Comparing Macbeth And Hamlet By William Shakespeare

This is what sets Macbeth apart from Hamlet - while Hamlet delays killing his uncle because of philosophical concerns mainly due to the fact that Claudius is “fit and seasoned for his passage” (3.3.88) when he is praying, Macbeth loses all honor once he decides that power is more important than relationships and sacrifices his conscience when he murders Banquo. Before the witches have gotten into Macbeth’s head, he is a very close friend to Banquo, just like Horatio is to Hamlet. However, once the witches give Macbeth the prophecy that he will become king, and after he has murdered Duncan, Macbeth starts to turn on Banquo, remarking that, “our fears in Banquo stick deep, and in his royalty of nature reigns that which would be feared” (3.1.52-54).

Macbeth’s death reflects the concept of fate and destiny, while Hamlet’s death can be described as a “subjective mistake”. Their death’s have been brought upon by their relationships with the supernatural because the witches gave Macbeth prophecies that he acts upon; Hamlet is given a mandate by his father’s ghost that he feels compelled to follow - and both men then make decisions based on these interactions that lead them into evil and eventually the assassination of a king. Macbeth and Hamlet lose their moral compass as a result of this supernatural interaction, although Hamlet is able to retain his sense of honor. Both Hamlet and Macbeth are two of Shakespeare’s most famous tragic heroes; they are honorable men that are led to their deaths by a tragic flaw that they realize when it is too late. While their flaws differ in the fact that Macbeth’s is “vaulting ambition” while Hamlet’s is (debatable) inaction or the fact that he thinks too much, both of them are made victims to their own superstitions and doubts due to the hypnotic trance and psychedelic aura that the supernatural beings have been transferring onto