Macbeth does not follow Aristotle's standards for a tragedy There have been many great tragic authors throughout history: Aeschylus, Euripides, and Sophocles of ancient Greece; Corneille and Hugo from France; Grillparzer and Schiller from Germany; and Marlowe, Webster and Shakespeare from England. Of this long list of men, Shakespeare is the best known. Many Shakespearean critics agree that Romeo and Juliet and Hamlet are great tragedies. Many critics also argue that Macbeth is a tragedy, but if one follows Aristotle's standards for a tragedy, Macbeth would not be a tragedy. To truly determine whether Macbeth is a tragedy according to Aristotle, one must first look at his guidelines. Most of Aristotle's standards refer to the fall of the central character. To prepare the character for the fall, Aristotle thought he should be middle class. This was because he felt that the poor had nothing to lose. He also believed that the fall must have been caused by a fatal flaw. Another feature that Aristotle thought was important was a conflict between the central character and a close friend or relative. According to him, the main character should also have an epiphany at the moment of his fall. Aristotle also believed that feelings of pity and fear should be felt by the audience during the performance. He thought these feelings would lead to catharsis, or the release of emotions. Although most of Aristotle's characteristics of tragedy had to do with the fall, he had two that did not. First, he thought the central character shouldn't be totally good or bad. This was based on the belief that the ruin of a completely good character would be too painful, and the ruin of a completely bad character... middle of paper... not even thanking his wife for the plan that made him king. Because of Malcolm's final speech, the reader is left with positive feelings, not negative ones. Overall Macbeth is not a tragedy by Aristotle's standards. Macbeth's fall follows the guidelines: he has something to lose, he has a fall, and he has conflicts with his friends and relatives during his fall. But the heart of the work, or the emotions created, simply do not follow Aristotle's standards. The reader should feel pity and grieve. However, there is no reason to feel this way because Macbeth is all evil, and in the end, the "good guy" is restored to power. Shakespeare put a lot of effort into trying to turn Macbeth into a tragedy, but he failed to do so. Works Cited: Shakespeare, William. “Macbeth.” The complete works of Shakespeare. Ed. David Bevington. New York: Longmann, 1997.