The play Macbeth by William Shakespeare is about how Macbeth’s characterization changes after he can’t reject the temptation around him. A tragic hero possesses the four qualities--occupy an extraordinary talent, a noble birth, “fall” due to flaws in his own personality, face downfall with courage and dignity. Adolf Hitler also possesses this tragic hero qualities. Based on these characteristics, Hitler can be compared and contrasted to Macbeth.
Both Macbeth and Hitler share multiple similarities that classify them as tragic heroes. One such similarity includes that characteristic of their extraordinary talent. In the beginning of the play, Macbeth’s characteristics include a brave and heroic battle skill. In Act one, the play states that “For
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The first difference is that Macbeth owns a noble birth, but Hitler doesn’t. In Act 1, King Duncan states that “O valiant cousin! Worthy gentlemen!”(1,2,26) This quote displays that Macbeth is born to be a noble, he’s the King of Scotland’s cousin. It is important because it shows that Macbeth owns one of the quality of tragic hero. Unlike Adolf Hitler, he is born in a normal family. According to the Jewish Virtual Library, “Hitler was the son of a fifty-two-year-old Austrian customs official, Alois Schicklgruber Hitler, and his third wife, a young peasant girl, Klara Poelzl, both from the backwoods of lower Austria. He was deeply hostile towards his strict, authoritarian father and strongly attached to his indulgent, hard-working mother, whose death from cancer in December 1908 was a shattering blow to the adolescent Hitler”. This quote shows that his parents are died in Hitler’s early life, and how normal his family is. In addition, Macbeth and Hitler also differ in the way of facing the downfall. In the play, Macbeth’s brutality mind is his tragic flaw, it causes the retrogradation of Scotland and people’s betrayals. In Act 5, the doctor states that “Were I from Dunsinane away and clear, Profit again should hardly draw me here”(5.3.61-62). This quote describes the doctor decides to leave Macbeth’s castle forever after he sees Macbeth’s condition. People in Scotland think Macbeth is a bad leader and …show more content…
He moved there in February 1908. But in that beautiful old city things would go quite poorly for Hitler. He would eventually wind up sleeping on park benches and eating at charity soup kitchens. His years of misery in Vienna would also be a time when he formulated many of his ideas on politics and race which would have immense consequences in the future”(“The Rise of Adolf Hitler”) This quote displays that after his mother died, Hitler becomes more firm and tough, it leads a great ambition to him. Additionally, according to United States Holocaust Museum, “The party's rise to power was rapid. Before the economic depression struck, the Nazis were practically unknown, winning only 3 percent of the vote to the Reichstag (German parliament) in elections in 1924. In the 1932 elections, the Nazis won 33 percent of the votes, more than any other party. In January 1933 Hitler was appointed chancellor, the head of the German government, and many Germans believed that they had found a savior for their nation”(“The Holocaust: A Learning Site for Students”). This quote shows Adolf Hitler is getting stronger, and he uses his excellent public oratory ability gains support from German citizens. It is significant because it shows downfall makes Macbeth infamous and weak in Scotland, but it makes Hitler reputable and powerful in Germany. Even though later he kills all
As the play Macbeth by William Shakespeare went on, the friendship and comparison of Macbeth and Benito Mussolini grew. Both of their actions forced them into power and made them the historical features they are today. The cause of their terrible actions lead them to their death. Throughout the play Macbeth, Macbeth shows many similarities to Benito Mussolini because both used other people to push them to power, lost that power and were both brutally killed.
The quote, “Man is not truly one, but truly two.” can be analyzed from a behaviorally or mentally aspect. Physically, man is one, but if you delve deeper into the man, he can be separated into two parts which creates a whole man. In the play Macbeth and in the novel Lord of the Flies, some of the characters can be split into two conflicting parts. The characters are neither entirely good or entirely bad. In both the novel and the play, something happens to the characters that made them split into an evil side, thus creating two men.
William Shakespeare's play Macbeth is a five-act drama that shows a clear example of how pride, greed, and power can alter a man's actions and personality. The taste of power blinds the story's main character, Macbeth. Sparked by Lady Macbeth, he becomes heartless and cruel as he kills anyone who is a threat to his power due to his paranoia of losing the throne. This fear ironically leads to his downfall and loss of the throne. The theme of the story is deceit and evil and how they affect a man's decisions.
Hitler was a military and political leader of Germany from 1933 to 1945,he was the one launched World War Two. While Macbeth was a Scottish Military general and Thane of Glamis. Seen as a brave and advantageous man who was responsible for the death of Duncan, the King of Scotland. Hitler had a deep desire for power. It was when Germany was in distress economically and politically, Hitler saw his window to rise to power. Macbeth had always desired power, but it wasn’t until he was tricked by witches into believing that he would one day become King and the Thane of Glamis.
