Macbeth as an Anti Hero

The Journey of an Anti-Hero

William Shakespeare’s play Macbeth is a wild ride through ambition, power, and what happens when you just want too much. At first glance, Macbeth might seem like your classic tragic hero. But hang on—when you dig deeper, he’s got more in common with an anti-hero. So what's an anti-hero? Basically, it’s someone who doesn’t really fit the heroic mold and often shows us some morally gray areas. This essay dives into why Macbeth fits that anti-hero bill perfectly. By looking at his actions, motivations, and how his character unfolds throughout the play, we can see his journey as less about being a traditional tragic hero and more about him being a complex anti-hero.

Macbeth's Moral Ambiguity

Let’s start with Macbeth’s trip from being a celebrated soldier to a king gone bad. His choices are full of moral confusion, right? Unlike heroes who fight for justice or noble stuff, Macbeth is driven by his own wants—and Lady Macbeth nudges him too! He isn’t trying to do good or save people; he’s all about gaining power for himself. Remember when he first thinks about offing King Duncan? That scene hits hard:

“I have no spur
To prick the sides of my intent, but only
Vaulting ambition, which o'erleaps itself
And falls on the other.” (I.vii.25-28)

Here, he pretty much admits it: He’s motivated by nothing but ambition. No noble cause here, folks! This self-focused drive is textbook anti-hero behavior—out for personal gain over any greater good.

Macbeth's Tragic Flaws

If that wasn't enough to convince you, let’s chat about Macbeth's moral slipperiness. After killing Duncan (yikes!), it's just one slippery slope of bad deeds after another. Banquo? Gone. Macduff’s family? Not safe either. Why? Just so he can keep clinging to power. Unlike typical heroes who put others first and protect the innocent, Macbeth will throw anyone under the bus to get what he wants. It shows a real lack of moral backbone—a signature trait of our not-so-friendly anti-hero.

We can't ignore Macbeth's tragic flaws either—he has them in spades! One biggie is his uncontrollable ambition. While wanting success isn't necessarily bad, for Macbeth it spirals way out of control leading him down a dark path:

“I have almost forgot the taste of fears;
The time has been, my senses would have cool'd
To hear a night-shriek, and my fell of hair
Would at a dismal treatise rouse and stir
As life were in't: I have supp'd full with horrors;
Direness, familiar to my slaughterous thoughts,
Cannot once start me.” (V.v.10-16)

This part shows he's become numb to all the terrible stuff he's done—a real sign of how deep his ambition problem goes. This flaw seals the deal on him being more anti-hero than tragic hero because it drives him toward ruin while showing off his sketchy morality.

Conclusion

So there you have it: Macbeth's move from honored warrior to terrible king lines up with being an anti-hero rather than your classic tragic hero type. With motivations fueled by selfishness, morally dodgy actions everywhere you look—and those fatal flaws pushing him over the edge—it’s clear where he stands on this spectrum. Sure he might tick some boxes for a tragic hero with noble roots and an unfortunate end but overall? His story challenges old ideas about heroism making us question power dynamics along with unchecked desires lurking within each one us…a real cautionary tale if ever there was one!

Bibliography

• Shakespeare, W., Bate J., & Rasmussen E.. (Eds.). (2011). Macbeth. The Royal Shakespeare Company.
• Muir K.. (Ed.). (1951). The Arden Shakespeare: Macbeth. Methuen & Co.
• Parker P.. (1984). Witches in Macbeth: The Cultural Background. Oxford University Press.
• Kermode F.. (2000). Shakespeare’s Language. Allen Lane.
• Curry W.C.. (1937). Shakespeare's Philosophical Patterns. Louisiana State University Press.