Macbeth Aristotle's Tragic Hero
Aristotle’s tragic hero must possess these four characteristics: goodness; superiority; a tragic flaw; and the realisation of both that flaw and the inevitable downfall (Literary Connections, 2008). In Macbeth, William Shakespeare’s representation of the tragic hero can be seen through the character Macbeth.
“For Brave Macbeth – well he deserves that name” (Act I, Scene II line 16)
Shakespeare further constructs this representation through the second characteristic, superiority. The first prophecy told to Macbeth and Banquo by the three witches entails specific details of Macbeth’s future:
“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.” …show more content…
Aristotle was a Greek philosopher, who produced many works of literature in which he produced a piece of work on Poetics, which spoke of tragedy and the tragic hero (Aristotle: Politics and Art, 2008). These pieces of work were often studied by those of a higher social class (Referatele.com, 2008). John Shakespeare, William’s father, was the chamberlain of the town William grew up in, meaning that the Shakespeare family was of a high status quo. This also meant that William was able to attend school where he would have studied works by Aristotle, thus influencing his representation of the tragic hero, as can be seen in Macbeth. However, the altered ending to Shakespeare’s version of the tragic hero reflects the assumptions, values and beliefs of Elizabethan culture. “The Divine Right of Kings was a theory which argued that Kings ruled because they were chosen by God to do so...” (The European Enlightenment Glossary, 1999). As a result of this, “any who are convicted of high treason by their peers...the manner of their death is converted into the loss of their heads only” (EyeWitnesstoHistory.com, 2001), the same punishment Macbeth
“For Brave Macbeth – well he deserves that name” (Act I, Scene II line 16)
Shakespeare further constructs this representation through the second characteristic, superiority. The first prophecy told to Macbeth and Banquo by the three witches entails specific details of Macbeth’s future:
“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.” …show more content…
Aristotle was a Greek philosopher, who produced many works of literature in which he produced a piece of work on Poetics, which spoke of tragedy and the tragic hero (Aristotle: Politics and Art, 2008). These pieces of work were often studied by those of a higher social class (Referatele.com, 2008). John Shakespeare, William’s father, was the chamberlain of the town William grew up in, meaning that the Shakespeare family was of a high status quo. This also meant that William was able to attend school where he would have studied works by Aristotle, thus influencing his representation of the tragic hero, as can be seen in Macbeth. However, the altered ending to Shakespeare’s version of the tragic hero reflects the assumptions, values and beliefs of Elizabethan culture. “The Divine Right of Kings was a theory which argued that Kings ruled because they were chosen by God to do so...” (The European Enlightenment Glossary, 1999). As a result of this, “any who are convicted of high treason by their peers...the manner of their death is converted into the loss of their heads only” (EyeWitnesstoHistory.com, 2001), the same punishment Macbeth