Macbeth: A Tragic Hero The Macbeth character in Macbeth by William Shakespeare can be played many ways. Macbeth's relationship with other characters in the play and Aristotle's theory of a tragedy are ways in which Macbeth is shown as a tragic hero. At the very beginning of the play, Macbeth and Banquo are returning to Scotland from a fierce battle between the Norwegians and the Scottish. They have just won the war for Duncan. This shows a noble virtue of Macbeth, a requirement of a tragic hero according to Aristotle. It shows that Macbeth is a loyal person to the King and that he is a great warrior. As they are returning to Scotland, three witches appear and make prophecies about