The concept of ambition as seen in William Shakespeare’s Macbeth and Adolf Hitler’s rule of Nazi Germany is the cause for both the rise and downfall of those whose ambition consumed them. When an individual or group is ambitious in gaining power by immoral ways, there is little to do to stop them from trying to achieve their goals. In Shakespeare’s time, those higher up in society such as nobles, wealthy land owners, and those of royal blood were constantly in search of more and more and would do whatever it took to obtain their desires. Macbeth was written to show how ones ambitions can over take morals and delude right and wrong. One of the most infamous men
Secondly Lady Macbeth shows more ambition then Macbeth does in terms of gaining power regarding kingship. When Macbeth does not want to murder Duncan anymore, for he recognizes that he is a kind man, good king and thinks Duncan should remain the king. Lady Macbeth however shows more ambition for power, becomes very upset upon learning how Macbeth feels how he doesn’t want to kill King Duncan anymore, she says “And Live a coward in thine own esteem” (1.7.46) meaning she’s calling him a coward for not wanting to kill Duncan and thereby gaining power. She convinces him to change his mind to want the power of kingship now, which can only be achieved by killing Duncan.
In the early 1600’s, William Shakespeare penned an Aristotelian tragedy ‘Macbeth’ which provides his audiences both then and now with many valuable insights and perceptions into human nature. Shakespeare achieves this by cleverly employing many dramatic devices and themes within the character of ‘Macbeth’. Macbeth is depicted as an anti-hero; a noble protagonist with a tragic flaw that leads to his downfall. This tragic flaw of Macbeth’s, heavily laden with the themes of ‘fate or free will’, and ‘ambition’, is brought out by Shakespeare in his writing to present us with a character whose actions and final demise are, if not laudable, very recognisable as human failings.
Unquestionably, Macbeth and Lady Macbeth show how ambition mixed with greed and unchecked morales can ultimately lead to one’s downfall. Shakespeare excellently portrays this through the main characters in his play Macbeth. By using two protagonists, Shakespeare allows the reader to view two different ways the meaning of the play can have an effect on people. Undeniably, the Macbeth’s greed based off ambition is thoroughly shown throughout
In the play Macbeth by William Shakespeare, the author tries to show the true nature of man by using the play’s main character, Macbeth, as an example. He is overly ambitious, courageous, and self-doubting. Throughout the play, Shakespeare displays these characteristics to the audience through Macbeth to show the true nature of man. At the end of the play, these characteristics ultimately lead to Macbeth’s downfall.
Macbeth: Shakespeare's Comparisons and Contrasts. Throughout Macbeth Shakespeare uses comparison and contrast to bring out characteristics of his main character, Macbeth. Shakespeare uses comparisons with Duncan, Lady Macbeth, and Banquo to bring out aspects of Macbeth's character. After hearing of Macbeth's courageousness on the battlefield, Duncan, a good and honest king, bestows the title of Cawdor on Macbeth.
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.
In William Shakespeare’s Macbeth it is taught of how one’s ambition can take the wrong turn to be confused for greed. Macbeth used the advice of the witches to determine his journey of becoming king. Throughout the story Macbeth takes the prophecy of the witches and acted in an evil manner by going on a killing spree. In order to become king he thought that the easiest way was to annihilate anyone that could stop him from doing so. Everyone has some sort of ambition to become the best of the best as no one would like to fall short to anyone. Donald trump was a man with a vision that he thought could possibly become president of the United States. Trump used his multi-millionaire company to help him get ahead in his journey of reaching his goal. Both titles of King and President can be compared as one because the president and king is ultimately above all. Donald Trump and Macbeth are two people that share the same characteristics of how they used their ambition and greed to come out on top to ultimately become kings. Both men are well known in society today for their ability to overcome obstacles, their ability to degrade
They both shared many qualities when it came to ambition taking over them. They both manipulated there way into power, and they also believed they were invincible. Hitler killed millions of innocent people and Macbeth killed the people that loved him. In Macbeth, Shakespeare shows us the side effects of ambition. It’s like a drug that makes you believe you are indestructible and makes you act irrational. For example it says, "I have no spur to prick the sides of my intent, but only vaulting ambition, which o 'erleaps itself, and falls on th 'other" (Macbeth). The quote illustrate Macbeth desire for more power, his ambition drives his reasoning for killing the king. This is how he justifies it to himself. He 's saying he as nothing against the king its just part of the prophecy and his desire to gain more power. Lady Macbeth is also to blame when it comes to the death of King Duncan, she was the one that questioned Macbeths manhood and pressured him into murdering Duncan. It says, “Glamis thou art, and Cawdor, and shalt be What thou art promised. Yet do I fear thy nature; It is too full o ' th ' milk of human kindness. To catch the nearest way. Thou wouldst be great, Art not without ambition, but without. The illness should attend it” (Macbeth). As you can see Macbeth has the ambition to get more power its just he is questioned if he would really have the nerve to kill
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.
Macbeth is a very complex character whom reflects man's thirst for power through the drastic changes of his personality; thus being one of the slightest reasons in which make this intriguing character, greatest of all Shakespearean’s well-known works.