Macbeth is the main character of The Tragedy of Macbeth by Shakespeare, in which he struggles to deal with the consequences of his actions. Is he a tragic hero? His brutal actions make him very questionable, but yes, Macbeth is a hero in his own tragedy. There are positive connotations to being a tragic hero, the first being that to be one the character must have one of the main roles. It is obvious that Macbeth has a main role in the play, since not only does it revolve around him, but also his name is in the title. “There to meet Macbeth” (Shakespeare, Ii8) He is the subject of conversation between the three witches in the first scene, so the audience knows that he is the protagonist of this tragedy. The fact that the play opens without him, but still features him in conversation, clearly shows his importance. Second, we initially know that Macbeth is a good and hard-working person from his introduction in the first act, and he is talked about in two different scenes before he is even present. In Scene II he is said to now be Thane of Cawdor, an impressive title. “For the brave Macbeth. (well, he deserves that name),” (I.ii.16) He spoke highly of him, and the first adjective used to describe him informs the audience that he is a brave and sympathetic character. The third positive characteristic of being a tragic hero is that the protagonist must be admirable, because heroes are seen as a beacon of hope and are counted on to make the right choices. “Macbeth’s excessive ambition motivates him” (Principal Topics, 238). Despite his ambition which motivated him to kill King Duncan, he nonetheless still has ambitions, which is an admirable trait for a tragic hero to possess...... middle of paper ...... Macbeth was manipulated and suffered greatly. affair between the two. His death leaves the audience wondering what could have happened and if he had anything else worth living for. To conclude, Macbeth is actually considered a tragic hero. He starts off as a very respectable and admirable protagonist, also blessed with very relatable human characteristics. However, he has great self-confidence, which is undermined by his fall. Macbeth goes through senseless suffering, such as the loss of his wife and the inevitable downfall that is her death. Despite all his faults and mistakes made, Macbeth still manages to give the audience a catharsis. All of this is crucial to being a tragic hero. Works Cited Shakespeare, William and John Crowther. No Fear Shakespeare: Macbeth. ed. New York: Spark Publishing, 2003. Print.