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How is Macbeth established as a tragic hero in act one?

Thesis: In the archetypal Scottish play ‘Macbeth’, Shakespeare presents Macbeth


as a tragic hero to explore the self-destructive nature of a patriarchal society, to
serve as a warning to the nobility against the crime of regicide and to flatter king
James to maintaining the social order without persecuting Catholics.
Furthermore, Shakespeare shows how violence can lead to moral failure paired
with the transient and fleeting influence of temptation, which is demonstrated
through the limitations of Macbeth’s power, echoing the Christian sentiments of
the presence of devilish forces that tempt mankind which are personified by the
presence of the witches. However, the contrasting depictions of temptation at the
end of Act 1 forces the reader to question whether Macbeth’s path to becoming a
tragic hero is controlled by fate or his own free will which take form in Macbeth’s
ambition.

Patriarchy/male behaviour main body paragraph, conclusion: On another level,


Shakespeare may have implemented the aggressive male behaviour partnered
with ambition to comment on the regrettable features of Jacobean society and to
perhaps challenge the institution of absolute male authority in the Jacobean era.

Witches leading to the downfall of Macbeth by spurring on his ambitions:


Shakespeare utilises the witches in Macbeth to give a form to the abstract
concepts of temptation, through religious symbolism and imagery, embodying the
deeply powerful forces which govern mankind. This transient and fleeting
influence of temptation is also demonstrated, portraying the limitations of
Macbeth’s power but also mankind as a whole which echoes Christian sentiments
of good’s triumph over evil

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