In William Shakespeare's play, Macbeth, the protagonist, Macbeth, becomes a tragic hero as a result of suffering from a fatal flaw that eventually leads to his own death. Macbeth possesses many characteristics of a tragic hero,

Secondly, the tragic downfall of Macbeth is ultimately his fault. He allows three forces to influence his decisions. These three forces include: internal, supernatural, and external. The three witches and dark powers behind them represent the supernatural forces, Lady Macbeth is the outer force that pushes Macbeth towards the bloody deeds, and Macbeth's own ambition acts as the deciding power in bringing about his downfall. The witches and their prophecies are the first major influence on Macbeth's actions. In Act 1, he is told by the witches that a great future awaits him. However, the witches do not give Macbeth a time line of their predictions. Once one of the elements of the prophecy comes true, Macbeth decides to do everything in his power to make the rest of the predictions also come true. To do this, he decides to kill Duncan himself in order to capture the crown. When Macbeth tells Lady Macbeth - the second influence on Macbeth's actions - about the prophecy, she uses manipulation to convince her husband that he should take the opportunity and kill the king. "But screw your courage to the sticking-place, And we'll not fail" (I, vii, 60-61). She tells Macbeth that if he loves her, he will kill the king. Macbeth decides to listen to the prophecy and his wife and follows through with the murder. He is then crowned the king of Scotland. The final influence on Macbeth’s actions is his tragic flaw of ambition. Although it is his ambition that brings him into power, it is also responsible for his declining character. It is this tragic flaw and his desire to become king that leads Macbeth to make wicked decisions and begins his pattern of killing innocent people. “I have no spur to prick the sides of my intent, but only vaulting ambition” (I, vii, 26-27). At this point in the play, Macbeth’s ambition is clearly seen. This tragic flaw becomes a dangerous quality and forces him to spiral out of control. Although the witches and Lady Macbeth had key roles in influencing Macbeth’s choices, it was he who made the final decisions, and he who paid for it in the end.

Finally, as a result of his own actions, Macbeth suffers a great deal. He suffers from an internal conflict. His conscience was what initially controlled his decisions, but it was his desire to become king that took over his mind. After committing countless murders, and achieving his goal of becoming king, Macbeth battles himself. He is never at peace. He is always feeling paranoid, brutal, guilty, enraged and delirious. These emotions drive his actions and lead him to outrageous decisions, resulting in his death. An internal conflict that rages within Macbeth occurs after he murders Duncan. He feels so upset and guilty that he begins to hear voices around him. “Sleep no more! Macbeth does murder sleep the innocent sleep” (II, ii, 32-33). Macbeth becomes haunted and tormented by the murder he has committed. After this line, Macbeth changes from a loyal, noble war hero, to an evil, haunted murderer. This line shows how his innocence is lost, and Macbeth becomes a changed man. As well, Macbeth also suffers from the death of Lady Macbeth. Her death becomes a reality check for Macbeth as he begins to see the flaws in his character. When her death is announced to Macbeth, he barely reacts. "She should have died hereafter" (V, vi, 17). He has been so far immersed in his own evil, that he barely feels any emotions at all towards her death. In a previous scene, as Macbeth discusses her illness with the Doctor, he seems to be impatient, rather than sympathetic. Now that she has died, he does not show any signs of grief or remorse, but instead, he reflects upon his decisions and actions. The death of Lady Macbeth pushes Macbeth into battle, thus, resulting in his own demise.

In conclusion, Macbeth is a great example of a tragic hero because he possesses all of the characteristics of one. He is of noble birth, and in the beginning, is represented as a good, and loyal man. However, throughout the play, he brings about his own downfall through his major character flaw of ambition. Moreover, he undergoes meaningful suffering through internal conflicts, and through the death of his own wife. In the end, through his death, Shakespeare teaches his readers that violence and murder lead to a dark and desperate end. It is through this lesson that Macbeth shows signs of guilt and learns from his past mistakes. Therefore Macbeth’s character displays strong signs of a tragic hero, making him a prime example.