# data[].attributes.body
Tragic Hero:
Macbeth is a symbol of tragic hero considering his character traits leads to his downfall. In this case it is his ambition and strive for power that makes him take poor decision. for instance we see

# data[].attributes.headline
Emma, cecilia og sarah kirk - faith and free will

# data[].attributes.subject
Emma, cecilia og sarah kirk - faith and free will

# data[].attributes.body
Macbeth's faith is determined by the three witches; "All hail, Macbeth ! that shalt be king hereafter."
It can be argued if Macbeth's faith is controlled by himself or the witches. In the beginning Macbeth has the free will to decide wheather he should kill King Duncan or not, but Lady Macbeth convinces him to carry through the regicide. In following quotation Macbeth doubt is illustrated; "We will proceed no further in the business: He hath honoured me of late"

# data[].attributes.headline
Frederik, Marc and Morten - Ambition and Power

# data[].attributes.subject
Frederik, Marc and Morten - Ambition and Power

# data[].attributes.body
A very important and central theme in Macbeth is "Ambition and power".

We see how this brave and loyal warrior is turned into a awful and horrible person, because of ambition an power. His personality changes because of the power he achieves throughout the story. His ambition of becoming king and the power it will bring him, is overwhelming. He can not control it, and he ends up killing and manipulating people, to recieve the power.
Macbeth is turned into a horrible person who forgets his responsbilities as king and human being. Power and ambition can therefore be a illussion and ideal which affects the human being to do horrible things.

It can also be compared to the modern society we live in today. In the everyday life, we see how people are controlled by things such as power and money. And we see how people are willing to do almost everything to achieve this power, we are all seeking for.

# data[].attributes.body
Macbeth in many ways embodies the very idea of a tragic hero. When the story begins, Macbeth has in his possession all the qualities of a hero: he is fearless, couragous, and an inspiring leader of men, "For brave Macbeth (well he deserves that name) disdaning furtune, with his brandished steele, which smoked with bloody execution, Like Valour's minion, carved out his passage, till he faced the slave."(p. 3, ll. 16-20) However, as the story progresses, we see the one fatal flaw which transforms him from a hero to a tragic hero. This flaw is of course ambition, which deceives him and leads him down a path of darkness and misery, both for himself, his country and his countrymen, "I have almost forgot the taste of fears. The time has been, my senses would have cooled to hear a night-shriek; and my fell of hare, would at a dismal treatise, rouse and stir, as life were in 't. I have supped full with horrors: Direness, familiar to my slaughterous thoughts, cannot once start me" (p.217, ll.9-14).

When Macduff confronts Macbeth, he serves as the protagonist against Macbeth who is now an antagonistic tragic hero. As they confront eachother, we feel sympathetic towards Macbeth because we have seen him become the monster and tyrant who Macduff says he is.

# data[].attributes.body
One of the themes in MacBeth is ambition or power. Lady MacBeth is most ambitious, which is seen by the quotation: “… and you shall put the night’s great business into my dispatch.” (p. 37, ll. 65-66). This shows her thoughts about killing Duncan. She sees it as a “great business” and is willing to get her hands dirty to ascend to the throne. MacBeth is in the beginning only doing it for the sake of Lady MacBeth, but he likes the power that follows being king. Once he says: “Our fears in Banquo stick deep” (p. 95, ll. 48-49), which is of course founded in the prophecy, which could be interpreted as Banquo’s sons being a threat to the throne. MacBeth does not want to lose this power, which makes him afraid of Banquo. This analysis is also supported by the fact that MacBeth is willing to kill so many people to preserve the power.

