The books Slaughterhouse-Five, Animal Farm, Fahrenheit 451, and Macbeth, though different in plot, are actually quite similar in terms of theme. All of these books share the theme of knowledge. The plot of each of these narratives revolve around it. Although these narratives do share the theme of knowledge, Kurt Vonnegut’s Slaughterhouse-Five interprets knowledge differently than the other novels. While the other authors portray knowledge as being power, Vonnegut portrays knowledge as being useless, unless you are an authoritative figure. In Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451, the theme of “knowledge is power” is much more prominent than in the other narratives. This novel focuses on the importance of classic literature in our modern society. …show more content…
The phoenix and the salamander, were two of the most frequently used symbols in this book. The phoenix represented hope, books and knowledge, while the salamander represented the fire department, greed and destruction. George Orwell’s fable Animal Farm is another literary work, which encompasses the theme of “knowledge is power.” In this allegorical fable, the pigs, the smartest among the animals, use their knowledge to manipulate and take control over the other animals on the farm. Unlike Ray Bradbury in Fahrenheit 451, Orwell portrays knowledge as a tool to take advantage of others in order to gain power. In William Shakespeare’s brilliant play Macbeth the theme of “knowledge is power” is heavily clouded by other, more prominent, themes. Such as greed, ambition, and fate. However, the play does, still contain the theme of “knowledge.” Shakespeare demonstrated this theme in a way that is very similar to that of Animal Farm. He portrays knowledge as a tool to manipulate others. For example, at the beginning of the play, Macbeth, the protagonist, is visited by three witches, who called themselves the weird sisters. At this point the witches use their knowledge of Macbeth’s fate to manipulate him and twist his mind into one of a