Macbeth: Macbeth - A Tragic Hero :: essays research papers

Macbeth: Macbeth - A Tragic Hero "(Sometimes a tragic hero is created, not through his own villainy), but rather through some flaw in him, he being one of those who are in high station and good fortune, like Oedipus and Thyestes and the famous men of such families as those." (Poetics, Aristotle). Every great tragedy is dominated by a protagonist who has within himself a tragic flaw, too much or too little of one of Aristotle's twelve virtues. In Macbeth, by William Shakespeare, Macbeth, a great Scottish general and thane of Glamis, has just won an important battle, when he is told by three witches that he will become thane of Cawdor and then king of Scotland. After Macbeth is given Cawdor by King Duncan, he takes the witches words for truth and conspires against Duncan with his wife. When Duncan comes to Macbeth's castle that night, Macbeth kills him and takes the crown for himself after Duncan's sons flee from Scotland. Then Macbeth reigns for a while, has several people killed, and is eventually slain by Macduff when he and Malcolm return leading the armies of England. Often people read the play and automatically conclude that Macbeth's tragic flaw is his ambition; that he is compelled to commit so many acts of violence by his lust for power. However, by carefully examining the first act, one can determine the defect in Macbeth's character that creates his ambition; his true tragic flaw. Macbeth's tragic flaw is not his ambition as most people believe, but rather his trust in the words of the witches and in his wife's decisions. At the beginning of the play Macbeth has no designs on the throne, and he does not start plotting until his wife comes up with a plan. When first faced with the witches' words, Macbeth expresses astonishment and disbelief rather than welcoming them when he says, "...to be King stands not within the prospect of belief, no more than to be Cawdor...."(1.3.73-75). When confronted with the witches' proclamation that he is to be king, Macbeth responds as a loyal subject would; not as a man with secret aspirations in his heart. He has no reason to hide his true feelings at this point so therefore it can be assumed that Macbeth has not yet truly considered killing the king. Even after the first of the witches' predictions comes true, Macbeth does not plot against the king but instead decides to leave it to chance. "(Aside) If chance will have me King, why, chance may crown me, Without my stir."(1.3.143-144). Macbeth has already been granted the title of thane of Cawdor, but still he

