Tragic Heroes in the Plays of Shakespeare are Great Men and not Common People

Essay by faatimahnetUniversity, Bachelor'sB, January 2007

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One interesting thing that can be noted in the tragic heroes of Shakespeare is that only great men are termed as tragic heroes. The tragedies of Shakespeare are not tragedies of common man but it is the tragedy of people of great heroism and this can be seen in both Macbeth and Othello. The fact that both plays bear the name of the titular hero shows the greatness of these protagonists. Macbeth as well as Othello are qualified as man of great estate since their actions affect not only them but the whole nations . In both Macbeth and Othello the tragic hero right from first Act of the play enjoys a prestigious position in the Elizabethan society. Thane of Glamis is the first title which Macbeth has and afterwards he becomes Thane of Cowdor since he has protected his monarchy. Othello is a dignified soldier of the Venetian society.

Audiences as well as readers can see that the titles that both Macbeth and Othello has are indeed something more than personal. It is something national as they are representatives of their kingdom.

Shakespeare is remarkable is the presentation of the heroism of his tragic heroes. Right from commencement of his plays the valor of the tragic heroes is made manifest. Through a well-crafted technique Shakespeare portrays his tragic heroes. Before they make their entrance on stage we hear about them from other characters of the play . Moreover he makes use of lots of imagery to emphasize on the courageousness of his tragic protagonist. At the start of the play of Macbeth the Jacobean audiences and the modern readers already know about the protagonist. In Act I Scene 2 the bravery of Macbeth is stressed so as to already to have Macbeth being projected as...