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A Tragic hero & how he descends into evil
Richard Turner
Mrs. Mueller
English IV – 4th period
December 16, 2010
Tragic hero
Man/Woman of noble stature
Not an ordinary man but a man with
outstanding greatness
They cause their own downfall
Usually the main character in a
tragedy.
Macbeth as the tragic hero
Macbeth is the tragic hero of this tragedy
because he goes through a series of events that
cause his own downfall.
-Those series of events leading to Macbeth’s downfall are listed below
He listens to the three witches prophesies which
gives him the idea to kill king Duncan so that he could
gain the kings title. After the death of the king other
characters in the play ( such as Macduff) have suspicions
and flee for their protection. Macbeth is coronated as the new king of
Scotland. Macbeth hires people to kill his best friend Banquo so that
there are no witnesses of Duncan’s death. Macbeth now has the taste of
killing and kills Macduff’s wife and son. Macduff hears this sad news and
plans to get
revenge on Macbeth. Lady Macbeth commits suicide. Macduff and Macbeth battle,
Macduff eventually beheads Macbeth. Malcolm then becomes the king of
England
Macbeth is also the main character of the play.
Exposition
Act I
Setting
- A camp near Forres, Scotland
- An open area near Forres, Scotland
- A battle field near Forres, Scotland
- Upon a heath near Forres, Scotland
- Forres. Duncan’s palace
- Inverness. Macbeth’s Castle
Exposition characters
3 witches
They are all sisters, they start the drama in the play.
King Duncan
He was the king of Scotland in the beginning of the play.
Malcolm
King Duncan’s eldest son, brother of Donablain, future king of
Scotland.
Ross
Nobleman of Scotland.
Lennox
Nobleman of Scotland.
Angus
Nobleman of Scotland.
Macbeth
Main character, Thane of Cawdor, King of Scotland, Lady Macbeth’s husband, Banquo’s
Bestfriend, nobleman of Scotland.
Lady Macbeth
Macbeth’s wife, Queen of Scotland.
Banquo
Greater but lesser than Macbeth, Macbeths best friend, nobleman of Scotland.
Act I Conflict
Internal
Mental or emotional struggle that occurs within a character.
-
The thoughts going through Macbeth’s head when he is told the witches prophesies.
- Macbeth’s and lady Macbeth’s thoughts about killing King Duncan.
External
A struggle between the protagonist and another character against nature or some outside force
-
- The battle of Scotland versus Norway.
The dispute Lady Macbeth and Macbeth have about killing king duncan
Rising action
Act II
Main event
The murder of King Duncan
Macbeth and Lady
Macbeth enter King
Duncan’s palace late at
night to do the dirty
deed and murder him.
Though, Lady Macbeth
can not do it cause
Duncan resembles her
father as he sleeps. So
Macbeth kills Duncan
soon after the servants
are gone.
“Is this a dagger which I see before me,
The handle toward my hand? Come, let me clutch thee.
I have thee not, and yet I see thee still.
Art thou not, fatal vision, sensible
To feeling as to sight? or art thou but
A dagger of the mind, a false creation,
Proceeding from the heat-oppressed brain?
I see thee yet, in form as palpable
As this which now I draw.
Thou marshall'st me the way that I was going;
And such an instrument I was to use.
Mine eyes are made the fools o' the other senses,
Or else worth all the rest; I see thee still,
And on thy blade and dudgeon gouts of blood,
Which was not so before. There's no such thing:
It is the bloody business which informs
Thus to mine eyes. Now o'er the one halfworld
Nature seems dead, and wicked dreams abuse
The curtain'd sleep; witchcraft celebrates
Pale Hecate's offerings, and wither'd murder,
Alarum'd by his sentinel, the wolf,
Whose howl's his watch, thus with his stealthy pace.
With Tarquin's ravishing strides, towards his design
Moves like a ghost. Thou sure and firm-set earth,
Hear not my steps, which way they walk, for fear
Thy very stones prate of my whereabout,
And take the present horror from the time,
Which now suits with it. Whiles I threat, he lives:
Words to the heat of deeds too cold breath gives”
(Mac Act II, pg 756, line 456)
I have done the deed. Didst thou not hear a
noise?
(Mac Act II, pg 756, line 456)
Act II suspense
The voices and sounds Macbeth and Lady Macbeth heard
Macbeth
Lady Macbeth
“Macbeth does murder sleep', the innocent sleep.”
(mac, Act II, Pg 324, Ln 464)
“I heard the owl scream and the crickets cry.”
(mac, Act II, Pg 344, Ln 446)
When lady macbeth and macbeth are rushing through the palace washing their hands and trying to cover
their murder evidence.
Lady Macbeth
“Give me the daggers: the sleeping and the dead
Are but as pictures: 'tis the eye of childhood
That fears a painted devil. “
(mac, Act II, Pg 344, Ln55)
Lady Macbeth
“Go get some water,
And wash this filthy witness from your hand.
Why did you bring these daggers from the place?
They must lie there: go carry them; and smear
The sleepy grooms with blood.”
(mac, Act II, Pg 344, Ln 436)
Macduff has suspicions of the murder, Malcolm and Donablain find out and flee for their protection
Macduff
“Confusion now hath made his masterpiece!
Most sacrilegious murder hath broke ope
The Lord's anointed temple, and stole thence
The life o' the building!”
(Mac, Act II, Pg 544, Ln 54)
Malcolm
“ What will you do? Let's not consort with them:
To show an unfelt sorrow is an office
Which the false man does easy. I'll to England.”
