
In Act 1, Scene 2, Duncan addresses Macbeth as, “…valiant cousin, worthy gentleman!” and later as a “Worthy Thane”. These titles indicate that Macbeth is of great political importance, and is moving up in the ranks of Scottish nobility. He has already earned the title of Thane of Glamis, and as prophesized by the three witches, will soon take reign as the Thane of Cawdor. In Shakespeare’s Macbeth, the title figure of the play can be seen as a tragic hero.Įarly on in the play, Macbeth is established as being of great stature. Finally, a Shakespearean tragic hero will lose their life in the end of the play so the message of what is good in the play can be reestablished. The character reaches an anagnorisis, a critical discovery that completely alters the predicament they are in, often after they are already trapped in the situation. The tragic hero has a tremendous downfall, brought about by their hamartia. This person is predominantly good, but suffers a self-inflicted falling out due to flaws in their personality. Typically, a tragic hero is a figure of high stature, often of noble background.

Before these factors can be discussed, it is important to understand what workings make up the characteristics of a tragic hero. There are a multitude of factors that contribute to Macbeth being labelled as a tragic hero. The character of Macbeth is a classic example of a Shakespearean tragic hero. The role of a tragic hero is commonplace in many of Shakespeare’s works.
