches prophecies, Macbeth’s
The sergeant emphasizes the fact that Macbeth is a great and brave warrior, chopping through anyone, no matter what size or shape. The fact that Macbeth unseamed Macdonwald, from the nave to the chaps, before he could even say a goodbye further demonstrates Macbeth’s nature of a great warrior, a characteristic he will adopt that will award him glory and respect until he sees a chance is obtaining the throne of Scotland. Furthermore, Duncan, the king of Scotland during the first Act, comments about Macbeth’s description in which he states, “Oh valiant cousin! Worthy gentleman!”(I.ii.24). Macbeth’s glory is perceived by the highest power in Scotland, the king. King Duncan addresses Macbeth’s positive qualities which earns him noble respect and tremendous wealth. However, Macbeth’s spurt of glory causes him to make choices based on the situation he was put in, causing the thirst for power and wealth, and thus is the leading cause to his downfall which occurs as the play
Macbeth’s tragic downfall is illustrated by the events and actions he makes once given the throne of Scotland. Although the witch’s prophecies and lady macbeth’s manipulation might influence Macbeth’s decisions, Macbeth was ultimately in control of his actions. Even when Macbeth questioned his action towards killing King Duncan, this only led him to commit further acts of evil in order to cover up his previous murders. The witch’s prophecies stated that Banquo, Macbeth’s close friend, would become the father of a series of kings. Macbeth, greedy and tyrannical, devises a plan to execute Banquo and prevent such actions from occurring. While conversing with the two murderer’s Macbeth