“As falls the dew on quenchless sands, blood only serves to wash ambition's hands” (Byron). Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein and William Shakespeare’s Macbeth both experience the plague of ambition, so much so that they inadvertently allow the powerful force to invade their lives and corrupt them.The overwhelming guilt over the death of loved ones and the mental illness that follow suit after achieving their goals, are depicted in both stories. The negative consequences of ambition left both characters unable to wash the guilt from their hands and mentally and physically ill. To begin, the negative consequences of Macbeth and Victor Frankenstein’s ambitions lead both down a road of unforgivable acts and ultimately an overwhelming sense of guilt. Frankenstein, causing the conviction of innocent Justine Moritz and the death of his very own …show more content…
Victor’s guilt is soon to appear after his monster kills his brother William but, the mental and physical illnesses creep in almost instantaneously after his monster takes its first steps as “a nervous fever ...[confines] [him] for several months” (Shelley 46). During a state banquet, Macbeth on the other hand believes he sees the apparition of one of his victims Banquo, yelling that “[t]hy bones are marrowless, thy blood is cold;”(Shakespeare 3.4.94). Lady Macbeth, trying to convince the attending lords that Macbeth’s actions are purely the result of a physical illness, which is likely the case as well, attributes it to him “[growing] worse and worse” (Shakespeare 3.4.117). In both cases, the men are driven mad by what their ambitions have lead them to do. Frankenstein dwelling on his unspeakable creation loses his physical health, and Macbeth who allows his ambition for power to show him visions of a ghost no one else can see are truly unfavourable consequences of
Ambition is frequently seen as desirable - it provides purpose, motivation to work hard, and a goal to strive towards. Yet it also has a dangerous side, when it becomes too great and out of control. Although ambition is often positive, excess of it can have detrimental effects. This unrestrained ambition is predominant in the tragedy of Macbeth. In this play, Shakespeare employs the use of hallucination, blood, and prophecy motifs to emphasize the theme of ambition, which, when goes unchecked by moral constraints, wreaks destruction upon an individual.
Both Mary Shelley’s, “Frankenstein”, and William Shakespeare’s, “Macbeth”, present strong and noble men who end up taking the wrong paths in their lives. Both texts show what happens when a man is overpowered by his weaknesses. In this case, ambition appears to be at the center of their downfall. Both protagonists go against the natural order of society to achieve their goals, and as a result, both suffer from mental instability. Macbeth defies the Divine Right of Kings as well as the Great Chain of Being, two hierarchal structures that were used to govern the Jacobean society, as he unrightfully tries to become King.
In every tale of power and evil, there are similarities and differences to do with the antagonists and protagonists. In the Novel Lord of the Flies by William Golding and the Play Macbeth by William Shakespeare, there are analogues between the Lord of the Flies antagonist Jack, and Macbeth’s protagonist Macbeth. They both share a lust for power but too have different stories when it comes to that lust for evil.
An evil lives, buried deeply or just below the surface, within us all, just waiting to emerge. In the books Frankenstein and Macbeth, the two main characters commence and conclude the story as two comprehensively disparate people, entirely transformed by their actions and encompassing environments. Ignorance and knowledge, two recurring themes in the book Frankenstein and the play Macbeth, are polar opposites, yet work effortlessly together when comparing and contrasting the two readings. The epitome of their downfall throughout the storylines, both characters suffer from either an abundance, or lack thereof, of knowledge. Both characters are monstrous in their own ways, while at the same time being far from similar in the respects of their
Typical of Shakespeare’s works, the play Macbeth has a protagonist who ultimately experiences a downfall that lead to his demise. The protagonist or tragic hero of this play is Macbeth, once brave and honorable, who eventually becomes tyrannical and feared by many due to what Abrams describes as his “hamartia” or “error of judgment or, as it is often…translated, his tragic flaw.” In this case, Macbeth’s tragic flaw proves to be ambition; however, he cannot be held solely responsible for his downfall. As a result of many outside influential factors, including the witches’ prophecies and a rather coaxing and persuasive wife, one should not hold Macbeth entirely culpable for his actions and tragic end.
Ambition can drive people to do spectacular things. It can also drive people to perform very narcissistic actions. It all depends on the intent and value of the act. In William Shakespeare’s tragedy Macbeth, written in 1606, conflict is clearly driven from the vaulting ambition of the determined protagonist, Macbeth. When ambition begins to consume an individual, relationships deteriorate and conflict arises. During the time the piece was written, an interest of the supernatural was amongst the people of England, and chiefly from King James I, the ruler at the time. The supernatural influences within the play drive the plot forward, creating a whole new realm of conflicting ideas, and character personalities clashing against each other. The direct physical conflict between characters throughout the play is very apparent due to the outcome of the quarrels, which is often fatal. With any struggle comes a battle internalized inside of a characters head, resulting in internal conflict. Conflict is inevitable to drama, and plays a major role in this Jacobean-era play.
