Macbeth's Tragic Flaw Of Ambition example essay topic

Parallel to all of Shakespeare's other tragedies, Macbeth, a short and emotive play centralizes on a tragic hero. A tragic hero is one of noble standing who is predominantly good buts falls from prominence due to personal har matias and or conflicting forces, external or internal. In addition to this the actions of a tragic hero are usually evil and atrocious and consequently lead to his downfall. Throughout the tragic hero's suffering other characters, friends, families and even nature also suffer. Macbeth falls under these characteristics of a tragic hero perfectly.

As there are many factors which contribute to his tragic downfall including his personal flaws of ambition and insecurity. In addition to this are the influence of Lady Macbeth and the agents of the Supernatural as they also intensify and encourage the Macbeth's already existing flaws. The most prominent flaw is Macbeth's ambition to become king. Ambition is not necessarily a bad thing but Macbeth's is too great and impossible and thus forces him to take upon actions which are wrong and immoral.

With ambition becomes selfishness. Macbeth does not think of others only considers his needs and wants. Hence he goes on and commits regicide simply to gain the crown. The killing of King Duncan is the turning point of the play as there is no turning back and Macbeth's change in character is revealed. He is greedy, violent and power hungry.

This flaw of greediness is evident where Macbeth feels robbed that after all the work he has done his children will not become king. Hence he kills the people who are potential threats to the king including Banquo, his best friend. Initially Macbeth is first heard as a courageous and brave soldier on the battlefield. However he inner self is much more complex as he lacks strength in his character and hence has flaws of weakness and insecurity.

Lady Macbeth acknowledges this and subsequently uses it to attack Macbeth's masculinity 'when you durst do it, you are a man", and manipulates Macbeth into committing regicide. It has been argued that if it was not for Lady Macbeth influence, Macbeth's ambition would not have been intensified enough and therefore he wouldn't have been driven into committing murder in order to gain the crown and then maintain his title. Lady Macbeth also tries to cover her husband's weakness by taking the dagger back to the murder scene. Shakespeare also explores Macbeth's harmatia of having an unstable and imaginative mind.

After and before the killing King Duncan Macbeth seems to be in a sense of guilt and paranoia. Before going to King Duncan's chamber he sees a floating dagger and afterwards in he sleep hears voices saying that his has murdered and also at the Banquet he hallucinates Banquo's ghost. All of this illustrates his vivid flaw of imagination and the fact that he has sacrificed his soul to the devil. Macbeth's flaw of being gullible and foolish and belief in the supernatural is also portrayed in the interactions between him and the agents of the Supernatural.

He depends on the three witches in foreshadowing his future and hence is blinded on the truth of their prophecies, which are deliberately set out to deceive him. For example is the second apparition in Act 4 Scene 1, "None of woman born shall harm Macbeth". The irony of this is that being the foolish person he is Macbeth overlooks the true meaning of the apparition and interprets it as being that no man can kill him. However the audience knows that the witches are indicating a caesarean born which is ultimately Macduff will end Macbeth's reign as King. The witches intensifies Macbeth's tragic flaw of ambition and hence it is said that the supernatural play a part leading to his downfall. Macbeth towards the end comes to understanding of what went wrong and recognizes that his actions were responsible for Lady Macbeth's death.

However his first evil action had already set him on a path of self-destruction where there was no turning back. Macbeth's expected death at the end of the play still produces a catharsis even though he conducted inhuman deeds. This is because our first impression of Macbeth is one of bold and noble who has been a victim of tragic flaws.