(Mac, Act II, Pg 233,Ln 566)
Donablain
“To Ireland, I; our separated fortune
Shall keep us both the safer: where we are,
There's daggers in men's smiles: the near in blood,
The nearer bloody.”
(Mac, Act II, Pg 454, Ln 56)
Climax
Act III
The point in a story where things start to resolve themselves
When Macbeth see’s Banquo’s ghost at the Banquet.
Macbeth
Macbeth
“Here had we now our country's honour roof'd,
Were the graced person of our Banquo present;
Who may I rather challenge for unkindness
Than pity for mischance!”
(mac, Act III, Pg 454, Ln 566)
“Prithee, see there! behold! look! lo!
how say you?
Why, what care I? If thou canst nod, speak too.
If charnel-houses and our graves must send
Those that we bury back, our monuments
Shall be the maws of kites.”
(mac, Act III, Pg 231, Ln 544)
Climax explanation
A Climax is usually turning point when things resolves
themselves, but since Macbeth was written during a
different time period there was a slightly different
definition of a Climax. In this time era a climax was
the point at which the main character realizes his/ her
errors and the consequences pour down on them.
Macbeth sees this and starts to accept all that is
falling down around him after seeing Banqou's
ghost at his banquet.
Falling action
Act IV
The falling action is the part of a story, usually found in tragedies and short stories, after the climax and showing the effects of the catastrophe.
Second meeting with the 3 witches
They make Macbeth see three new apparitions
-
- Armed Head : Beware Macduff
- Bloody child : none of woman born can harm Macbeth
Crowned child with tree: Macbeth is safe until Birnam wood reaches Dunsinane
Macbeth kills Macduff’s wife and son
Macbeth’s downfall starts here
Macbeth Goes to kill Macduff but he has fled to England so instead he gets he murders his family in Scotland.
Falling Action Explanation
The three witches apparitions
Macbeth asks the witches too see his future , and when he see’s the apparitions he tries to do anything to keep the
bad things from happening, but he does not realize that the apparitions change their order soon after.
First Apparition: an armed Head
Beware the thane of Fife. Dismiss me.
Second Apparition: A bloody Child
laugh to scorn the power of man, for none of woman born shall harm Macbeth.
Third Apparition a Child crowned, with a tree in his hand
Macbeth shall never vanquish'd be until great Birnam wood to high Dunsinane hill shall come against him.
Macbeth’s revenge towards Macduff
Since Macbeth was not able to kill Macduff after he had fled to England he instead goes after his wife and son.
Though once Macduff returns to Scotland he gains the trust of Malcolm and hears the news of his dead family
from Ross, this news convinces Macduff to bring Macbeth to his downfall.
Macbeth
“The castle of Macduff I will surprise;
Seize upon Fife; give to the edge o' the sword
His wife, his babes, and all unfortunate souls”
(mac, Act IV, pg 456, Ln 656)
Malcolm
“ Macduff, this noble passion,
Child of integrity, hath from my soul”
(mac, Act Iv, Pg 545, Ln 56)
Macduff
“ Fell slaughter on their souls. Heaven rest them now!”
(mac, Act IV, Pg 123, Ln 445)
Resolution
act V
Conflict is Resolved
The conflict is resolved when Macduff and Macbeth meet in Birnam wood and
Macbeth has one more battle. Eventually Macduff ends up beheading
Macbeth and Macbeth is now no longer king of Scotland.
Macduff
Macbeth
“ I have no words: My voice is in my sword: thou
bloodier villain
Than terms can give thee out!”
(mac, Act V, Pg 455, Ln 656)
“ Before my body I throw my warlike shield. Lay on,
Macduff, And damn'd be him that first cries, 'Hold,
enough!‘”
Malcolm, Duncan’s eldest son enters the scene and is coronated as the new
king of Scotland.
Macduff
“Hail, king! for so thou art: behold, where stands
The usurper's cursed head: the time is free:
I see thee compass'd with thy kingdom's pearl,
That speak my salutation in their minds;
Whose voices I desire aloud with mine:
Hail, King of Scotland!”
Total Consequences
Act I
When Macbeth took the advice of the 3 witches seriously is when the sinful thoughts
of killing first cam to thought. Killing is what lead to his downfall.
Act II
When Macbeth commits the murder of King Duncan not only does he know what it
feels like to kill somebody but Macduff and the others are suspicious.
Act III
The climax of the play. When Macbeth hires people to kill Banquo his conscience now
becomes even guiltier. Not only does his conscience become guiltier but him and
Lady Macbeth do not speak as much as they used too. Fleance escaped the
murderers so now there is a witness.
Consequences Continued
Act IV
Macbeth listening to the witches second apparitions makes him do drastic things so
that they don’t come true.
When he kills Macduff’s family and that news travels to Macduff, macduff then plans
to seek revenge on macbeth.
Act V
Because of all the killing Lady Macbeth lets the guilt from Duncan get to her and she
commits suicide by sleepwalking off of the castle balcony. Birnam wood attacks
Dunsinane . Macduff meets up with Macbeth and battle, Macbeth ends up
beheaded. Malcolm becomes the new King of Scotland.
Macbeth Pyramid Synopsis
Macbeth is coronated
as King of Scotland, he
kills Banquo, Banquos
Ghost appears at the
banquet
Climax Act III
Exposition Act I
We meet the witches, hear
the first prophesy, the
drama begins with the plan
to kill Duncan
Resolution
Lady Macbeth commits suicide,
Birnam wood attacks Dunsinane,
Macduff kills Macbeth, Malcolm
coronated
Works Cited
L.K, Alchin. William shakespeare info. 2008
http://www.william-shakespeare.info/
Page, Larry. Google images. 2010
www.google.com/images