Murder or hero, sometimes it's hard to say Although someone who kills and is malicious is difficult to consider a hero, once the evidence is proven, one can deny that Macbeth, taken from William Shakespeare's Macbeth, is one. Although his lifestyle may be difficult to understand, Macbeth is a tragic hero. This statement can be made because throughout the play it meets all the necessary criteria to be classified as such. Macbeth has a very clear and definitive downfall and he also has the power to attract pity and attention from the audience, which classifies him as a tragic hero. The word hero usually refers to the greatest and bravest in the world, but when looking at a tragic hero, there is a list of clear qualifications they must meet. Macbeth may be sinful and evil, but with a little insight we can see that he falls into this category. A tragic hero must be a good person or someone of high rank, someone powerful and at the beginning of the play we are introduced to a Macbeth who is praised by kings and thanes. We hear about him after a battle in Normandy and he is presented with new titles, "the noble Macbeth has won" (I.II.68). Even though Macbeth did not enter the room, the reader already had an image of him as someone of high rank and rank who is loved by those around him, thus showing that Macbeth fits the qualifications. Even if the reader prefers to despise Macbeth and watch him die, there is something about him that will arouse emotions of pity and support. It captivates the reader and then guides them through the story. Even if we don't want to, we pity his humanity and can then identify with him. When he questions himself and those around him, “one cannot be sick; cannot be good... is stifled by assumptions,…… middle of paper…… the action itself is. He draws the audience in and then makes them put themselves in his place, showing how easy it is to succumb to evil and the welds of power. This ultimately solidified his place as a tragic hero. It can be seen that even though Macbeth may be the one who caused the tragedy, his heroic self is still visible through the clear criteria he meets, his quick and clear downfall, and his ability to influence the reader. Although it is difficult to imagine Macbeth as a hero, he fits it. Works Cited Shakespeare, William. Macbeth. Missauga; Canadian School Book Exchange, 1996. Print. “Principle Topics” Shakespeare for Students: Book 1 Ed. Mark W. Scott. London: Gale Research Inc. 1997 237-238. PrintLow, Lisa. “Get rid of Macbeth.” The tragedy of Macbteh. Ed. Dom Salioni, Chris Ferguson, Dr. Tim Scott. London: International Thomson Publishing, 1997. 146-147. Print.