Macbeth the tragic hero

l Is Macbeth a tragic hero?
    
     As Aristotle said, "a tragic character is a man who¡Kfalls into misfortune¡K  through some flaw." (Grube, 5) Shakespeare's tragic hero, is a man who falls from his eminence of honor and respect due to a flaw in character which ultimately puts him to a fatal end. (Nostbakken, 2) Macbeth is an epitome of a tragic hero. He had good nature, but was buried by greed and hate when he quested for king power. He had been a military hero of the state, being loved and praised, but his blind ambition drove him to commit the fierce fault, and all his past greatness and happiness were shattered. He was an original hero, yet ended in tragedy. This essay is to justify how Macbeth went through the above stages in life, how he fall due to his character flaw and became the epitome of a tragic hero. 
     Macbeth was obviously a patriot and the protector of the king at the beginning of the play. (Slethaug, 13) We imagine him to be a good warrior with extraordinary prowess and loyalty. He defeated the insurgent troops and was highly trusted. As Duncan said, "He is a gentleman on whom I built An absolute trust". (I.iv.14-15) Even the King had great love in this real hero.
     But his was controlled under the supernatural force when he met the witches of prophecy, contributing to the degeneration of this character. When the witches foretold Macbeth that he was to be Thane of Cawdor, Thane of Glasmis and King hereafter, Macbeth's ambition to the kingship had been aroused. He said, " My thought, whose murder yet is but fantastical¡K"(I.iii.140) shows that he started imagining to get the throne by evil means for the fulfillment of the promised kingship.  The imperfect speakers of misleading prophecies brainwashed him, striving up his deep ambition and leading him to step closer to the edge of dismal abyss. And later they also gave apparitions to Macbeth, which contributed to his defeat when later his confidence collapsed as illusions failed him (Elloway, 62). Macbeth's steeping in the supernatural put him into tragic.              
     Lady Macbeth played an important role in the downfall of Macbeth's life to evil. She is a whole-hearted fiend, who played a more masculine and decisive role than Macbeth. (Wain, 104) She knew Macbeth had ambition yet frail, so she poured her evil spirit in his ear. "We fail? But screw your courage to the sticking place and we'll not fail." (I.vii.69-71) This is the turning point, where Lady Macbeth placed her husband in a false position by upholding him to commit the murder deed, (Elloway, 20) and it is also a point that Macbeth made his wrong judgement in life to get the throne by evil act. After committing the murder he could not turn back anymore from the darkness. The serious error in his judgement, became the flaw in his character, which finally put himself into a great tragic.
     Macbeth was full of courage and bravery, yet he used it in sinful deeds. His murder to Duncan and crowned himself King was a sacrilege, (Elloway, 26) but he did not exhibit any remorse and dared do anything to get rid of those who could threaten his power. His next wrong turn was to kill Banquo, as he feared that it would be Banquo's descendants to succeed to his throne as the witches cursed. He said, "¡Kin his (Banquo) death is perfect." (III.i.107) This time he was totally persistent and independent in decision making and he left Lady Macbeth ignorant of his plan. Form that time onwards, killing seemed to be the only way to maintain his reign of Scotland. His underneath consciousness was buried by intensified ambition, and he went into the sheer misery of evil life.    
      Macbeth's downfall began when his previous valiant had turned into greed, violence and power hunger. Overwhelming paranoia filled his mind projected by continuous killing. He is a tyrant and all his people were indignant at his rule, Scotland "bleed" and "weep". 
      He was pitiless and malicious to kill Macduff's wife and children, which was the last wrong turn in his life, strongly enraged Macduff's determination to revenge. As Macduff said, "Within my sword's length set him- if he scape, Heaven forgive him too." (IV.iii.34-35) Finally, the retribution to end his treason and betrayal was when the troops of thanes besieged him and he was killed under Macduff's sword, putting his life to a fatal end. (Elloway, 19)
      Macbeth's vaulting ambition was the flaw in his character. External forces-his wife's influence and his strong believe in the witches' supernatural, and the internal force-the evil in his mind, deepened this flaw. His consciousness was buried  and turned himself into an evil-like person. He is the betrayer, yet he also betrayed himself, to put all his possessed greatness and happiness in ruin, and ended himself in ultimate hate and demise.                        Word Count: 809 
Works Cited
Brooke, Nicholas, ed.  Macbeth. Oxford: The Oxford University Press. 1990.
Brown, John Russell. Shakespeare Macbeth. Southampton: The Camelot Press. 1965.                     
Coursen, H.R.  Macbeth-A Guide to the Play. London: Greenwood Press.1997.
Elloway, David. Macbeth By William Shakespeare (Macmillan master guides).  
                  Hong Kong: Macmillan Education Limited. 1985.
Grube, G.M.A, ed. Aristotle "The Poetics", Poetry and Style. Indianapolis:
                     Bobbs Merril. 1958.
Nostbakken, Faith. Understanding Macbeth. USA: Greenwood Press. 1997.
Slethaug, Gordon. "Lecture Notes" for ENGL1007. Hong Kong:
                             The University of Hong Kong. November 2000.
Wain, John. Shakespeare Macbeth. Hong Kong: The Macmillan Press Ltd. 1968.