Similarities Between Macbeth And Nixon

“When the President does it, that means that it is not illegal.” Richard M. Nixon states during an interview with David Frost during May 19, 1977. Both Macbeth And Richard Nixon live by this quote. Weird, considering they could not contrast more. Focusing on the similarities and differences between Shakespeare’s fictional Macbeth and nonfiction Nixon conveys a message of character flaws causing the abuse of power. One real, one fake, one a murderer, and the other a liar... Macbeth is a fictional general from Shakespeare’s The Tragedy of Macbeth, who conducts a series of semi-successful murders to become the King of Scotland around the eleventh century. Richard M. Nixon, the 37th President of the United States, is one of the main conspirators

The Richard Nixon character flaw is also blind ambition believing the rare fallacy of being above all of the government's checks and balances, leading to the infamous Watergate Scandal as Cloud states, “ During the [Nixon] campaign a group of burglars working for the Committee to Re-elect the President broke into the headquarters of the Democratic National Committee at the Watergate office-apartment complex in Washington, D.C., apparently in search of political intelligence. Attempts by the White House to stop or frustrate the ensuing investigations ultimately failed when Nixon's own White House tape recordings revealed the president and his assistants had engaged in an obstruction of justice” which Richard Nixon attempts to cover up (9.2-9.3). Richard Nixon’s fatal shortcoming is a course of ambition with a side of reverse diplomatic immunity. He thinks since he is the president, he can do whatever he wants; obviously, this idea is not valid. Nixon’s complete obliviousness to the repercussions of this scandal conveys an underlying theme; Nixon’s drive for success is dangerous to plenty of people. Macbeth’s flaw is over-ambition leading to his hands, causing a series of murders to claim the throne of Scotland. Macbeth wants to be king so badly he murders the current one as Macbeth utters to his wife, “I Have done the deed. Didst thou not hear the noise” after he murders King Duncan ( 2.2.14).

Macbeth and Nixon have very glaring differences: Macbeth is fictional while Nixon is real, Macbeth is a king in a monarchy government while Nixon is the leader of democracy, etc. Nonetheless, Macbeth and Nixon resemble the qualities of a tyrannical leader and a tragic hero. Both former men of honor who commit acts which later leads to the improvement of the greater good. The signs are evident. Both subjects gain prestigious status, have a detrimental shortcoming causing them to commit horrors, and both men’s ends improve the quality of life of their subjects. Believing one’s self is above the law will lead to one’s downfall and destruction of his/her reputation; consequently, Macbeth and Nixon definitely witness this. Hypothetically, if Mr. Nixon did not receive any ramifications, the world would not only differ in history but also in direction. One word would describe the future of the Earth;