ipl-logo

Similarities Between Macbeth And 1984

1000 Words4 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Violence in society

The use of physical and psychological violence to rule over society has been explored in literature throughout history. Two examples are Macbeth by William Shakespeare and 1984 by George Orwell. Responsibility for violence depends on context, and the influences on the inflictor. The form of despotism affects this responsibility: an autocracy or oligarchy. Macbeth and the Party justify violence for power, sacrificing important human values and beliefs. Illusion and reality become blurred, producing paranoia. Violence effects the quality of human life.

Violence requires an initiator and inflictor. Macbeth is initiator and inflictor of regicide, murder and tyranny. Winston Smith rebels against the Party to escape daily psychological torture. …show more content…

Macbeth and the Inner Party rule their subjects tyrannically. Threats to Macbeth’s throne are eliminated as are Party members who think against Party dogma. The Inner Party and Macbeth sacrifice human morals, committing assassinations and murder, regardless of pain suffered by others. Macbeth feels guilt and remorse over Banquo’s death, and regrets regicide. The Party sacrifices non-regulated emotion for absolute power, justifying violence to achieve absolute control over the general public.

The Party and Macbeth sacrifice the value of human life, emotions and need for human relationships, which the reader holds dear. Macbeth kills Banquo, rationalising it as a necessary sacrifice to secure his throne. Likewise, the Party forbids relationships in speculation of the control it could lose to human emotional connections. Relationships become moot for Macbeth and the Party in their quest for …show more content…

Supernatural illusions including apparitions and witches influence Macbeth and others to commit violence. 1984’s illusion is propaganda, like the eternal war with a changing enemy and the forever-changing past, used to control the public. Both authors question a world where illusion and reality blurs and the social price. Shakespeare comments on the breakdown of an individual’s psyche. Orwell presents a society where reality is in question, and society’s collective psyche has fractured. Violent realities are impossible to live within. The reader reflects on reality and illusion in their own lives and beliefs they

Show More
Related
1956 Words | 8 Pages

With Macbeth being a general in the Scottish military, he had major influences on people and their daily lives. After the murder of King Duncan, Banquo’s suspicion of who committed the murders arose around a single suspect, Macbeth. Knowing that Banquo most likely knew the truth that Macbeth killed King Duncan, Macbeth went back to his evil ways with ease. Through his attendant, Macbeth summons three murderers. Shakespeare introduces the murders with stage direction “[Re-enter Attendant, with two Murderers]” (Shakespeare, 363), in which Macbeth he uses Banquo as bait in order to gain their graces and loyalty “That it was he in the times past which held you so under fortune, which you thought had been our innocent self: this I made good to you in our last conference, pass'd in probation with you, how you were borne in hand, how cross'd, the instruments, who wrought with them, and all things else that might, so half a soul and to a notion crazed, Say 'Thus did Banquo.'”

Read More
764 Words | 4 Pages

When soldiers from world war two went off and killed people, most people don't think about where that violence stems from but in a war . The nonfiction articles “The Men Who Pulled the Trigger” and “Bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki” shows that people put in bad situations do things that they don't even need to believe in just because it stems from hierarchy and environment and in the book Lord Of The Flies it suggests the same. The environment and hierarchy surrounding people cause violence. Both texts suggest that violence is caused by hierarchy.

Read More
734 Words | 3 Pages

Comparative Essay | 1984 and Macbeth | Question 1 In George Orwell’s 1984 and William Shakespeare’s Macbeth, human degradation can be seen but in slightly different ways to each other. Orwell connects with the values and beliefs of his readers by showing unjust social practices in the way of The Party. Shakespeare shows this when Macbeth is being degraded by the witches and Lady Macbeth. Orwell shows a large population being degraded whereas Shakespeare illustrates only one individual.

Read More
918 Words | 4 Pages

The cracks in the Macbeth’s “false face” begin to show after the murder, focusing on the symbol of blood concerning which Macbeth exclaims “Will all great Neptune 's ocean wash this blood Clean from my hand? No, this my hand will rather The multitudinous seas in incarnadine, Making the green one red.” (Pg. 183; 2.2.61). Macbeth recognizes the magnitude of his actions seeing that no matter how hard he may scrub there will always be a blood stain beneath the surface for having done such a terrible crime, something which will only build throughout the rest of the play. With this mindset, Macbeth becomes the one who takes the commanding role in the murder of Banquo, taking his own initiative by sending the murderers after his former friend and his son.

Read More
1113 Words | 5 Pages

Greed for power leads corrupt leaders to pursue power through ruthless and violent ways, putting their countries in an unstable state. Macbeth commits murders and violent acts to earn his absolute power, but his corrupt mindset of yearning power leads to instability in the Scotland. After hearing from the witches, Macbeth admits that, “My thought, whose murder yet is but fantastical/ Shakes so my single state of man/ That function is smother'd in surmise /and nothing is but what is not.”

