Is Macbeth a tragic hero according to Aristotle's definition of the term? Explain why or why not.

Macbeth meets many of Aristotle’s tragic hero requirements.

Hamartia (tragic flaw): Macbeth does not seem to possess the flaw of ambition at the beginning of the play; in fact, that trait is more strongly exhibited by Lady Macbeth. But as the play progresses, Macbeth becomes more and more ambitious. His ambition is most fully realized when he orders the murder of Macduff’s family.

Peripeteia(reversal of fortune): When Fleance escapes the murderers, Macbeth feels that...

Macbeth meets many of Aristotle’s tragic hero requirements.

Hamartia (tragic flaw): Macbeth does not seem to possess the flaw of ambition at the beginning of the play; in fact, that trait is more strongly exhibited by Lady Macbeth. But as the play progresses, Macbeth becomes more and more ambitious. His ambition is most fully realized when he orders the murder of Macduff’s family.

Peripeteia (reversal of fortune): When Fleance escapes the murderers, Macbeth feels that he has not successfully insured the continuation of his royal line. This leads him to seek out the witches again, who confuse him and fill him with false confidence.

Anagnorisis (critical discovery): There are several points when this occurs. When he finds out that Macduff is technically “not of woman born” he realizes that he can, indeed, be killed by him. When the witches show him a future filled with Banquo’s royal descendants, he realizes that his crown is “fruitless.”

Nemesis (fate that cannot be avoided): This could be applied to several parts of the story. When servants report that Birnam Wood is marching on the castle, Macbeth realizes that the witches' first prophecy has misled him. He cannot escape the coming attack.

It seems a little strange to think of Macbeth in any sort of heroic terms, since he is such a bloody and ruthless tyrant. It is the fact that he started out heroically, in defense of Duncan’s kingdom, and then falls victim to his wife’s manipulative genius, that makes us look at Macbeth in the tragic sense—he was caught up in events that he could not control or foresee the consequences of.