The character of Macbeth is engraved in the history of English

The character of Macbeth is engraved in the history of English literature as a tragic
hero. He was a brave soldier who displayed great valour in the start of the play. However, as
the story unfolded, he was shown with a fatal flaw and became a victim of his own ambition.
This led to his downfall and the tragic end to his life. The character of Macbeth has all the
traits of a tragic hero – noble stature, greatness of character, and a fatal flaw.
Macbeth possessed a noble stature as he was a great Scottish warrior who made some
exceptional accomplishments. The accomplishment and bravery that he displayed in the
battlefields made him a favourite of the king and was rewarded with high status. He was
awarded the title of the Thane of Cawdor, since he had just returned from a victorious battle
which he had won and possessed all the glory. As the play started, Macbeth was portrayed as
a wealthy and nobleman whom everyone in the audience adored and was also an apt choice
for becoming the next king. Thus, he had a noble stature whom the audience looked up to and
was admired for the valour that he possessed.
Macbeth was shown to have greatness of character as the play started. He was
portrayed as a brave soldier who had got victorious over his foes and won numerous battles
along with the latest one from which he had just returned. He also possess great ambition and
dreamt of becoming a King himself one day, though it was this ambition which also brought
his downfall. He was awarded the title of Thane of Cawdor which is an honour given upon a
soldier for his bravery and fearlessness, which showcased the greatness of his character.
The great ambition that Macbeth had was also one of the flaws that his character
possessed. The three evil witches predicted a future for Macbeth wherein he would be the
King. (Shakespeare, 1961, ACT I SCENE III) This prediction sowed the seed of ambition in
Macbeth and this led to his downfall on the play. As one of the prediction of the three witches
became true and he indeed did become the Thane of Cawdor, he started believing the
prediction of being King also to be true. Being coaxed by his wife, he let the ambition drive