Macbeth as the Most Tragic Work of Shakespeare

Shakespeare’s Tragedies
Each of the Shakespeare’s three tragedies covered during the semester depict the gradual decline of heroes who suffer and eventually die at the end. The sorrowful ending of Macbeth, Othello, and King Lear indicate that the three plays are tragedies. This paper explains why the three of William Shakespeare’s plays are tragedies.
Macbeth is arguably the most tragic of the three. Although Macbeth was a loyal subject at the beginning of the play, his ambition drives him to commit treacherous acts that lead to his downfall. After defeating armies from Norway and Ireland alongside Banquo, Macbeth had earned favor in the eyes of King Duncan and as a result, he was made the thane of Cawdor. However, with the prophecy of the witches and the influence of his wife, Macbeth engages in murderous acts, which depict him as a selfish tyrannical person eager to acquire and retain power by any possible means. His murder of King Duncan and his chamberlains while blaming the latter show how his ambition drove to commit unspeakable acts. He continues his immoral acts when he hires people to kill Banquo and his son as he sought to protect his throne. His eventual death at the end of the play cements his character as a tragic hero. While he thought he was invincible, his decline and death clearly show that the play is a tragedy. It is the most tragic of the three because of the great lengths Macbeth went to keep the throne, yet failing miserably at the end.
The unhappy ending in Othello also shows that it is a tragedy. The tragic hero, Othello, was a general, a man of high sta...