A Comparison of Macbeth and Oedipus the King Essay

A Comparison of Macbeth and Oedipus Rex The objective of this essay is to compare the Shakespearian tragedy Macbeth to the Greek tragedy, Oedipus Rex. Although the plays share similarities, it will be seen that the fall of Macbeth is very different from that of Oedipus. Macbeths downfall is due to his own personal decisions while the downfall of Oedipus is due to fate and the will of the gods. In Greek tragedy plot was always emphasized over character; everyone wore masks. These masks would seem to mask a persons character. This would make the character seem more universal. The mask-wearing protagonist lacks individual personality and character. This makes catharsis more relevant because the protagonist is not as†¦show more content†¦The Ancient Greeks experienced fears about life that we dont have. Oedipus wasnt portrayed as a butcher in Oedipus Rex but he did some very wrong deeds. We dont see him as a butcher because we know that it was not his fault but was all the doings of the gods. In Macbeths case it was not the will of the gods but Macbeths own decisions that caused him to do his terrible deeds. However, it might seem to us that Macbeth was an evil butcher but because of Shakespeares soliloquies we know Macbeths inner thought and we see him wrestling with his own guilt. This helps us to portray him as more of a man than just an evil butcher. Oedipus never does a soliloquy. This means that we dont really know the inner Oedipus or what he is thinking. He is just a pawn of fate and is not in control of his actions, it would seem, like Macbeth is. Macbeth kills people through his own controllable actions whereas Oedipus killed Liaus in an uncontrollable rage and didnt realize that he was actually the king of Thebes. Shakespeares soliloquies make us see that Macbeth is not really as bad on the inside as he may appear to be on the outside. The soliloquies let us see what Macbeth is thinking. In Macbeths Tomorrow and tomorrow... soliloquy, for example, we see how he is reflecting on how fickle life actually is. These are not the thoughts of an evil madman but a guilty and despairing human being. I think this is what makes Shakespeare such a good writer because he employsShow MoreRelated Macbeth and Lady Macbeth in Theory and Practice Essay2862 Words   |  12 PagesMacbeth and Lady Macbeth in Theory and Practice    Shakespeares Macbeth has been the subject of scholarly research in terms of ambition, politics, and sexuality. The most predominant analysis is that of the relationship between Macbeth and Lady Macbeth. This relationship in theory is full of sexual innuendo, maternal power, gender transgression, and violence. In reading multiple essays on the psychological nature of the relationship one question came to mind: to what extent are the charactersRead MoreEssay Prompts4057 Words   |  17 Pageswork as a whole. Avoid mere plot summary. You may select a work from the list below or another novel or play of comparable literary merit. Alias Grace Middlemarch All the King’s Men Moby-Dick Candide Obasan Death of a Salesman Oedipus Rex Doctor Faustus Orlando Don Quixote A portrait of the Artist as a Young Man A Gesture Life Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead Ghosts The Scarlet Letter GreatRead More The Theme of Justice in The Crucible Essay3133 Words   |  13 Pagestragedy. In Miller’s essay ‘Tragedy and the Common Man† he explains how few tragedies are written because people do not want to read about what happens to kings and saints but how it relates to them and how events or situations effect common people. â€Å"I believe that the common man is as apt a subject for tragedy in its highest sense as kings were.† Miller gives a good example in ‘The Crucible’ with John, showing how anyone can be a hero. â€Å"I think it is honest, I think so; I am no saintRead MoreAnalysis Of Shakespeare s The Tempest 2603 Words   |  11 PagesShakespeare, they think of plays like Romeo and Juliet, Macbeth or Hamlet. One of the most influential plays written by Shakespeare is not one listed above. The play that reflects the life and all of Shakespeare?s plays is The Tempest. This work was and still is influential in both America, Britain and around the world. Although William Shakespeare was an influential writer in American and British literature, The Tempest reaches beyond a comparison to the new world- America and points to an autobiographicalRead MoreAmerican Literature11652 Words   |  47 Pagesthey are not always (see below). Figurative Language Figurative language involves a comparison between two things--a literal term, or the thing being compared, and a figurative term, or the thing to which the literal term is being compared. As Perrine states, figurative language is a way of describing an ordinary thing in an un-ordinary way. Simile A simile is an explicit, or clear and direct, comparison between two things that are basically unalike using dead-giveaway words such as like