Macbeth

Macbeth Aristotle defines tragedy as “an imitation of action that is admirable, complete and possesses magnitude.” A tragedy must be preformed by actors and not through narration and, if done correctly, produce a feeling of catharsis at its finale. A tragedy must contain six essential parts to be complete according to Aristotle; plot, character, dictation, thought, spectacle, and song. Macbeth, by William Shakespeare is a perfect example of an Aristotelian tragedy due to into numerous structural parallels to Aristotle’s Poetics. Macbeth, through it use of many principles laid out in Aristotle’s Poetics, is regarded as an Aristotelian tragedy. The plot is referred to as the “soul of a tragedy” by Aristotle. In the case of Macbeth the plot is complex. In order for a complex plot to be complete it must contain numerous aspects. There must be an instance of suffering, some form of active circumstance and a change in fortune brought about by a reversal, recognition, or both. A reversal is an occurrence when a character produces an opposite effect than originally intended, whereas, recognition is a change from ignorance to knowledge. In Shakespeare’s Macbeth both recognition and a reversal are present. Macbeth experiences a state of recognition when he realizes macbeth, king, tragedy, however, macduff, must, murder, witches, wife, duncan, ambition, true, through, story, reversal, recognition, plot, play, out, man, killing, kill, crown, character, because, achieve, woman, upon, tragic, thee, suffering, states, one, macbeth’s, life, goodness