(A Comparison/Contrast between Macduff and Prospero)

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Recommended: Shakespeare's influence during the Elizabethan Era

William Shakespeare is nothing if not a genius. According to Amanda Mabillard, “Shakespeare influenced every generation of writers since his death and he continues to have an enormous impact on contemporary plays, movies, and poems.” He conceived several classic pieces of literature, all unique in their own right. They all have different characters, plots, et cetera. But if you sit down and think about it, it is not hard to come up with similarities between his plays. In the case between Macbeth and The Tempest, there almost isn’t a character from one play that doesn’t have a counterpart in the other. But, I had to choose two. So for this prompt, I’ve chosen Macduff from Macbeth and Prospero from The Tempest. Macduff from Macbeth and Prospero from The Tempest can be compared and contrasted in their motives, carrying out their revenge, and what they do once they gain power.
Initially, Macduff from Macbeth and Prospero from The Tempest can be compared and contrasted in their motives. In comparison, they both take action to reciprocate what has been done to them. In Macbeth, Macduff is a neutral character for most of the play. But, Kendall Latryce claims that “Macduff, also known as the King of Fife, becomes a very important character in the play once his family becomes involved.” This is very true; once Macbeth sees him as a threat, he has Macduff’s wife and son killed. The rest of the actions he takes in the play are motivated by this. In The Tempest, Prospero has been wronged by his brother, Antonio. During a trip on the sea, he and his daughter are cast away on a lifeboat, and end up on an island. His brother then takes his place as duke of Milan, providing him his motives. In contrast, Macduff has reason to act with more sever...

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...nt today in many ways. His themes, often encompassing more than just death, love, and power, are still very accessible.” This is why we continue reading his work, and discover things like the similarities between Macduff and Prospero.

Works Cited
Blazak, Spence. "William Shakespeare's Legacy: An Age of Adaptations." The Daily Targum. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Jan. 2014.
Curry, Walter C. "Revenge in Shakespeare." Tobermorey.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Jan. 2014.
Davidson, Arden. "Chatacter Analysis of Prospero in Shakespeares Tempest." By Arden Davidson. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Jan. 2014.
Latryce, Kendall. "The Tragedy of Macbeth: Character Analysis: Macduff." The Tragedy of Macbeth: Character Analysis: Macduff. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Jan. 2014.
Mabillard, Amanda. "Shakespeare's Influence on Other Writers." Shakespeare's Influence on Other Writers. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Jan. 2014.

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