Aristotelian Tragedy Macbeth

Many of Shakespeare’s plays follow Aristotelian ideas of tragedy, for instance Macbeth does a decent job in shadowing Aristotle’s model. Aristotle describes one of the most important elements of a tragedy to be a tragic hero. The tragic hero however must present certain qualities such as nobility and virtue. In the play Macbeth, Macbeth is a perfect example of a tragic hero. Macbeth begins the play coming home from battle, he is said to have fought with great courage and King Duncan himself awards him the title of the thane of Cawdor in reward for his bravery. The qualities make Macbeth a tragic hero as he possesses not only a noble title, but also the assets of a great warrior and hero. However, Aristotle emphasizes that if the tragic hero was as perfect as he seems than the audience would not be able to identify with him and this would not be considered a tragedy. Macbeth shows us his humanity very early in the play when he learns that Malcolm, Duncan’s son, will be the heir to the throne of Scotland. In response, Macbeth acknowledges that he himself should be awarded the crown and will not rest until royalty is his. Macbeth is an ambitious character, which is a quality that many humans can identify with. This ambitiousness is known as Macbeth’s tragic flaw. This leads to Aristotle’s next component of a tragedy, the tragic flaw. The hero’s tragic flaw must lead to the downfall of the character; his demise can be caused by no one other than himself. Macbeth’s ambitious personality leads him to become caught up in attaining power for himself. Macbeth’s ruthless behavior causes him to commit murder to Duncan in order to gain kingship. Even after his wish comes true, he continues to sacrifice the lives of others, including his close friend Banquo, to assure that he never loses his throne. However, Macbeth does not go unpunished as he suffers countless dreams and illusions that drive him to insanity. The loss of his wife also brings Macbeth to his final denouement. In the end, Macbeth is killed by Macduff; because of his arrogance he believed he was invincible even after being told his fate. Macbeth reaches his end through the same way he lived his life, through murder and deception. Many argue over the fairness of Macbeth’s life, but the goal of a tragedy in Aristotle’s view point is to strike fear and pity in the audience through harsh punishment upon the hero in extreme ways. Finally, Aristotle claims that in order for a tragedy to be effective, the fear and pity must be released from the audience through catharsis. First the tragic hero must gain some knowledge from his tragic life. Macbeth shows this self-realization in his ‘yellow leaf’ soliloquy when he expresses remorse for his actions. Also, in the end he knows he must fight until the end whether his fate is death. At this point the audience is cleansed of the emotions of the plot and the tragedy is finished. Macbeth is a primary example of a typical Aristotelian tragedy. It follows the structure necessary from the tragic hero, to his downfall and ultimately to the catharsis necessary for an original Greek drama. The aspects of this play are a perfect example of the tragedies of that era. Aristotelian Tragedy Macbeth Many of Shakespeare’s plays follow Aristotelian ideas of tragedy, for instance Macbeth does a decent job in shadowing Aristotle’s model. Aristotle describes one of the most important elements of a tragedy to be a tragic hero. The tragic hero however must present certain qualities such as nobility and virtue. In the play Macbeth, Macbeth is a perfect example of a tragic hero. Macbeth begins the play coming home from battle, he is said to have fought with great courage and King Duncan himself awards him the title of the thane of Cawdor in reward for his bravery. The qualities make Macbeth a tragic hero as he possesses not only a noble title, but also the assets of a great warrior and hero. However, Aristotle emphasizes that if the tragic hero was as perfect as he seems than the audience would not be able to identify with him and this would not be considered a tragedy. Macbeth shows us his humanity very early in the play when he learns that Malcolm, Duncan’s son, will be the heir to the throne of Scotland. In response, Macbeth acknowledges that he himself should be awarded the crown and will not rest until royalty is his. Macbeth is an ambitious character, which is a quality that many humans can identify with. This ambitiousness is known as Macbeth’s tragic flaw. This leads to Aristotle’s next component of a tragedy, the tragic flaw. The hero’s tragic flaw must lead to the downfall of the character; his demise can be caused by no one other than himself. Macbeth’s ambitious personality leads him to become caught up in attaining power for himself. Macbeth’s ruthless behavior causes him to commit murder to Duncan in order to gain kingship. Even after his wish comes true, he continues to sacrifice the lives of others, including his close friend Banquo, to assure that he never loses his throne. However, Macbeth does not go unpunished as he suffers countless dreams and illusions that drive him to insanity. The loss of his wife also brings Macbeth to his final denouement. In the end, Macbeth is killed by Macduff; because of his arrogance he believed he was invincible even after being told his fate. Macbeth reaches his end through the same way he lived his life, through murder and deception. Many argue over the fairness of Macbeth’s life, but the goal of a tragedy in Aristotle’s view point is to strike fear and pity in the audience through harsh punishment upon the hero in extreme ways. Finally, Aristotle claims that in order for a tragedy to be effective, the fear and pity must be released from the audience through catharsis. First the tragic hero must gain some knowledge from his tragic life. Macbeth shows this self-realization in his ‘yellow leaf’ soliloquy when he expresses remorse for his actions. Also, in the end he knows he must fight until the end whether his fate is death. At this point the audience is cleansed of the emotions of the plot and the tragedy is finished. Macbeth is a primary example of a typical Aristotelian tragedy. It follows the structure necessary from the tragic hero, to his downfall and ultimately to the catharsis necessary for an original Greek drama. The aspects of this play are a perfect example of the tragedies of that era.

