Is Macbeth a Hero or a Villain?

BY: CHARLES, YANA AND ROCCO

Macbeth

Macbeth is considered one of Shakespeare's greatest tragic heroes. In the beginning, he has
the appearance of a courageous, loyal thane who has proven his worth on the battlefield with
a high status in society. However, like all other tragic heroes, he had a flaw that ultimately
leads to his destruction. His ambition is what causes him to kill the king and start his downfall
into evil and insanity. Therefore, the question remains; is Macbeth a hero or a villain? Is he
"good" or "bad"? Will he save the day or destroy it?
Macbeth the War Hero
SERGEANT: For brave Macbeth--
well he deserves that name--
Disdaining fortune, with his
brandish'd steel,
Which smoked with bloody
execution,
Like valour's minion carved out his
passage
Till he faced the slave;
Which ne'er shook hands, nor bade
farewell to him,
Till he unseam'd him from the nave
to the chaps,
And fix'd his head upon our
battlements
DUNCAN: O valiant cousin!
worthy gentleman!
In Act 1 Scene 2, Shakespeare presents Macbeth as a
courageous and valiant war hero. The sergeant explains
how Mabeth acted heroically in the battle, killing the
traitor, Macdonwald, who had switched sides in the clash.
His description of the events convey Macbeth as a hero.
Macbeth is repeatedly described in a positive light; he gets
called "brave", "valiant" and "worthy". He is even
described as "valour's minion". This metaphor and the use
of repetition makes the reader think of Macbeth as a hero.
Powerful phrases such as "unseam'd him from the nave to
the chops" create an image in our minds of Macbeth
killing Macdonwald by cutting him from his belly button
to his head. Shakespeare also uses metaphors such as
"Smoked with bloody execution" . The sword being
"smoked" tells us that Macbeth has killed a lot of people
and the sword is smoking because of all the people he
killed in the battle. This also shows the reader that
Macbeth contributed greatly to the victory and should be
regarded as a hero.

Macbeth the War Hero
Norway himself, with terrible numbers,
Assisted by that most disloyal traitor,
The thane of Cawdor, began a dismal
conflict,
Till that Bellona’s bridegroom, lapped in
proof,
55Confronted him with self-comparisons,
Point against point, rebellious arm 'gainst
arm,
Curbing his lavish spirit; and to conclude,
The victory fell on us.
Ross, when explaining what had occurred to king
Duncan, referred to Macbeth as "Bellona's
bridegroom". This metaphor, and allusion to
roman anthropology makes Macbeth appear as a
true war god and implies that he is a hero.
Bellona is the goddess of war, so saying that he
is Bellona's groom, is like calling him the god of
war.
The phrase "Curbing his lavish spirit" tells us the
Macbeth was the main reason for the victory
against the King of Norway as he was the one to
break the enemies' spirits. This reinforces the
point that Macbeth should be regarded as a hero.
An interesting observation that can be made is
that Macbeth matched his opponent in every
manner including his "rebellious arm". This later
proves to be iconic as Macbeth turns out to be as
much of a traitor as Macdonwald.

