Question

What is a tragic impulse?

Answer 1

A tragic impulse is something that leads a character to act in a destructive and self-destructive manner. In Macbeth, both Lady Macbeth and Macbeth desire power but have no way to achieve it. Each of them acts in a way that is destructive to others and him or herself.

Answer 2

A tragic impulse is what leads a character to act in a way that could be considered destructive both to himself or herself and to others. Usually, the tragic impuse involves a character's decision that results in another decision that eventually triggers the character's destruction. Shakespeare's The Tragedy of Macbeth is one of the best examples of tragic impulse in literature.