Similarities Between The Truman Show And The Great Gatsby

How often are characters in novels or movies doomed because of their actions to get what they want? In F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby, William Shakespeare’s Macbeth, and the film The Truman Show, we see how the decisions of certain characters ultimately turn out to have a negative effect on their lives or on the lives of others, as well as the similarities and differences of the characters tragic flaws. How do the weaknesses of characters lead to their tragic downfalls? In The Great Gatsby, Jay Gatsby’s tragic flaw is his desire to re-live the past as opposed to living in the present day. He is obsessed with trying to recreate the time he had with his former lover, Daisy Buchanan, who is now married to someone else. In an argument

After three witches prophesied that one day fate will make him king, Lady Macbeth urges him to kill the king in order to gain the crown. He does so, but once he killed King Duncan there were several more people that he had to kill in order to maintain the assurance of being king. After he has murderers kill Banquo, whose children are prophesied to be kings later, the ghost of Banquo visits him at his coronation banquet. “Which of you have done this? […] Thou canst not say I did it: never shake/Thy gory locks at me.” Macbeth cannot face the fact that Banquo has been murdered and does not want to be held responsible for his death. The more people that Macbeth kills, the more blood is on his hands, symbolizing guilt that cannot be washed away. After Macbeth succeeds in killing many people the three witches have three more prophecies for him. “Macbeth! Macbeth! Macbeth! Beware Macduff, beware the thane of Fife.” This prophecy states that Macduff is out to get Macbeth and that he must be prepared. After this prophecy he orders that Lady Macduff and the children be murdered. “Be bloody, bold, and resolute: laugh to scorn the power of man; for none of woman born shall harm Macbeth.” This prophecy comforts Macbeth in that only someone who was removed from their mother’s body could kill him. “Macbeth shall never vanquished be until great Birnam wood to high Dunsinane hill

The main similarity between these three characters is their ambition to accomplish their goals. They all had a purpose, whether it was Gatsby winning back Daisy, Macbeth becoming and remaining king, or Christof dictating Truman’s life. They all wanted their dreams to be a reality and did so in a negative way. Gatsby started working in the bootlegging business to earn money, Macbeth killed people to become king, and Christof isolated a man for the world’s entertainment. There are also differences between all of these characters. Macbeth and Gatsby both died in pursuit of their goals whilst Christof just failed, his life was not taken but 29 years of someone else’s life were for Christof’s popularity. They all qualify as tragic heroes in the eyes of Aristotle. All three came to a miserable end, Macbeth and Gatsby lost their lives in the fight for their missions and Christof lost over 30 years of preparation for a cause that could not be completed. All the characters were important people in society, Macbeth was a king, Gatsby was a wealthy bootlegger known by many, and Christof was the dictator of a utopia. They all used different methods to achieve their goals and they all ultimately