Macbeth's Guilt –
Hero or Villain?
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' th' 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
Great Chain of Being: This is a hierarchy of the universe that
places God, his angels and the King at the top whilst rocks and
minerals are at the bottom.
 In Act 2 Scene 1, Macbeth starts to have serious doubts about the plan and this scene
captures his mental and emotional state. Shakespeare intended for this scene
to develop the idea of wickedness and the dark side of the human nature. However, the
audience must remember that it was Lady Macbeth who suggested it. Therefore, it can
be argued that without her, Macbeth would've never even been considered evil.
 When the dagger first appears, Macbeth reacts in shock and asks if it is "a dagger of
the mind... from the heat oppressed brain?" The illusion of dagger indicates the
beginning of Macbeth's madness and how his lust for the crown seems to affect him
mentally. He uses the phrase "heat oppressed brain" which expresses how this desire to
be king is making him "sick" and will eventually kill him. This marks the beginning of
Macbeth's insanity, and raises the question if he really can be blamed for his later
actions, as he doesn’t seem to be in the right state of mind.
 However, in the end, Macbeth still commits the "bloody business," despite not being
able to say the word murder or death, which implies he understands the severity of
what he has done. Regicide was considered one the worst sins at the time as the king
was said to be sent from God. Perhaps this why "nature seems dead" since the Great
Chain of Being has been disrupted and order has been destroyed. Macbeth also
compares sleep to death and wonders which one would be more merciful; to be
plagued with "wicked dreams" or to die and go to the afterlife, with God. Again, this
implies that Macbeth still has an element of good within him at this stage of the play.
Macbeth's Guilt –
Hero or Villain?
Thus to mine eyes. Now o'er the one half-world
Nature seems dead, and wicked dreams abuse
The curtained sleep. Witchcraft celebrates
Pale Hecate’s offerings, and withered murder,
Alarumed 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.
 Within the soliloquy, Shakespeare includes symbolism in
the form of a bloody blade representing Macbeth's
conscience and doubt. Throughout the years there have
been many different interpretations of this soliloquy. One
of them is that the dagger is pointing towards Duncan's
chamber, urging Macbeth to kill. The handle is turned
towards him indicating how he will wield the dagger, kill
Duncan, and become King; it is his fate. The dagger
could be his own desire manifesting itself into this
illusion to convince Macbeth into murder. Another
interpretation could be that the dagger is trying to warn
him not kill Duncan. It is showing him the future and
how his blade will be covered in "gouts of blood." This
could represent that Macbeth still has good in him that is
subconsciously trying to prevent the murder. Perhaps it
isn't even Macbeth's imagination but rather a supernatural
force, such as the witches, who are trying to manipulate
him into doing what they want. Therefore, Macbeth can't
be blamed at all if a higher being is directing him.
 In Act 3 Scene 1 Macbeth starts to plan Banquo and
Fleance’s murder. Macbeth is murdering Banquo and
Fleance because the three witches told them that Banquo
will have many of his children become kings in an earlier
scene. Macbeth is killing Fleance to prevent him from
taking the throne and Banquo to prevent him having more
Macbeth as a Villain children that could become kings. When Macbeth says ‘So
he is mine; and in such bloody distance, Every minute of
his being thrusts’ Macbeth is talking about Banquo and
Fleance like they are objects, and that he is superior to
them. Macbeth had turned into a villain because he started
murdering people to keep his place in the throne. Near the
end of the scene Macbeth says 'Your spirits shine through
you to the Murders. This is complementing them which is
giving then confidence because they were complemented
by a very important person. Macbeth could still be
presented as a Villain even though he was not committing
the murders because he had hired the murders to do it for
him and had the thought of committing murder
again. Macbeth did not commit the murder because he was
now the king and had lots of eyes on him.
  In Act 3 Scene 3 is where the murder takes place.
Macbeth hires a third murder to make sure that the job
gets done. The three murderers manage to murder
Banquo, but Fleance manages to run away.
Macbeth as a Villain  In Act 3 Scene 4 Macbeth starts to have more
hallucinations about the murder. Macbeth sees Banquo's
ghost enter and sits next to him. Macbeth says, 'which of
you have done this' and the people around him think that
he is sick. Macbeth starts talking to Banquo's ghost.
Lady Macbeth assures everyone telling them to 'sit,
worthy friends: My lord is often thus, And hath
been from his youth'. Lady Macbeth is assuring everyone
that Macbeth is fine and that his hallucination has been
going on since he was a child. Due to the hallucinations
that Macbeth was having it makes me think that he has
regret on murdering Banquo. Even though Macbeth was
showing guilt and regret it still makes Macbeth a Villan
for planning and murdering three people.
Conclusion

In conclusion Macbeth starts the play off being a hero because he fought and won battels.
Then Macbeth murders King Duncan which bring on lots of guilt towards him due to him
murdering Kind Duncan. Later, Macbeth starts to become a Villan and plans to murder both
Banquo and Fleance due to the three witches telling Macbeth and Banquo that Banquo will be
the father of many kings. Macbeth even though hiring murderers to do the job still shows
Macbeth still has a villain side and murders Banquo to keep his place as king. After the
murderers' murder Banquo Macbeth start to hallucinate Infront of many people showing that
once again he shows guilt and regret