British Literature—Grade 11CP
Macbeth
The Tragic Hero
Scheese
Classic Greek Tragedy
Tragedy is a literary term, which when applied to drama, implies the representation of serious and important
actions, often with disastrous results for the central character. In the Poetics, Aristotle defined tragedy in the
classical dramas of ancient Greece as involving serious actions, which are complete in themselves. The viewing
of these actions arouses a “catharsis” in the audience, a sympathetic reaction of pity and fear with purifying
effects. He also says that the tragic hero evokes pity and terror best if he or she is a mixture of both good and
evil and is initially “better than we are.” The audience feels pity because his punishment is worse than he
deserves and terror because they see the same flaws in themselves. The protagonist’s life changed from
happiness to misery because of a mistaken act brought about by a tragic flaw, most commonly hubris or pride
( a self-confidence and absorption that lead the character to disregard a divine warning or to violate a moral
law).
Elizabethan Tragedy
In the Middle Ages, which didn’t have direct knowledge of classical tragedy, stories written by authors such as
Chaucer involved important people brought down by an unexpected turn of fortune. In the Elizabethan era the
tragedies of Marlowe, Shakespeare, Chapman, and others, revived classical dramatic tragedy and took it to an
unprecedented zenith. Combining features of Aristotelian tragedy and Senecan drama, a blood-soaked tragedy
featuring revenge, murder, ghosts, and mutilation, Elizabethan tragic heroes often retain the classical tragic flaw
but may not remain balanced between good and evil. Such an argument may be made about Macbeth, an
ambitious man who corrupts his natural gifts with murderous acts.
The Elizabethan Tragic Hero
Most critics agree that these Elizabethan tragic heroes have certain traits in common:
a member of the power class by birth, conquest, or usurpation
a more fully realized human being than others; heightened powers and destiny
a character whose fate is a combination of what others do and what he or she chooses to do
a strong individualist, sometimes to the point of extremism
a representative of universal humankind
intelligent and sensitive
learns through suffering
isolated
demonstrates personal courage in acceptance of death or annihilation
British Literature—Grade 11CP
Macbeth
The Tragic Hero
Scheese
A Tragic Hero—Macbeth
Tragic Hero Characteristics
A member of the power class by birth,
conquest, or usurpation
A more fully realized human being than
others; heightened powers and destiny
A character whose fate is a combination
of what others do and what he or she
chooses to do
A strong individualist, sometimes to the
point of extremism
A representative of universal humankind
Macbeth’s Speech, Actions, Opinions, Descriptions
Tragic Hero Characteristics
Macbeth’s Speech, Actions, Opinions, Descriptions
Intelligent and sensitive
Learns through suffering
Isolated
Demonstrates personal courage in
acceptance of death or annihilation
What is Macbeth’s tragic flaw? How does it lead to his downfall?