Murder or Hero, Sometimes It's Hard to Tell While someone who kills and is malicious would be hard to see as a hero, once the evidence is shown there is no denying that Macbeth , from William Shakespeare's Macbeth, qualifies as one. Although his lifestyle may be difficult to understand, Macbeth is a tragic hero. This statement can be made because throughout the work it meets all the criteria necessary to be classified as such. Macbeth has a very clear and defined downfall and also has the power to attract the pity and attention of the audience which classifies him as a tragic hero. The word hero generally refers to the greatest and bravest around, but when looking at a tragic hero there is a list of clear qualifications that they must meet. Macbeth may be sinful and evil, but with a little insight one can see that he falls into this category. A tragic hero must be a good person or someone of high status, someone with power and at the beginning of the play we are introduced to a Macbeth who is praised by kings and thanes. We hear of him after a battle in Normandy and he is given new titles, "the noble Macbeth has conquered" (I.II.68). Even though Macbeth did not make it into the play, the reader already had an image of him as someone of high rank and position, loved by those around him, thus proving that Macbeth meets the qualifications. Even though the reader would rather despise Macbeth and watch him die, there is something about him that will evoke emotions of pity and support. It captures the reader and then guides them through the story. Even if you don't want it, you take pity on its humanity and then it becomes recognizable. When he questions himself and his surroundings “he cannot be sick; it can't be good... it's stifled by conjecture,...... middle of paper... the action itself is. He draws the audience in and then takes them for a walk in his shoes, showing how easy it is to succumb to evil and the welds of power. This ultimately solidified his role as a tragic hero. It can be seen that although Macbeth may be the cause of the tragedy, his heroic self is still visible through the clear criteria he meets, his quick and clear downfall, and his ability to influence the reader. Although it is difficult to imagine Macbeth as a hero, he fits the bill. Works Cited Shakespeare, William. Macbeth. Missauga; Canadian School Book Exchange, 1996. Print. “Principle Topics” Shakespeare for Students: Book 1 Ed. Mark W. Scott. London: Gale Research Inc. 1997 237-238. PrintBasso, Lisa. “Free us from Macbeth”. The tragedy of Macbeth. Ed. Dom Salioni, Chris Ferguson, Dr. Tim Scott. London: International Thomson Publishing, 1997. 146-147. Press.