In the essay "the tragic hero: from oedipus to batman," macbeth's hamartia (reason why the tragic hero causes tragedy to happen) is his ambition to become king. the essay continues: in shakespeare's macbeth the hero is a thane (a minor ruler) in scotland. he's the ambitious type though, so he murders the king of scotland and becomes king himself. this crime leads macduff, another thane, to cut off macbeth's head. in your response, argue for the idea that macbeth's hamartia is actually hiswife'sambition, not his own ambition. be sure to use specific details from the play to support your idea.