To what extent is Macbeth a tragic hero or just a butcher?

MACBETH WAS A HERO WAY BEFORE HE STARTED TO KILL THE ONES WHO WERE CLOSE TO HIM. THERE WAY MANY MURDERS MACBETH COMMITTED HOWEVER THE DEATHS THAT I AM GOING TO WRITE ABOUT ARE THE THREE MAIN DEATHS WHICH LED TO MACBETH’S END. THE DEATHS ARE (IN ORDER) DUNCAN, BANQUO AND MACDUFF’S FAMILY.

DUNCAN- THE DEATH OF DUNCAN WAS MEANINGLESS HOWEVER POT OF GOLD AT THE END OF THE RAINBOW FOR MACBETH. BUT WHAT MAKES ME THINK IS HOW MACBETH COULD COULD DO IT, HOW COULD HE KILL ONE WHO WAS CLOSE SO CLOSE TO HIM AND NOT GIVE A DAMN ABOUT IT. MACBETH KILLED A FRIEND WHO  ALWAYS SPOKE OF HIM HIGHLY AND HAD THE UTMOST RESPECT FOR HIM. FOR EXAMPLE. “O worthiest cousin! The sin of my     ingratitude even now Was heavy on me: thou art so far before”(ACT 1- SCENE 2) AND EVEN MACBETH WOULD REPLY WITH THE UTMOST RESPECT BACK TO DUNCAN, “The service and the loyalty I owe, In doing it, pays itself. Your highness’ part is to receive our duties” (ACT 1-SCENE 2) MACBETH FOLLOWED WITH HIS PLAN OF KILLING DUNCAN SO HE COULD TAKE DUNCAN’S KINGHOOD ALL FOR HIMSELF AND HIS WIFE LADY MACBETH. LET ME ASK YOU, WOULD YOU KILL SOMEONE WHO YOU PLEDGED YOU ALLEGIANCE TO? THINK ABOUT IT.

BANQUO- NOW WE HAVE COME TO MACBETH’S LIFE LONG BUDDY, A BROTHER IN ARMS, A BROTHER FROM ANOTHER MOTHER. BANQUO WAS A FRIEND WHO COULD TRUST MACBETH WITH HIS LIFE. THEY WERE THEIR OWN VERSION OF THE DYNAMIC DUO. “BANQUO- Give me my sword. Who’s there?” MACBETH REPLY’S ” a friend” (ACT 2- SCENE 1) ,AS YOU CAN SEE BANQUO WAS A BROTHER TO MACBETH YET HE COULD NOT TAKE IN THE FACT THAT BANQUOS SON FLEANCE WAS GOING TO BECOME KING AFTER MACBETH’S DEATH. FOLLOWING MACBETH’S KILLING SPREE HE ADDED TWO NEW OBJECTIVES BANQUO AND FLEANCE. YET MACBETH DOES NOT HAVE THE AUDACITY  TO KILL BANQUO AND FLEANCE HIM SELF SO HIRES SOME WORTHLESS MERCENARIES TO DO THE JOB FOR FOR HIM. MACBETH AND SOME OTHERS MAKES A BIGGEN ABOUT HOW MACBETH IS SUCH A GREAT WARRIOR YET HE CAN’T KILL BANQUO HE IS NOTHING MORE THAN A COWARD AT THAT TIME. “Banquo- Within. Give us a light there, ho! Second Murderer- Then ’tis he; the rest That are within the note of expectation already are i’ th’ court. First Murderer- His horses go about. Third Murderer- Almost a mile; but he does usually, so all men do, from hence to th’ palace gate make it their walk. [Enter Banquo, and Fleance with a torch] Second Murderer- A light, a light! Third Murderer- ’Tis he. First Murderer- Stand to’t. Banquo- It will be rain tonight. First Murderer- Let it come down. They assault Banquo. Banquo- O, treachery! Fly, good Fleance, fly, fly, fly! Thou mayst revenge. O slave! [Dies] [Fleance escapes] Third Murderer- Who did strike out the light? First Murderer- Was’t not the way? Third Murderer- There’s but one down; the son is fled. Second Murderer- We have lost Best half of our affair. First Murderer- Well, let’s away, and say how much is done. SAME QUESTION AGAIN BUT SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT. WOULD YOU KILL YOUR LIFE LONG BUDDY?

MACDUFF’S FAMILY- NOW WE HAVE COME TO A DEATH WHERE I THINK WAS SO POINTLESS. MACBETH MUST OF THOUGHT IF HE KILLED MACDUFF’S FAMILY IT WOULD WEAKEN HIM SO MACBETH COULD STRIKE AT MACDUFF WHEN HE IS VULNERABLE AND AT A TIME WHERE MACDUFF WOULD BE GRIEVING, BOY WAS MACBETH WRONG. YET AGAIN MACBETH DID NOT KILL MACDUFF’S FAMILY HE HIRED THE WORTHLESS MERCENARIES ONCE AGAIN. ” First Murderer- Where is your husband?Lady Macduff- I hope, in no place so unsanctified Where such as thou mayst find him.First Murderer- He’s a traitor.Son- Thou li’st, thou shag-ear’d villain!First Murderer- What, you egg![Stabbing him]Young fry of treachery!Son- He has kill’d me, mother Run away, I pray you![Dies.][Exit Lady Macduff crying “Murder!” and pursued by the Murderers.] (ACT 4- SCENE 2)

SIWARD- I KNOW, I KNOW THIS DEATH HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THE MAJOR PLOT LINE BUT IT IS JUST ANOTHER POINTLESS KILLING. THIS IS JUST TO SHOW WHAT MACBETH WILL DO IF ANYTHING GOT IN THE WAY OF HIS OBJECTIVE, TO WHAT EXTANT HE WILL GO TO REACH HIS GOAL, HIS OBJECTIVE.“Young Siward- What is thy name? Macbeth- Thou’lt be afraid to hear it. Young Siward- No; though thou call’st thyself a hotter name than any is in hell. Macbeth- My name’s Macbeth. Young Siward- The devil himself could not pronounce a title more hateful to mine ear. Macbeth- No; nor more fearful. Young Siward- Thou liest, abhorred tyrant, with my sword I’ll prove the lie thou speak’st. [Fight, and Young Siward slain] Macbeth- Thou wast born of woman. But swords I smile at, weapons laugh to scorn,Brandish’d by man that’s of a woman born.

IN MY OPINION MACBETH WANTED TO BE REMEMBERED AS A HERO AND IN SOME WAY A LEGEND BUT HE WAS NOT IN THE RIGHT FRAME OF MIND AND CLEARLY DID NOT THINK THROUGH EVERYTHING THOROUGHLY ENOUGH. AS WE ALL KNOW MACBETH WAS SLAIN BY MACDUFF AND MACDUFF PROUDLY EXPOSED MACBETH TO EVERYONE.

BY NAYIM ROUF 8W1S