Macbeth vs. Henry V Essay

Shakespeare’s play Macbeth shows the roots of all evil, our own human nature. The play is centered on the coexistence of good and evil. Macbeth, unlike any other Shakespeare play has the protagonist convert to evil. In the beginning of the play, Macbeth is shown as a hero in the Scottish army, that is ironic because Macbeth defeats a traitor and he himself becomes one later. Macbeth knows his place in the world. He is fully capable of distinguishing between right and wrong. Macbeth purposely disregards his own moral judgment to rise to power which is again ironic and goes against his own beliefs. Macbeth stands as a symbol for Satan’s sin of ambition. Like Satan, Macbeth’s thirst for power and ambition drives him to commit evil.Contrary to the theory of supernatural forces he is responsible for his own actions. The Three Witches and Lady Macbeth were only influencing factors in Macbeth’s demise. Macbeth was pressured to do a horrible deed which was driven by evil. The beginning of the evil was rooted in his wife and the witch’s but quickly spread into his mind and heart. The Three played a part in predicting the evilness of Macbeth which is known as the prophecy and Macbeth receives it from them. After receiving this prophecy, Macbeth starts to transform into an evil man who will not let anything stand in his way. For instance, when Macbeth is questioning whether or not he should murder Duncan, Lady Macbeth fools Macbeth into thinking about how any real man would commit the murder. She quotes â€Å"What beast was’t/ then, / that made you break this enterprise to me? / When you durst do it, then you were a man; / and to be more than what you were, you would/ be so much more the man† (Act 1 scene vii lines 53-58).she sees the opportunity to kill Duncan and make Macbeth king. She knows Macbeth’s ambitions, but says he lacks the ruthlessness, and although Macbeth will take an opportunity, he wants to earn his honours honestly. He also knows the murder would be wrong and he would end up paying for it. Macbeth makes a firm statement saying that â€Å"We will proceed no further in this business†(I.vii.32). But after speaking with Lady Macbeth he counter d ecides and proclaims, â€Å"I am settled, and bend up/Each corporal agent to this terrible feat†. Macbeth now proclaims himself king, fore-filling his ambition. Macbeth’s guilt is recognized after the killing of the king; when he is unable to answer himself. Macbeth’s final words in this scene tell us he has committed himself to the path of evil. â€Å"I am in blood, stepped in so far that, should I wade no more, returning was as  tedious as go o’er.† He acknowledges his torturous pain and knows there is no way of stopping it. He has ruined his life forever. Macbeth now doesn’t have a place among the others. He became enraged as he knew that that was true but later accepted it by going to meet with his own evil kind, the witches. Macbeth becomes ruthless and kills at will without feeling guilt. He is now a tyrant, ruling with fear until the bitter end. The thought that one can use language, rather than the conventional brute strength exemplified by Hercules and Beowulf, to achieve a beneficial outcome can be supported by Henry’s character in William Shakespeare’s Henry V. King Henry V assumes his role as king after the death of his father, Henry IV. Prior to ascending the throne, Harry, as his friends call him, was known for his debauchery. Harry was an immature prince, but as the King of England, he suddenly becomes mature and wise. Henry’s bishops convince him of his right and duty to acquire the throne of France. Soon, Britain is preparing for war and fully supporting their king in his pursuit of the French crown. Henry’s powerful words prove his ability to rouse his troops and frighten the enemy. Unlike more traditional heroes, Henry’s heroism is not shown in battle, but rather before the battle. Because Henry is able to put fear into the enemy with his threatening messages, the opposing army may not fight as well as one might expect. As seen at Harfleur, the governor surrenders to save the lives of the citizens.The speech that Henry makes demonstrates Henry’s clever tactics with his enemies. The king does this so that the governor will surrender and Henry can conquer Harfleur without a bloody battle. Although his speech sounds menacing, a quality not found in the characteristics of a hero, it is only a tactic Henry uses to achieve the outcome he wants. Henry’s reluctance to make good on his promise of this massacre is proven when he states, â€Å"use mercy to them all† (III.3. 54). Henry is not the monster he appears to be; instead, he is a leader using any method he can to gain land while keeping his troops out of harm’s way. At the final Battle of Agincourt, Henry’s ragged army expresses concern about their odds against the French; the British are outnumbered five to one. Henry’s Cousin Westmoreland. Henry, being the talented rhetorician that he is, soothes the army’s fears by delivering the inspirational speech: â€Å"[†¦] If we are marked to die, we are now To do our country loss; and if to live,  The fewer men, the greater share of honor. [†¦]But if it be a sin to covet honor, I am the most offending soul alive.† (IV.3. 21-30). Henry explains that there is a certain amount of honor to go around once the British defeat the French. It is fortunate of those soldiers that are at the battle that they do not have to share that honor with men who are fearful and therefore unworthy of honor. Henry says that honor is most important to him and that it should also be important to his army. The soldiers, feeling a renewed sense of purpose, will go into battle and claim that honor – not just for their king, but for England as well Henry explains what the British do Will stand a-tiptoe when this day is named this day, and comes safe home, on this day will be with them for the rest of their lives: He that outlives And rouse him at the name of Crispian [†¦ ]The he will strip his sleeve and show his scars, [And say, ‘These wounds I had on Crispian’s Day.’]†¦. (IV.3. 42-52). What feats he did that day.† Henry somewhat shows his softer side by expressing concern for his troops. Henry tells them he knows some will die, but those who survive will be well respected for the rest of their lives. With the reward of greatness being dangled in front of him, a speech like this can sway even the most fearful soldier into becoming the fiercest fighter. It can be argued that Henry is not a hero at all because he is fighting a meaningless war and that lives are being lost for no reason. While that might be true in one’s opinion, Henry’s opinion is quite different. Henry believes this war is for the greater good. If the British win the war, they gain land and Henry attains the crown of France he believes he deserves. Henry and the British people believe this war is justified; they cannot be faulted for doing what they believe in. Henry satisfies the qualities in the definition of a hero in using his masterful rhetoric. Henry has fought an impossible war against the French. In the final battle, the British were greatly outnumbered, but managed to escape with minimal casualties. The French, however, were not as fortunate and lost a total of ten thousand. This embarrassing defeat of the French proves just how effective Henry’s speech was in improving the morale of his doubtful army. Henry’s coldness and ruthlessness are masks that hide a man who would do anything to protect his countrymen. He uses scare tactics in his rhetoric to belittle the enemy while at the same time inspiring his men.  Remember, the definition of a hero states that bravery and firmness in any course of action qualifies one for the classification as a hero. Henry’s bravery and firmness are represented in his words, rather than his sword, therefore proving him to be a rhetorical hero. Of the two heroes Henry the V and Macbeth the more intelligent and ruthless is Henry because Macbeth was always cautious about making his decisions and needed the help[ of his wife who played the leading role in taking decisions be it to murder someone or to plot plans to get the throne. She was the more stronger person therefore she took the decisions as to what to do. Henry on the other hand did everything on his own and never liked the interference of anyone in his plotting.