# data[].attributes.headline
Sigrid, maiken og Sarah F - Gender and masculinity

# data[].attributes.subject
Sigrid, maiken og Sarah F - Gender and masculinity

# data[].attributes.body
Characters in Macbeth frequently crash on issues with gender and masculinity. The method which Lady Macbeth uses to convince Macbeth to commit regicide is by questioning his manhood: "(...) From this time / Such I account thy love. Art thou afeard / To be the same in thine own act and valour / As tour art in desire? (...) / And live a coward in thine own esteem (...)" (p. 45, ll. 38-43).
In the story, masculinity is often equalled with strength. This becomes apparent in Lady Macbeth's wish to become sexless: "(...) Come, you spirits / That tend on mortal thoughts, unsex me here / And fill me, from the crown to the toe, top-full / Of direst cruelty! (...)" (p. 35, ll. 38-41). This could be seen as a wish to become less feminine and therefore stronger.
In addition to this, Lady Macbeth is not a typical female figure as she appears as the far more dominant one in the relationship, which is quite the opposite of the established gender roles during this period.

# data[].attributes.headline
Mille, signe og Esther - fate and free will

# data[].attributes.subject
Mille, signe og Esther - fate and free will

# data[].attributes.body
A central theme in Macbeth is Fate and Free Will. The three witches occur several times during the play, putting fourth different prophesies that effect Macbeth. In act 1, the three witches arrive on the battle field, and they tell Macbeth that he will be 1) Thane of Cawdor, 2) King of Scotland. At first Macbeth does not believe the witches, but after being given the title Thane of Cawdor he begins contemplating killing King Duncan: “My thought, whose murder yet is but fantastical” (p.23, l.139). However, Macbeth is uncertain whether or not he should act upon the prophecy or simply just wait for it to happen. Ultimately in scene 3, he concludes that he should refrain from acting: “If Chance will have me king, why, Chance may crown me, Without my stir.” (p. 23, ll. 143-144).
Macbeth is controlled by the witches prophesies, because he acts in order to fulfill them. This happens several times during the play, both when he kills King Duncan, Banquo, and when he kills Macduff's family. He chases the prophesies and stops at nothing. This tells us that Macbeth is controlled by fate, because he acts according to what he believes is his fate. He is very doubtful as to whether he should act or not, which tells us that he wishes he could free from his fate (as told by the witches). However, ultimately fate has the last word in the matter.

# data[].attributes.body
One of the main themes in the play is gender roles. In the beginning, Lady Macbeth appears to be the dominant one since she tries to persuade Macbeth to commit regicide. She has a thirst for power and is very resolute. For example, she adduces that she would kill a baby whom she loved if she had promised to do so (p. 47, ll. 55-59). On the other hand, Macbeth is indecisive and anxious.

At one point, however, the roles switch. Macbeth is determined to kill Banquo and has a lust for power, whereas Lady Macbeth is having doubts and appears to be rather reluctant. She is plagued by guilt, and her womanly tenderness starts to show. From this moment she becomes more and more unstable, which is expressed when she sleepwalks. She says: “Out damned spot! Out, I say!”

# data[].attributes.body
Fate & Free Will

"Fate and Free Will" is a very central theme in Macbeth. The three witches tell Macbeth that the prophecies says that he will be king: "All hail, Macbeth ! that shalt be king hereafter." You cannot conclude whether it would had happened or not if he had not acted on the prophecy. On one hand it could be free will because Macbeth on his own free will decided to kill the king. Maybe the witches tempted and tested him, and owing to this it cannot be fate. On the other hand it can be fate because Macbeth acts according to what he believes is his fate.

# data[].attributes.body
Aristotle defined a tragic hero by four criteria. The four criteria are all met by Macbeth.

1. Criteria is that the character must start out in a high position in society which Macbeth clearly does.

"For brave Macbeth—well he deserves that name"

2. He must have a tragic flaw. In Macbeth's case this is his ambition that leads him to kill duncan to fulfill the prophecy. His ambition is not "normal" ambition. It is ambition that leeds him to never being satisfied.

3. The heros tragic flaw must lead him to fail. It can be argued that lady Macbeth and the witches played Macbeth, but it is himself that makes the decision to kill.

4. The heros punishment for the crime must be worse than the crime itself. Macbeth "only" dies which at the time was seen as suitable punishment for murder. However it can be said  that his punishment is not fully deserved as he was actually tricked.