Read More
1375 Words | 6 Pages

Firstly, Macbeth’s mental deterioration, due to his lust for power presents itself, when he decides to betray his best friend Banquo.

Read More
1064 Words | 5 Pages

William Shakespeare and George Orwell are two of the most iconic authors of all time. Although living in different conditions and time periods, both of their works show similarities in exploring human nature and defining humanity. Shakespeare’s Macbeth and Orwell’s 1984 both explore the human traits in different storylines and styles, but for a similar purpose. Not only do both pieces of literature deeply explore the themes of power and control, but also other aspects of human life such as fear and paranoia. By doing this in each author’s storyline, they connect with the values and beliefs of their readers.

Read More
1118 Words | 5 Pages

Jacob Pohlmeier Ms. York PAP English 10 21 February 2023 Violence influences change Violence can be good. How did America become a country? We fought a violent war. How did slaves become free?

Read More
619 Words | 3 Pages

Macbeth by William Shakespeare profiles the damaging psychological and physical effects of evil ambition. In this notable story the main character is prophesied to become king. In order to ensure this, he and his wife plot to murder the king. This is the first of many evil deeds which cause a change and ultimately the demise of Macbeth. Power, manipulation, and the shift of control are vast concepts employed in Macbeth; the want for power leads some characters to use manipulation resulting in a constant and indecisive shifts in control.

Read More
721 Words | 3 Pages

Macbeth confidence grows and it is becoming easier and easier to kill. Banquo through the manipulation of the Three Witches is seen as a threat so Macbeth decides the only option he has is the hire murderers to do his dirty work. At the start of the play Macbeth would have been discussing this with his wife but now the roles have almost switched for he tells her to “Be innocent of the knowledge, dearest chuck”. He has become a general and tells his wife what to do…”Let your remembrance apply to Banquo”. During this conversation he restates a quote she told him at the start of the play, “Make our faces vizards to our hearts” this quote played a big part because it really emphasized how different things have

Read More
778 Words | 4 Pages

In the book Shakespeare shows us how Macbeth gradually becomes hardened to his crimes and yet how he suffers from fears which he has brought on himself. Macbeth is known as a mighty and ambitious warrior, one of the leaders of Duncan’s army. A witches’ prophecy leads him to murder Duncan so that he himself can be king, but his conscience afterwards will never him rest. Banquo is known as Macbeth’s co-commander in Duncan’s army. He also hears the witches’ prophecies, but resists their temptation.

Read More
892 Words | 4 Pages

Macbeth for what he continues to do and Lady Macbeth for what she caused. The audience sits in awe as Macbeth descends into madness. First He kills his friend and confidant because he is afraid of his sons. Banquo had been faithful to Macbeth through it all and was practically Macbeth’s brother, and yet Macbeth sees him as a threat and disposes of him.

Read More
604 Words | 3 Pages

Moreover, following Banquo’s murder, Macbeth’s guilt is revealed through visual hallucinations of Banquo’s ghost. Furthermore, when Macbeth hears of his wife’s death, Macbeth believes life is meaningless and is nothing “but a walking shadow...” (Shakespeare V.v.24-28). To summarize, the desire for power and murderous deeds leads to Macbeth’s immense guilt, ultimately leading to his mental decline.

Read More
1931 Words | 8 Pages

After killing Banquo Macbeth evokes fear from the audience. Yet at a banquet thrown in honor of Macbeth’s new title of King, Macbeth begins hallucinating about the ghost of Banquo haunting him, this not only ruins the evening, but causes the audience to question the mental deterioration of Macbeth. Yes he is to be feared for his actions taken against Banquo, but the audience is left to question if Macbeth’s actions are not still reactions from the prophecies the witches gave him. They played on his ambitious tendencies and clearly manipulated him, which draws pity, although Macbeth is acting on his own, not under the constructs of any direction which causes fear of what he is capable of. In this moment with the apparition of Banquo the audience has to question the confounds of Macbeth’s sanity, it is easy to fear Macbeth because of what he is doing, but circumstances such as these and the encounters with the Weird Sisters make it difficult for the audience to despise Macbeth, instead they take pity on what they view as a delusional mind.

Read More
760 Words | 4 Pages

Power is always coveted in any society and the world of Shakespeare’s Macbeth is no different. In the play, Macbeth, a noble lord, shows his hunger for power with thoughts to remove an heir to the throne from power. Macbeth’s impatience to be king leads him to stain his honor by using murder. Macbeth travels further down the path of evil by arranging the assassination of a friend.

Read More

More about Similarities Between Macbeth And 1984

Related Topics

Open Document