Shakespeare's Tragic Hero In Macbeth And Hamlet
Shakespeare's Tragic Hero In Macbeth And Hamlet
In Shakespeare’s’ tragedies, one element is consistent- the tragic hero. Each tragic hero shares certain traits that contribute to his tragedy. They possess a fault that will eventually lead to their demise. Shakespeare’s tragic hero is a man of noble birth who falls from a position of honor and respect due to a flaw in his character. Hamlet and Macbeth are portrayed as tragic heroes through their nobility, tragic flaws, and errors in judgment.
During the first scenes of Shakespeare’s plays Hamlet and Macbeth, Hamlet and Macbeth’s noble status is immediately established. Before Macbeth is introduced to the audience, Duncan and Ross speak of his greatness. Duncan is thrilled to hear of “noble Macbeth[’s]” victory over Norway, and tells Ross to go greet his “worthiest cousin” with the news that “what [Thane of Cawdor] hath lost, noble Macbeth hath won” (1.2.67). Macbeth begins with the title of Thane of Glamis, but his new name “worthy Cawdor” (1.2.68) adds to his already established nobility. In the opening scenes of Hamlet, Hamlet’s patrimony is revealed to the audience; he is the “most immediate to [Denmark’s] throne” (1.2.109). This title of “Sweet Prince” grants him a “noble mind” (3.1.153). “The great love...