Macbeth

William Shakespeare wrote four great tragedies, the last of

which was written in 1606 and titled Macbeth. This "tragedy", as it

is considered by societal critics of yesterday's literary world,

scrutinizes the evil dimension of conflict, offering a dark and

gloomy atmosphere of a world dominated by the powers ofdarkness.

Macbeth, more so than any of Shakespeare's other tragic protagonists,

has to face the powers and decide: should he succumb or should he

resist? Macbeth understands the reasons for resisting evil and yet he

proceeds with a disastrous plan, instigated by the prophecies of the

three Weird Sisters. Thus we must ask the question:

If Macbeth is acting on the impulses stimulated by the prophecies of

his fate, is this Shakespearean work of art really a Tragedy?

Aristotle, one of the greatest men in the history of human

thought, interpreted Tragedy as a genre aimed to present a heightened

and harmonious imitation of nature, and, in particular, those aspects

of nature that touch most closely upon human life. This I think

Macbeth attains. However, Aristotle adds a few conditions.

According to Aristotle, a tragedy must have six parts: plot,

character, diction, thought, spectacle, and song. Most important is

the plot, the structure of the incidents. Tragedy is not an imitation

of men, but of action and life. It is by men's actions that they

acquire happiness or sadness. Aristotle stated, in response to Plato,

that tragedy produces a healthful effect on the human character

through a katharsis, a "proper purgation" of "pity and terror." A

successful tragedy, then, exploits and appeals at the start to two

basic emotions: fear and pity. Tragedy deals with the element of evil,

with what we least want and most fear to face, and with what is

destructive to human life and values. It also draws out our ability to

sympathize with the tragic character, feeling some of the impact of

the evil ourselves. Does Macbeth succeed at this level? Can the reader

feel pity and terror for Macbeth? Or does the reader feel that Macbeth

himself is merely a branch from the root of all evil and not the poor,

forsaken, fate-sunken man, according to Aristotle's idea of tragedy,

he is supposed to portray? Can the reader "purge" his emotions of

pity and fear by placing himself in the chains of fate Macbeth has

been imprisoned in? Or does he feel the power and greed upon which

Macbeth thrives, prospers, and finally falls? I believe the latter is

the more likely reaction, and that the reader sees Macbeth as a bad

guy, feeling little or no pity for him.

Aristotle also insists that the main character of a tragedy must

have a "tragic flaw." Most tragedies fail, according to Aristotle,

due to the rendering of character. To allow the character to simply be

a victim of unpredictable and undeserved calamities would violate the

complete, self-contained unity of action in the tragedy. If that is

so, and if we assume that the group of three witches is a realistic

possibility, then is not Macbeth such a victim? Does he really deserve

the misfortune that is brought him by his fortune? After all, Macbeth

is introduced to the reader as an honest and humble leader. His fate,

once having been revealed to him, drives him to greed, elevates his

lust for power, and coins a conceited and misguided trust in his

seemingly eternal mortality. Diction, the expression of the meaning in

words, is near perfect in Macbeth, simply because it is written by

William Shakespeare, the inventor of perfect diction. Thought-the task

of saying what is possible and pertinent in the circumstances of

the play-can not be disputed. Spectacle and Song are the effects that

highlight the play, and are pertinent in providing an emotional

attraction. Such elements are easily found in Shakespeare. Macbeth is

written with the style and grace that only Shakespeare could provide.

Thus, these elements of tragic drama can not be challenged in this

argument.

While we need to consider that Macbeth strives on power, and in

doing so loses his values of humility and humanity, it should not be

forgotten that Macbeth does, at certain times, feel remorse for things

he has done.

In Act 2, Scene 2, Macbeth confides in Lady Macbeth after the murder

of Duncan:

But wherefore could not I pronounce "Amen"? I had most need of