In the complete history of philosophy, Sophie's World, by Jostein Gaarder, the beliefs of three famous Greek philosophers, Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle, are discussed. According to the book, Plato's philosophy consisted of the idea that all beings were formed from a universal “cookie cutter” that resembled its perfect form derived from a higher state of being. Aristotle, Plato's most famous student, did not accept his teacher's philosophy. Instead, Aristotle argued that every being is alone in this world. According to Aristotle, a tragic hero is a person of high and noble rank whose downfall is caused by some weakness or moral flaw. Using Aristotle's philosophy, we can therefore conclude that a tragic hero can stand alone in the world and undergo changes that could alter the term “tragic hero” and its validity. An ideal example of this is William Shakespeare's play, Macbeth. In “The Scottish Play,” Macbeth's heroic qualities are clear early in the play. As the play progresses, Macbeth displays moral weakness that leads to his downfall. In the end, Macbeth gives up all his heroic qualities, eventually becoming a tyrant. All these events show that Macbeth undergoes multiple personal changes that prevent him from being labeled as a tragic hero. The play Macbeth begins with the main character Macbeth portrayed in a positive light. At the beginning, Macbeth is seen as a brave Scottish general who fights valiantly and bravely. At the time, Macbeth also held the honorable position of Thane of Glamis. At the beginning of the first act, Macbeth contributes to the defeat of the Irish rebels who challenge Scotland. Macbeth manages to defeat the traitor Macdonald, winning glory for Scotland and further strength...... middle of paper......I was, or even a tragic hero. The story of Macbeth is a catastrophic tale full of terrible events and heroic qualities. However, the status of these qualities changes too often throughout the play to correctly label Macbeth as a hero, tragic hero, or tyrant. One way to put it is that Macbeth does not fit the “cookie cutter” tragic hero archetype, as in Plato's philosophy. Instead, he resembles a complex character who stands alone, as in Aristotle's philosophy. As a result, Macbeth's character is too ambiguous to be properly labeled as a tragic hero. Works Cited Gaarder, Jostein. Sophie's World A novel on the history of philosophy (Fsg Classics). New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2007. Print.Shakespeare, William. Macbeth (Folger Shakespeare Library). New York: Washington Square, 2003. Print.