Lady Macbeth: A Tragic Heroine The definition of a tragic hero is much more than a heroic character with a tragic ending. In William Shakespeare Macbeth there are many detailed qualifications to be the tragic hero. Although it is said that a Shakespearean tragic hero must be male, it is highly questionable that Lady Macbeth is a potential contender as a tragic hero in the play Macbeth replacing the main character, Macbeth. First, an important feature of a Shakespearean tragic hero. The tragic hero is that one must suffer outwardly and inwardly, which happens to Lady Macbeth for most of the play. The first episode in which Lady Macbeth shows acts of suffering is the constant reference to removing the blood from her hands. For example, after taking part in the killing of the king, Lady Macbeth begins to become mentally ill, meaning she constantly thinks that Duncan's blood is still on her hands from that night. This is a clear example of how he suffers internally and externally as he is said to constantly wash his hands to try to remove the blood from his body. As Lady Macbeth said, "Here is the smell of blood again: all the perfumes of Arabia will not sweeten this little hand" (Macbeth 5.1.54-56). This shows that her brain is suffering and shows signs of mental illness as well as obsessive compulsive disorder which makes her believe that Duncan's blood cannot be removed from her hands. Likewise, Lady Macbeth shows signs of external and internal suffering when she walks in her sleep due to her guilty conscience and does and says things due to B.Morris 2The remorse she suffers from. For example, during Lady Macbeth's sleep... middle of paper... beth 5.1.65) This leads to the final conclusion that Lady Macbeth has an incurable disease of the mind and foreshadows that she will soon die, once again requiring the audience to establish a personal connection, thus admitting pity for her. On the other hand, Lady Macbeth also conveys a message of fear to the audience as she presents relatable situations that might scare others in the same situation. That being said, Lady Macbeth sends signals to elicit both pity and fear from the audience, which is a very important character trait to possess while being the tragic hero. To summarize, although the traditional definition of a Shakespearean tragic hero is said to be male in gender, the character, Lady Macbeth from the play Macbeth, portrays multiple marks that apply to the characteristics of a Shakespearean tragic hero.