When individuals experience ambition, their lives can change drastically. Macbeth describes how his life begins to change when his ambition brings guilt into his life: “will all great Neptune’s ocean wash this blood / clean from my hand” (II.ii.78-79). Shakespeare describes how ambition can lead to unavoidable regret. Macbeth takes many lives, and will never rid himself of his victims’ blood. However,
Abraham Lincoln once said, “Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man’s character, give him power.” In Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, Victor Frankenstein has the misfortune of losing his beloved mother, which provokes him to create life. In Shakespeare’s Macbeth, Macbeth is a highly regarded warrior, who is brave and loyal to his king, but is corrupted by supernatural forces and driven to murder for what he wants. Adversity and hunger for power are not the only traits Frankenstein and Macbeth have in common; they both have a strong ambition, are lonely characters, and are tragic heroes.
Shakespeare’s Macbeth showcases the effects that guilt can have on a person. One can see both outcomes through Macbeth as he slowly degrades from the person he had been to the monster he became as a result of his sin and lack of confession as well as through Lady Macbeth as the guilt takes over her life, filling her with depression and eventually leading her to her end in the form of suicide.
The feeling of guilt is a strong emotion in ‘Macbeth'. Macbeth tries to take the throne in a variety of heinous ways and as a result he feels repercussions of his guilt as he carries out his murders. Literary elements are scattered throughout ‘Macbeth’ are used to progress the reoccurring theme “The Horrors of Guilt"
Macbeth further explores how the unchecked passions and greed of Man can corrupt his rational thoughts and actions. This ultimately develops into a loss of moral conscience and rationalism leading to their eventual damnation. Through Macbeth, Shakespeare exposes the flawed nature of Man’s values and audiences’ timeless struggle to find moral highground when corrupted by their desires.
Serial killers, many wonder why they murder others. Lovers, many wonder why they act differently once they fall in love. The answer is not all that easy to discern. William Shakespeare shares his opinion on these in Macbeth and A Midsummer Night’s Dream. By utilizing violence in Macbeth, he shows the corrupting power of ambition and the impact of emotions on decisions. In contrast, in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, the four lovers’ feelings for each other show the blinding nature of love. Though he differentiates themes and moods throughout his plays, he uses both plays to give insight into the philosophy of the time. Using characters’ actions as evidence, Shakespeare contends that people act based on their fate, relationships, and feelings.
A masterful playwright and poet named William Shakespeare in the Seventeenth century wrote both the tragedies Macbeth and Othello. In William Shakespeare’s Macbeth, the idea of one character becoming both victim and villain is introduced. Macbeth falls prey to others’ deception, and is supplanted with greed and hate when three witches trick him. When told that he is going to be King of Scotland, Macbeth does whatever he can to insure his property. In Macbeth’s quest for power, he gains a flaw that ends in a deteriorated relationship with Lady Macbeth, and his eventual defeat. Shakespeare’s tragedy Othello, written in 1604, is based on a tale that circulated in books at that time. Othello is one of Shakespeare’s most romantic heroes. Othello is solemn, self-controlled, and steeled by the experience of countless perils and hardships. Iago is very angry with Othello for not making him second in command. Therefore, he is dedicated to revenge. He nearly accomplishes his plan because of his power and uncanny ability to fabricate the truth. This untruthfulness leads to the death of his one and only love, Desdemona, as well as, bringing about his own demise. The similarities between these two men go far beyond coincidence; however, there are many points in the two men that are undisputedly different.
...ambition causes ill-fated repercussions is expressed through Shakespeare’s motifs of blood and violence in the play Macbeth. Macbeth and Lady Macbeth’s corrupt motivations resulted in dire consequences of guilt, and unavoidably, death. Motivation, as many know, is the main element towards success. Those who want to reach their goals are required to be ambitious. But, the relationship between action and ambition is crucial. Misguided ambition leads to misguided actions, and those destructive actions lead to even more vile actions. Macbeth’s first selfishly ambitious action led to all his evil actions that followed, as he transitioned from an honorable warrior to a paranoid and ruthless tyrant. Ambition consists of two paths: the reward of success or the consequence of downfall. Which path one decides to take, however, is the ultimate deciding factor in their fate.
Shakespeare’s “Macbeth” explores a fundamental struggle of the human conscience. The reader is transported into the journey of a man who recognizes and acknowledges evil but still succumbs to its destructive powers. The character of Macbeth is shrouded in ambiguity that scholars have claimed as both being a tyrant and tragic hero. Macbeth’s inner turmoil and anxieties that burden him throughout the entire play evoke sympathy and pity in the reader. Though he has the characteristics of an irredeemable tyrant, Macbeth realizes his mistakes and knows there is no redemption for his sins. And that is indeed tragic.