Contract law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Contract law - Essay Example Lastly, an advice will be given to the aggrieved parties, in this case Backstreet Boyos and Basil’s Bistro, based on the available legal redress mechanisms. Analysis of whether Lord Melbray v the Backstreet Boyos and Basil’s Bistro was a legally binding agreement The separate agreements, between Lord Melbray and the Backstreet Boyos for entertainment appearance on one hand, and that with the Basil’s Bistro for provision of lunches on the other hand, can be classified as legal contracts. This is because; a contract refers to an agreement that is entered by two individuals or parties voluntarily, with an objective to create a legal obligation for the performance of the agreement1. Lord Melbray approached the Backstreet Boyos and Basil’s Bistro for provision of their respective services during the wedding of his daughter, and the two parties willingly and voluntarily agreed to provide their services. Therefore, the first fundamental requirement for a legally binding agreement was met, since mutual consent acted as the basis of all the parties entering into the contract in question. A case in point is the case Balfour v Balfour 2 KB 571[1919]1, the husband, Mr. Balfour promised to be sending his wife $30 every month after the started living apart, but later rescinded the decision and asked that they separate. The wife sued for the continuous payment of the promised monthly payment, but the court held that since it was a voluntary move by the husband, in a domestic issue, the continued payment was unenforceable, since there was not any intention to make a legally binding agreement1. This step is followed by the evaluation of whether the necessary elements of a legally binding contract were present in the agreement made. For a contract to be considered legally binding; there requires being two basic elements, namely offer, acceptance, and consideration2. The provisions of the law of contract requires that the parties involved must agree on the contractual terms, through a meeting of the minds, without any party giving a diversionary view regarding the contractual terms, which would amount to a counter offer2. A case in example is the Smith v Hughes LR 6 QB 597 [1871], where the ruling held that should the conduct of an individual be that he is acting in a way that a reasonable will would believe that he was assenting to the terms proposed by the other party, then, the man would be bound as though he had intended to fulfill the agreement2. In the case Lord Melbray v the Backstreet Boyos and Basil’s Bistro, the parties involved agreed on the terms of the service, where Lord Melbray was to pay both the Backstreet Boyos and Basil’s Bistro for provision of their respective services, while the parties agreed to these terms, without varying the terms of the agreement. In this case, Lord Melbray made an offer, while the Backstreet Boyos and Basil’s Bistro accepted the offer as given. Consideration is yet another necessary element for an agreement to qualify as a legally binding agreement3. A consideration refers to something of value that the party making a promise, the promissor, should give to the promisee, in

What factors prohibits youth from re-entering juvenile detention Research Paper

What factors prohibits youth from re-entering juvenile detention centers - Research Paper Example It has also been seen that 88% of the children re entering the community are either 15 years old or more. However such is not the situation in all the cases and many of the juveniles are successfully absorbed back in the society. The reasons behind the repetition of offenses by the juvenile delinquents have interested the clinical psychologists. A study of the factors that successfully help the juvenile delinquents keep away from the detention center is necessary for the development of the community and this may reduce the number of cases of juvenile delinquencies (Youth Reentry, n.d). Review of current research A number of studies have been conducted to explain the offenses done by a child. Understanding the reasons behind the actions of an offender can help the psychologist eliminate the reason. One of the significant features of juvenile delinquencies has been gang behavior. The juvenile offenders often belong to a gang and commit crimes in the same. According to Roberts and Sprin ger (2007, p 200) the members of a gang have a sense of belonging to the group with feelings such as ‘looking out for each other’ and ‘staying together’. The gang works like a family where the other members deal with any threat posed to a gang member. Sometimes the older members of the gang pass on the traditions of the same to the new members. For a child from a disturbed family, getting included in a gang becomes a natural option in order to fill up the void created by the absence of a properly functional family. It also helps to nurture self-esteem within a child who is suffering from low confidence. Under such a situation the authors have advised to work on the strengths of the child. Sometimes the counselor may need to work on the strengths of the family...Introduction The Juvenile Act of 1973 declared that the children who were not suitable to return to their family were to be kept in a detention center that was separated from the adult delinquents. T hese out of the home facilities are called the juvenile detention centers. The juvenile criminal offenders are often separated from the community when they are perceived to be a threat to the society by placing them in these juvenile detention centers. In this way the detention centers offer a protection to the community as well as the juvenile delinquents. In these detention centers the children are supervised and structured programs are offered to them in order to reduce the ill effects of their confinement. The programs usually consist of educational aspects, recreational aspects and other developmental aspects to develop the social skills of the child with a view to help him return to the community after the release (Juvenile Detention Facility, n.d.). For successful rehabilitation in the community of the youths after their return from the detention center a number of measures must be taken.