What is Macbeth’s Tragic Flaw and Tragic Flaws in Christopher Nolan’s Batman

Introduction

Aristotle recognized six fundamental elements of being a tragic hero, three of these elements being Hamartia, Anagnorisis, and Catharsis. A pair of fictional characters that possess these traits are Macbeth and Batman, also known as Bruce Wayne. Both Macbeth and Batman experience a tragic flaw, yet they do not experience the same one. Macbeth’s tragic flaw is that he is too ambitious, while Batman’s flaw is his obsessiveness. Their shortcomings are both major plots in their stories and help build upon the climax.

Macbeth’s Tragic Flaw: Ambition

As a result of Macbeth’s ambition, he gets persuaded by evil to do things he would never have done at the beginning of the story: such as killing the king to obtain his power and hiring murderers to kill his best friend to maintain that power. Throughout the play, Macbeth experiences circumstances, such as encounters with the witches, that send him into a quick spiral of madness. After receiving the prophecy of becoming king, Macbeth is persuaded by his wife, Lady Macbeth, to murder the king and ensure that the prediction comes true. After Macbeth murders King Duncan, he claims he hears voices and instantly feels remorse. In Act 2 Scene 2, he states: ‘I thought I heard a voice cry sleep no more! Macbeth does murder sleep’ This is just the beginning of his descent into madness. As the story continues, his insanity becomes evident to both the reader and the characters in the play. His guilty conscience creeps upon him and pushes him past the breaking point. So past the point of return, he doesn’t even bat an eye when receiving news of his wife’s suicide. His ambition is also what eventually leads to his death. After he speaks to the three ghosts summoned by the witches, he becomes excessively overconfident and believes Macduff cannot kill him since he is a woman born. But in a comedic turn of events, Macduff turns out to be birthed from a c-section and can kill Macbeth. In the end, his ambition led him to his demise.

Batman’s Tragic Flaw: Obsessiveness

Batman’s tragic flaw is how obsessed he becomes. Since the death of his parents, Bruce becomes infatuated with protecting the streets of Gotham and seeking justice. He is obsessed to the point that he isolates himself from the people he cares about most. His unwillingness to admit that there is a problem or attempt to solve it, combined with his tendency towards violence, makes him suffer internally. He has seen the worst of humanity, both as Bruce Wayne and Batman, and it has made him cynical and distrustful. He is frightened to let people in, fearing they will be hurt or killed because of him. And while this isolation allows him to think and solve crimes more efficiently, it leaves him lonely and unhappy. However, Batman uses his setbacks to overcome his weaknesses. As shown in Batman’s The Dark Knight when Bruce Wayne says in response to Alfred, ‘Bats frighten me. It’s time my enemies shared that dread.’ Bruce uses what frightens him the most to mask that fear and seek justice. He uses his power to do good and help the city of Gotham, unlike how Macbeth chooses to use his authority.

Conclusion: Contrasting Approaches to Power

Macbeth and Batman differ in one obvious way, how they use their power. Macbeth uses his authority as the newly titled Thane of Cawdor to get close to the king and strike. Even if it means killing people who might stand in his way, he will do whatever it takes to become king. In contrast, Batman uses his power for good and to help others, even to his detriment.

References

1. Nagel, James. “The Tragic Hero: In Defense of Batman.” Journal of Popular Culture, vol. 46, no. 3, 2013, pp. 601-615. DOI: 10.1111/jpcu.12021.

2. Idrees Ibrahim. “The Tragic Flaws of Macbeth: A Psychological Perspective.” International Journal of English Language and Literature Studies, vol. 4, no. 3, 2015, pp. 1-7.

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