
Use of the Classical Tragic Mold in Shakespeare's Macbeth

In Shakespeare?s tragedy, Macbeth, there are many characters. Only
one character stands out, and his name is in the title of the play.
Macbeth?s character was made in the mold of the ancient Greek tragic hero.
Besides being endowed by Shakespeare with an abundance and variety of
potential traits and characteristics, Macbeth also follows the Classical
Tragic Mold, which is presented with a hefty supply of hubris, and in this
case, ambition. Because Macbeth follows the Classical Tragic Mold, he is a
Classical Tragic Hero.
The first step of the Classical Tragic Mold is recognizing the
problem. The problem in Macbeth is not a true problem that presents itself
outwardly. The problem for the character of Macbeth is deciding if he
should listen to his ambition and kill Duncan. At first, he ponders reasons
why not to kill his king. He at first thinks that he cannot kill him
because of four reasons: Macbeth is Duncan?s subject, Duncan is a good king,
they are blood-related, and Macbeth is his host. These reasons dissuade
Macbeth at first, but later Lady Macbeth convinces him, by questioning his
manhood, to commit the dastardly crime. When he finally murders Duncan, the
problem comes to closure. But, even long before then, the next step in the
mold had begun: the descent into the abyss.
The ?decent into the abyss? is the second step in the Classical
Tragic Mold. It is started with Macbeth?s second soliloquy. This is after
Macbeth hears from Duncan that Malcolm was to be named the Prince of
Cumberland. ?The Prince of Cumberland! That is a step on which I must fall
down, or else o?erleap, for in my way it lies ? Let not light see my
black and deep desires." (Shakespeare, 281). This quote from the soliloquy
indicates that Macbeth has, indeed, told himself that he will commit the
murder of Duncan, although he doesn?t actually admit it until his wife
pressures him to do so. With this decision, the reader (or audience) reads
(or sees) that Macbeth is straying from the righteous path, and descending
into the abyss, even though he is keeping his feelings to himself. His
decision to murder Duncan tarnishes his ?war hero? image and casts it in an
ominous shadow.
The third step in the mold has two parts and is known as
Transformation and Transcendence. The character of Macbeth goes into
Transformation during his fourth soliloquy. "?I have lived long enough.
My way of life is fall?n into the sear?" (Shakespeare, 343). This quote
illustrates that Macbeth begins to realize that his life has fallen into a
wretched state and that either the battle will dethrone him or make him
invincible. His character has transformed from an ambitious, power-hungry
man, to one who knows that either his end or glorification may be near, and
will fight his hardest to try to keep himself alive, even if it means
helping the sinister process along by failing in his cause.
The second part of this step is Transcendence. When a character
finally meets with this step, he or she becomes a universal character.
Macbeth states, "?Life?s but a walking shadow, a poor player? upon the
stage? It is a tale told by an idiot? signifying nothing." (Shakespeare,
346). In this soliloquy, Shakespeare turns Macbeth into a universal
character by claiming that people are like actors on a stage. It doesn?t
matter what they do because it is just a play, and no one?s actions will
truly effect anything.
The substance of Macbeth is that of which Classical Tragic Heroes
are fashioned. Because he follows the mold well, Macbeth is an excellent
example of why the Greek rules of the theatre are still used as the basis
of many plays today, as well as back in the age of Shakespeare. The
Classical Tragic Mold is used to shape a tragic hero into a character that
can be repeated over and over, in countless plays and more. Macbeth was
developed in this way, using this mold.
Use of the Classical Tragic Mold in Shakespeare's Macbeth
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