Aristotle defined a tragic hero as a literary character who "falls into misfortune through some flaw" (Aristotle's poetics). William Shakespeare's Macbeth from Macbeth, Christopher Marlowe's Dr. Faustus from Dr. Faustus, and Thomas Hardy's Tess from Tess of the D'Urbervilles, are three of literature's most celebrated tragic heroes. Each one of these protagonist's downfall comes as a result of his or her tragic flaw. To develop their respective characters and their flaws, Shakespeare, Marlowe, and Hardy all strategically sprinkle anecdotes throughout their works. These anecdotes draw attention to the protagonists and illustrate how they are affected by the evil external and internal forces that ultimately lead to their demise. Macbeth is considered one of history's most infamous tragic heroes. Despite evidence of moral values and potential for being a good person at the beginning of the play, Macbeth's susceptibility to other's influence and his blinding ambition ultimately lead to...