The Rise and Fall of a Tragic Hero

The Rise and Fall of a Tragic Hero

  • Submitted By: Hally
  • Date Submitted: 12/07/2008 10:03 AM
  • Category: English
  • Words: 1728
  • Page: 7
  • Views: 1252

Macbeth Essay Name: Charles Zhao Class: English Date: November 14 2008 Teacher: Mr.Kesner The play Macbeth was written by William Shakespeare between 16 03 and 1606,the play Macbeth is set in medieval Scotland. Macbeth is a play about a Scottish general named Macbeth and the play follows the rise and fall of the tragic hero. In the Macbeth, William Shakespeare develop his themes through the misinterpreted and corrupt thinking of Macbeth and Lady Macbeth which leads them to cause sinister decisions that leads to their downfall. Shakespeare uses the character Macbeth and Lady Macbeth to develop his main themes of ambition and its corrupting effects, the battle between good and evil , and the influence of fate. The corrupting effects of ambition the most important and prominent theme in the Macbeth, and it is expressed most powerfully through the play’s main characters, Macbeth and Lady Macbeth. Macbeth and Lady Macbeth are used by Shakespeare to develop his theme of ambition by portraying their desire for power through their twisted deeds and the warping of their personality. At the beginning of the play Macbeth is portrayed as a courageous Scottish general who is not naturally inclined to commit evil deeds. He does have great desire for power and importance, however, he lets these desires change who he is and warp his original personality.“I have no spur To prick the sides of my intent, but only Vaulting ambition, which o’erleaps itself And falls on th’ other,”(I,vii,25-29). When Macbeth is first confronted with the choice to gain more power by killing and lose his honor and loyalty, or to be content with the power that he had, he is uncertain of what he should do and faces a battle between his choosing to pursue his ambition of becoming the king of Scotland, against his first choice of his original of deciding to kill someone, and his choice sets up an atmosphere that puts the reader in a world of atrocities, and evil. In support of this,...

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