A Thing of Beauty Is a Joy for - 2507 Words

`A thing of beauty is a joy forever`. How far and in what ways does Keats communicate this belief in his odes. Emotion was the key element of any Romantic poet, the intensity of which is present in all of Keats poems. Keats openly expressed feelings ignoring stylistic rules which suppressed other poets. Keat#8217;s poems display a therapeutic experience, as many of his Odes show a sense of struggle to accept, and a longing to search for an emotion which he could feed off for his eternity. As romantics emphasised beauty in order to replace the lack of religion. The quote `A thing of beauty is a joy forever`, I believe tormented him ever since he wrote `Endymion`, the Odes to be discussed are hence almost a progression of thought and†¦show more content†¦Keats bombards us with negative images and enforces his mood of misery on us; `aches`, `drowsy numbness ` `pains`. The syntax length is long, hence it emphasises the drowsiness increased by the pauses. The reference to `h emlock I had drunk` and `dull opiate#8217; provides the escapism Keats wants, almost to flee to the bird in ecstasy. It is in the fourth stanza that he prefers to use inspiration instead, to reach the heights of the nightingale. Keats deliberately confuses the reader#8217;s assumptions of the poem by introducing a melancholic mood. The `melodious plot#8217; is emphasised through the rhythm of the poem and the extended use of vowel sounds prior to the `melodious plot. The repetition of `happy#8217; is almost a forceful emphasis to cancel the earlier negatives. Keat#8217;s distinguished use of paradoxes, is evident here too: ` `tis not through envy of thy happy lot, But being too happy in thine happiness#8217;. Keats has found joy in the innocence of the nightingale, who `among the leaves hast never known, the weariness, the fever and the fret here, where men sit and hear each other groan#8217;. The bird is oblivious to the pain and death. The nightingale#8217;s song has been heard by himself #8216;emperor and clown#8217; and also by the biblical #8216;Ruth#8217;, the beauty, its song has mesmerised andShow MoreRelatedâ€Å"A Thing Of Beauty Is A Joy For Ever†: The Myth Of John Keats And His Portrayal In Bright Star1307 Words   |  6 Pagesof â€Å"negative capability† in which Keats stated that a person didn’t need to have everything resolved, that they are capable of â€Å"being in uncertainties, Mysteries, doubts, without any irritable reaching after fact and reason,† and that â€Å"the sense of Beauty overcomes every other consideration† (Norton, 943). 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In the opening lines of Endymion, Keats writes ‘A thing of beauty is a joy forever’; an assertion that anything beautiful will give unending pleasure - a belief that is carried throughoutRead MoreTagore And Romanticism In Eastern World Literature1058 Words   |  5 Pageson earth, from Sapfo to T.S. Eliot†.(4)Tagore in his popular lecture† The sense of Beauty† talks about Keats ‘ â€Å" Ode on a Gracian Urn† which tells, Beauty is Truth , Truth Beauty (John Keats, 1990) and Tagore remarks: Upanishads too tell us that all that is, is manifestation of his joy, His deathlessness.From the speck of dust at our feet to the stars in the heaven-all is a manifestationOf truth and beauty, of joy and immortality.(Tagore, 1961) The poetic genre and device of Wordsworth, KeatsRead More Wedding Toasts – Perhaps Others Have Said it Best Essay789 Words   |  4 PagesGoldsmith Because I love you truly, Because you love me, too, My very greatest happiness Is sharing life with you. 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