Similarities: Oedipus/Macbeth
Could anyone predict kingship to be so laden with undesirable fates? Both Oedipus and Macbeth wore the crown and both found it among their more laborious tasks to maintain their status. However, the comparisons of the two do not stop there. Macbeth and Oedipus bare resemblance in a variety of characteristics, and in the characteristics of their fate. Needless to say, there are indeed dissimilarities between the two kings but it is their congruity that gives us valuable insight into the burdens of power and its addictive appeal. Oedipus and Macbeth share one profound affinity-they are kings who fall from power due to the innate inadequacies within themselves.Originally, they both become kings by reacting to what supernatural forces tell them. If the supernatural forces had never influenced the two, neither would have attempted occupying the throne. The function of the supernatural forces is fundamental in the journeys of both heroes. The oracle advises Oedipus to seek vengeance upon the murderer of the former king, Laius, in order to put an end to the plague. The three Weird Sisters, on the other hand, tell Macbeth, that he is destined to be king. Exactly how the messages are construed is what le
As the play progresses, he begins to show his true colors as a callous dictator. This quote exemplifies the rapport he and his people share: "Poor children! You may be sure I know / All that you longed for in your coming here. His confidence almost leads him to a feeling of pure omnipotence, exhibited best when he boasts: "Bring me no more reports, let them fly all; / Till Birnam Wood remove to Dunsinane, / I cannot taint with fear. '" So, he believes no man birthed by a woman will ever procure power greater than his. " Here, he uses the term "sick" to refer to the feeling of disgust and pain he shares with his community. True, he has brought detriments to his people but is sincerely ignorant of the harm that his actions produce. I have argued that Macbeth is a malevolent ruler and Oedipus a benevolent one, but in the end their rule is no more and that fact of the matter remains. If you seek a moral or a lesson look not in these men but the kings into which they evolve. Quoting Vidura in the ancient Indian text, Mahabharata,"The intoxication with power is worse than drunkenness with liquor and such, for who is drunk with power does not come to his senses before he falls. Macbeth, on the contrary, is fully aware of his misdeeds, and perpetually exploits them to his advantage. It is greed and gall that lead to Macbeth's abysmal downfall and eventual death and the hands of Macduff, his enemy. First of all, Oedipus is clearly the better person of the two. Oedipus never intentionally mistreats those under his empire; quite the contrary, his actions prove him to be quite selfless.
Common topics in this essay:
Oedipus Macbeth,
Thebes Sphinx,
Birnam Wood,
Macbeth Send,
Weird Sisters,
Rex Oedipus,
Macbeth Oedipus,
Quoting Vidura,
KING'S PREDICAMENT,
oedipus macbeth,
supernatural forces,
born woman,
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Acceptance Essays
