Aristotle's Poetics

…

…tragic fall. Aristotle continues, this reversal must come about not by chance or as deserved retribution for evil deeds, but from some hamartia, variously translated as 'error in judgment' or 'tragic flaw': that is, some aspect of the hero's character that in itself is praiseworthy--but in excess, destructive. Macbeth gains sympathy from the audience due to his demeanor in the beginning of the play. He relates to the listeners from his reaction to the witc