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Guilt In Macbeth And Kite Runner

488 Words2 Pages

The tragedy play Macbeth by William Shakespeare and the novel Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini are both stories about devastated characters who are plagued by their own guilt. Macbeth and Kite Runner both demonstrate that during the aftermath of a betraying deed, guilt will arise and will have a detrimental influence on one’s behaviors if one fails to redeem. It is initially the event of disloyalty that sparks the remorse of the individuals who perform it. In addition, if the guilt – ridden individuals fail to redeem themselves, their guilt will worsen and eventually lead to the destruction of their own lives. In both stories, the events of disloyalty are the main reasons for the guilt that the characters possess. In Kite Runner, Amir is accompanied …show more content…

As Assef, tortures and rapes Hassan in the alleyway, Amir cowardly watches. Amir does not return the loyalty Hassan has for him as he fails to protect Hassan. Immediately, Amir acknowledges his betraying actions, and begins feeling guilty for what he hadn’t done. ’I watched Hassan get raped,’ I said to no one…A part of me was hoping someone would wake up and hear, so I wouldn’t have to live with this lie anymore…I understood the nature of my new curse.” (91). His feelings of remorse continue to follow him into his adultery, as Amir states he has been “peeking into the that same deserted alley for the last twenty – six years.”. (1) In Macbeth, events of betrayal also arise, which results in the guilt that the main characters start to inherit. Macbeth, who was initially a brave and respected nobleman of Scotland, performs an unforgiving deed by killing his loyal counterpart, King Duncan, to be crowned king and satisfy his ambitions. Initially, King Duncan viewed Macbeth as a trust – worthy and loyal individual as he is “in double trust” with Macbeth. Despite the loyalty and trust that Duncan expressed towards Macbeth, Macbeth’s prophecies and Lady Macbeth’s convincing words were enough to motivate his ambitions to betray King Duncan. However, after committing the murder and claiming the crown, Macbeth is unable to enjoy his superiority. This is predominantly due to the growing sense of guilt that has plagued him for

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