Essay Comparing Macbeth And Frankenstein

The play Macbeth by William Shakespeare and the book Frankenstein by Mary Shelley both profoundly present the theme of evil. Beginning with violent acts, dealing with emotional distress, and ending with the deaths of the main characters, this powerful theme of evil makes the stories both memorable and captivating. While both Macbeth and Frankenstein explore the theme of evil differently, Macbeth provides a higher degree of evil due to the physiological depth of the characters through the misleading effects of ambition, the psychological burden caused by desire, and the use of metaphors. Macbeth and Frankenstein showcase the topic of ambition, while Macbeth has ruthless ambition for power, Frankenstein has the desire to create life attempting

Macbeth’s deteriorating mental state illustrates the devastating effects of evil on the human mind. Macbeth suffers while he continues to try and avoid his impending downfall “O, full of scorpions is my mind, dear wife!” (3.2.36). The soliloquies of Macbeth show the audience how he feels internally while he depicts an opposing personality externally. Macbeth creates a meaningful connection between the readers and Macbeth which creates a sense of empathy towards him as we understand his struggles, evil and good. In Frankenstein, we are more emotionally detached from the characters as the theme is creation and abandonment. While Frankenstein’s problems are straightforward, Macbeth has a complexity of perspectives engaging the reader more. The evil of the human mind is shown thoroughly throughout the stories, “I beheld the wretch—the miserable monster whom I had created. He held up the curtain of the bed; and his eyes, if eyes they may be called, were fixed on me.” (Shelly 46). Macbeth encompasses a more enticing and descriptive psychological perspective of the evil in one's

“Fair is foul, and foul is fair” (1.1.11) is an important quote meaning that things may appear good although they represent evil. It reflects the evil nature of the play and the moral confusion which is forecasted. “Stars, hide your fires/ Let not light see my black and deep desires.” (1.4.50-51) Macbeth’s evil intent is shown here as it represents his dark plans which are to come, Macbeth describes his evil intent as black and a deep desire. Frankenstein's monster expresses his loneliness and isolation by referring to himself as an abortion, “I, the miserable and the abandoned, am an abortion, to be spurned at, and kicked, and trampled on” (Shelly 200). This represents despair in a world in which he is not accepted. By comparing himself to something so dehumanizing such as abortion we see the evil in society. Macbeth’s metaphors representing evil are far more symbolic as they are used countless times throughout the