Macbeth

A universal story is one that holds is value through time. Macbeth is considered to be a classic even though it was written hundreds of years ago. Finally there is an instance of suffering in the play. One scene that includes suffering is the brutal murder of King Duncan at the hands of Macbeth. In Macbeth the activating circumstance is the witches, for it is the witches that assist in the leading of Macbeth to his down fall. By offering him predictions of the future to Macbeth is given the key to open the door to his own demise. The witches however, do not make Macbeth's choices for him, they simple feed this ambition with prediction of greatness. .
             In Aristotle's definition of tragedy it states that a story must be serious. Macbeth is filled with acts of betrayal and murder creating a serious mood. In the beginning of the play Lady Macbeth urges Macbeth to kill King Duncan to achieve the crown. At first Macbeth is unwilling upsetting Lady Macbeth to the point that she states, "Come you spirits/ That tend on moral thoughts, unsex me here/ make thick my blood/ Stop up ht" access and passage to remorse;/ Come to my woman's breast,/And take my milk from gall (I.v.40-47). However, after accusing her husband of not being a true man he gives into his wife. On his path to achieve the crown Macbeth successfully murders his king, the wife and children of Macduff, and hires murders to kill Banquo, the next in line for the crown. .
             The second most important aspect of tragedy according to Aristotle is character. A character must have the traits of goodness, be true to life, and consistency. Macbeth exhibits each of these traits through out the play. Macbeth is first shown to be a man of goodness in the fact that he is a victorious general and a prestigious thane. However he is plagued by ambition which eventually leads to his downfall. Even though he is a murder, he still exhibits remorse and guilt for his actions.