What the first witch said was already true of Macbeth. Macbeth would not have thought the second and third witches to be correct, as, although King Duncan had already decided Macbeth was to be Thane of Cawdor, Macbeth did not yet know this, and before this point he had no intention of becoming king. This may have led Macbeth to his decisions later in the play, as it planted the idea in his mind that maybe he would be a good king one day. This begins to feed his ambition, as before it was just a minor thing, it is now growing increasingly larger. This accentuates Macbeth’s flaw, so shows him as more of a typical tragic hero.
In the next scene of the play, the second witch’s remark becomes a fact. “And with his former title greet Macbeth.” This quotation shows that Macbeth is definitely regarded as a good man, as it refers to the death of the Thane of Cawdor (by execution) and the passing down of the thaneship to Macbeth, and otherwise he would not have been trusted with the title. However, the Thane of Cawdor was seen as a great traitor. Along with the title and responsibility, was this terrible trait also passed down? If this was the case, it could mean that following events were completely out of the control of Macbeth, so they are not at all his fault. Macbeth was influenced by external factors, and some would argue that this makes Macbeth less of a typical tragic hero, however I just believe it to be another factor leading to his downfall. The fact that the witches did not give Macbeth a false statement started to make Macbeth believe that the third witch’s prediction was also a possibility for the future.
The next event we learn of is that Lady Macbeth receives a letter from Macbeth, telling her of his encounter with the witches and all that they said. Lady Macbeth believes that Macbeth could become the king with some guidance from herself. “Glamis thou art, and Cawdor; and shalt be what thou art promised... Art not without ambition, but without the illness should attend it.” Again, Macbeth’s ambition is mentioned here, yet Lady Macbeth also believes that although he has this great ambition, he is not brave enough or ruthless enough to achieve what he wants without help. This is rather atypical, yet the influence of his wife intensified his ambition, so, with this he became more of a classic tragic hero.
Later in this scene, there is a great sense of urgency. “Duncan comes here tonight.” This leads the couple to plan the murder quickly, and does not really give them enough time to talk things through and decide whether it is the best course of action. This relates to the intrusion of time section of the tragic pattern, so links Macbeth to the vision of a typical tragic hero.
The final event of this act is where we hear from Macbeth himself about his ambition. “I have no spur To prick the sides of my intent, but only Vaulting ambition, which o’erleaps itself” Macbeth finds that he has no reason to kill King Duncan except to feed his ambition. This emphasises the tragic flaw Macbeth has, and shows his similarity to a typical tragic hero.
In the next Act, Macbeth decides that he will kill the king at the stroke of the bell. “A bell rings. I go, and it is done. The bell invites me.” It is as though Macbeth misreads the bell, and thinks that when the bell rings, his only option is to go through with the murder. This shows how Macbeth’s mind is set on this one course of action, which he has almost been spoonfed by his wife. This, again, shows the consequences of influence from external factors.
Macbeth returns to Lady Macbeth after the murder of Duncan. “I have done the deed.” This shows the murder of an enemy, which is a vital part of the tragic pattern.
The final happening of Act 2 is that we see that Macbeth greatly regrets the murder of King Duncan. “Wake Duncan with thy knocking! I would thou couldst!” This shows that Macbeth can still feel regret and has a conscience at this part of the play. This is typical of a tragic hero, as it is usual that the conscious decreases as time passes and more incidents occur. Also, he almost totally depends on his wife to help him make decisions, and to do almost everything for him. His character does, however, change as the play progresses. Here, Macbeth is feeling remorse for his actions. This shows that he is still a good person inside, and that he does have some aspects of a tragic hero at this point, but some are yet to develop. It shows that Macbeth still has compassion, yet as the play progresses this compassion is replaced with ruthlessness and brutality.
Macbeth arranges to have Banquo and his son killed. This is so that Banquo does not father a line of kings as promised in his prophecy, as this would mean Macbeth will lose his royalty. “Our fears in Banquo stick deep; and in his royalty of nature reigns that which would be fear’d”. This shows Macbeth’s fears of what may happen in the future regarding Banquo. The fact that he did this without the help of Lady Macbeth shows that he is becoming much more independent, and yet is losing his conscience and good nature, as Banquo is one of his good friends. It is typical of a tragic hero to become a traitor towards allies, so as Macbeth made these arrangements it shows that he is becoming increasingly like an archetypal tragic hero.
In Act 3 Scene 2, Macbeth is confronted by his wife about the fact that he has become very isolated. “How now my Lord? Why do you keep alone, Of sorriest fancies your companions making...” The isolation of the tragic hero is, again, a major factor in the tragic pattern, as it makes us feel for the hero somewhat, yet marks the start of his downfall.
