A Comparative Study of Shakespeare’s Portrayal of the Tragic Heroes Macbeth and Hamlet
Title: A comparative study of Shakespeare’s portrayal of the tragic heroes Macbeth and Hamlet, considering to what extent he engages the audience’s sympathy for each.
The tragedies of Macbeth and Hamlet, written by William Shakespeare in 1606 and 1602 respectively, involve characters whose story allows them to be entitled tragic heroes. Hamlet feels a responsibility to avenge his father’s murder by his uncle Claudius, but Claudius is now king and thus well protected. Moreover, Hamlet’s state of mind is questioned throughout the play and irrational behaviour and indecisiveness lead to his death while eventually taking revenge for his father. Macbeth’s struggle is between his ambition and his conscience. Macbeth murders the king and immediately feels guilty but his ambition takes control and to secure his place on the throne, he continues killing men, women and children. Macbeth’s tyrannical rule ends with his death after he loses everything he had; his wife, titles and respect. Throughout both plays, the relationship between the audience and the main character develops and changes. With both characters’ stories, the audience experiences a range of emotions from sympathy to frustration to dislike. However, by the end of each play, the audience still feel connected to both characters and it is how Shakespeare creates, evolves and maintains this connection that I intend to discuss.
The way in which both characters are introduced to us is very important as it is the first time where we can connect with the character. Shakespeare introduces Macbeth to us very effectively by allowing other characters to describe him, before the audience has even met him. In Act one Scene two, Shakespeare allows the audience to create their first idea when the Captain describes Macbeth:
“For brave Macbeth – well he deserves that name –
Disdaining Fortune, with his brandish’d steel,”1
From the start we are introduced to Macbeth as “brave Macbeth” giving the audience the
The tragedies of Macbeth and Hamlet, written by William Shakespeare in 1606 and 1602 respectively, involve characters whose story allows them to be entitled tragic heroes. Hamlet feels a responsibility to avenge his father’s murder by his uncle Claudius, but Claudius is now king and thus well protected. Moreover, Hamlet’s state of mind is questioned throughout the play and irrational behaviour and indecisiveness lead to his death while eventually taking revenge for his father. Macbeth’s struggle is between his ambition and his conscience. Macbeth murders the king and immediately feels guilty but his ambition takes control and to secure his place on the throne, he continues killing men, women and children. Macbeth’s tyrannical rule ends with his death after he loses everything he had; his wife, titles and respect. Throughout both plays, the relationship between the audience and the main character develops and changes. With both characters’ stories, the audience experiences a range of emotions from sympathy to frustration to dislike. However, by the end of each play, the audience still feel connected to both characters and it is how Shakespeare creates, evolves and maintains this connection that I intend to discuss.
The way in which both characters are introduced to us is very important as it is the first time where we can connect with the character. Shakespeare introduces Macbeth to us very effectively by allowing other characters to describe him, before the audience has even met him. In Act one Scene two, Shakespeare allows the audience to create their first idea when the Captain describes Macbeth:
“For brave Macbeth – well he deserves that name –
Disdaining Fortune, with his brandish’d steel,”1
From the start we are introduced to Macbeth as “brave Macbeth” giving the audience the
Bibliography: Primary Sources Shakespeare, William, Hamlet, Oxford School Shakespeare, 2002 Shakespeare, William, Macbeth, Oxford School Shakespeare, 2004 Secondary Sources McEvoy, Sean, Shakespeare The Basics, Routledge, 2000 http://www.sparknotes.com/shakespeare/hamlet/ http://www.sparknotes.com/shakespeare/macbeth/ http://www.shakespeare-online.com/plays/hamlet/antichamlet.html