The next occurrence reveals the ghost of Banquo to Macbeth, yet it cannot be seen by anyone else, and Macbeth is deeply disturbed by it. “Never shake thy gory locks at me...” This shows that Macbeth’s mind is becoming warped due to the murders he has either set up or committed himself. This shows how Macbeth is a classic tragic hero.
The three witches begin to plot against Macbeth. “And at the pit of Acheron Meet me i’ th’ morning; thither he Will come to know his destiny” Also, in Act 4 Scene 3, after finding out Macbeth has sent murderers to kill MacDuff’s wife and children, Malcolm says “Macbeth Is ripe for shaking, and the powers above Put on their instruments.” The fact that Macbeth killed MacDuff’s family shows he is becoming increasingly bloodthirsty and is losing the particular features which defined his character at the start of the play. The fact that Macbeth’s enemies have begun to plot against him show that this part of the play fit in with the tragic pattern. Also, when Malcolm refers to “the powers above” it shows that he believes God is on his side, and that must mean that Macbeth is more towards the side of Satan, showing how others regard him as evil. This is a vast contrast to how Macbeth was viewed at the start of the play. As I mentioned earlier, the wounded captain says “For brave Macbeth – well he deserves that name...” showing how the rest of society once viewed Macbeth, yet how the public’s view of him has changed alongside his character. “Conduct me to mine host: we love him highly, and shall continue our graces towards him.” This, again, proves Macbeth to be an archetypal tragic hero.
The next incident of the play shows that Macbeth realises his flaw and also that his life is coming to an end. “Tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow...nothing.” (Lines 19-28) The fact that the recognition of the flaw is too late shows that this part of the play, again, fits in with the tragic pattern. The way the language is repetitive here helps to really emphasise the meaning of Macbeth’s words, so this means that the audience feel a great sympathy for him, as he has finally realised that his life is coming to an end, yet in the back of their minds they can also see his wrongdoings earlier in the play.
In Act 5 Scene 7, Macbeth realises that he is trapped and the only thing he can do is to fight. “They have tied me to a stake; I cannot fly, But bear-like I must fight the course.” This shows how Macbeth wishes to restore the honour and greatness he once had, yet lost. Again, this links in to the tragic pattern and shows Macbeth’s likeness to an archetypal tragic hero.
Later in this scene, Macbeth says “Thou wast born of woman but swords I smile at, weapons laugh to scorn, Brandished by man that’s of woman born” This makes the audience realise Macbeth’s potential for greatness, and how he could succeed in escaping the castle and killing all who stand in his way. This point once again fits perfectly in to the tragic pattern so shows the parallel between Macbeth and a typical tragic hero.
The final event in the play is that Macbeth is killed. “Enter fighting and MACBETH is slain.” One of the major factors that defines a tragic hero is that the hero must be killed, therefore this increases Macbeth’s similarity to an archetypal tragic hero. In the final act, the restoration of order begins to take place. Malcolm is due to take over as the new king and he makes the final speech of the play: “by the grace of Grace, We will perform in measure time and place. So thanks to all at once, and to each one, Whom we invite to see us crowned at Scone.” This shows the plans to restore order back to Scotland. This is, once again, the characteristic of the tragic pattern, showing that Macbeth is definitely very similar to an archetypal tragic hero.
However, I also feel that Macbeth was greatly influenced by external factors, such as Lady Macbeth and the Weird Sisters. For instance, the Weird Sisters are the ones who tell of the prophecies in the first place, so lead Macbeth to believe that maybe he could be king. I believe they are responsible for planting this idea into his head, and without their input, I don’t believe Macbeth would have seriously thought about becoming King of Scotland. Also, Lady Macbeth influenced Macbeth to commit the murder, as I feel that Macbeth’s conscience would have gotten the better of him before he committed the crime, and that the end of the play would not have turned out the same. Despite these external factors influencing Macbeth, i still believe he is a typical tragic hero.
In conclusion, I believe almost everything that happens to Macbeth in the play fits into the tragic pattern: Macbeth’s nobility; flaw in his character; errors in judgement and attempt at an honourable death are all signs of this. Despite his flaws, I do not feel that Macbeth deserved the ending which he received. I feel that external factors were a great influence on his life, and without these influences I do not believe that Macbeth would have made the mistakes he did, and ultimately would not have died in such a bloodthirsty manner. However, the tragic pattern is what defines a tragic hero, therefore I believe Macbeth to be an archetypal tragic hero.