Comparing Macbeth And Animal Farm

AO3 = explain links between the texts, evaluating writers’ different ways of expressing meaning and achieving effects

The witches were the very first factor in Macbeth’s progression to becoming a power hungry and bloodthirsty character. Their speech was always laced with a hint of truth but mostly false hope as they were creatures of the supernatural. Their half prophecies played Macbeth like a puppet, constantly trying to live by their words, though they were just illusions to make his life look good, through a mirage of carefully planned schemes. Looking back at the opening of the play, Macbeth was portrayed as “brave”, as he, Banquo and his army had just won a

In the play The Tragedy of Macbeth by Shakespeare the corruption of power and unchecked ambition causes many characters to get themselves into trouble. Macbeth runs into the witches on his way home from war. The witches give both Macbeth and Banquo's prophecies about what their future will look like. This motivates Macbeth through power and greed which causes him to do things he would not normally do. Avarice also influences Macbeth and other characters to become corrupt throughout the play. The power Macbeth gains throughout the play changes his motives, and his ambition increases causing him to do irrational things.

In the play, Macbeth was a man who had shown very little mercy to friends let alone his foes. After killing Duncan to become King, he had hired assassins to go and kill Banquo and his son so that he could secure his reign. Banquo was a close friend of Macbeth, they had gone to war together, lived together, fought together and without a second thought, Macbeth has put a death warrant on Banquo and his son’s head. Here Macbeth shows his newly developed uncompassionate character as he does not care about Banquo and their friendship. “ Rather than so, come fate into the list, And champion me that’ utterance.” Here we can see Macbeth speak about the prophecy and how he realises he let go of his morality but for “ Banquo’s seeds” Macbeth not only showed a lack of compassion towards his best friend but also to other characters such as

On first meeting the ‘weird sisters’ Banquo warned Macbeth that “oftentimes, to win us to our harm, / The instruments of darkness tell us truths, / Win us with honest trifles, to betray us / In deepest consequence.” This deception and betrayal by the witches towards

The witches prophecies and Lady Macbeth’s influence intensifies his ambition and drives Macbeth to obtain and maintain his title of Scotland by whatever means, even murdering his best friend, Banquo. “Upon my head they placed a fruitless crown, ...no son of mine succeeding. If’t be so, for Banquo’s issue have I filed my mind; For them the gracious Duncan I have murder’d; ...To make them kings, the seed of Banquo kings! (Act III. sc.I) At this point Macbeth’s passion becomes more and more extreme to the point where no one stands in his way. His greed, violence, and hunger for power drastically declines his

Macbeth and Animal Farm are both classic pieces of literature that have been studied across numerous of generations. Macbeth was written by William Shakespeare back in the early 17th century as a play to entertain various members of English royalty. Over three hundred years later, in 1945, George Orwell published Animal Farm with the purpose to criticise the Soviet Union. Macbeth tells the story of Lord Macbeth, the savage methods he used to reach the throne and be crowned the King of Scotland as well as his subsequent rule as a tyrant. Animal Farm is about a pig named Napoleon, his violent rise to power as leader of Animal Farm and his progression into a corrupt,

Macbeth and animal farm share a very similar theme but each has their own distinct setting, language and enhancement of scenes. In Animal farm the idea of power corrupts is enhanced through languages techniques such as imagery and alliteration. These techniques are used to give detail and information, evoking the reader’s imagination. Whereas, in Macbeth the scenes are enhanced through cinematic devices: editing, zooms, types of shots, lighting and etc. the setting in both text are also different, the animal farm the story takes place on a farm in England. This farm becomes a dystopian setting after Napoleon gains more and more power. In Kurzel’s Macbeth the story takes place in Scotland in medieval times, where wars, castles still existed.

Furthermore, Macbeth's ambition was deeply dominated by the witches prophecy which later created a monster. Intense desire and eagerness was the drive throughout the whole play. When Macbeth and his friend Banquo met with the three witches, they tell them that Macbeth will be king, the Thane of Cawdor. The witches state that ''None of woman born shall harm Macbeth.'' Which was meant to deceive and mislead Macbeth. When Banquo asked the witches about the prophecies, they told him how his sons were going to be kings, which later on led Macbeth's plot to kill both Banquo and his sons.

In Animal Farm, George Orwell has far blunter and clearer ideas on the notion of power, especially on the struggle to obtain and sustain political power.

Macbeth understands that the witches "have more in them than mortal knowledge," and his trust in the witches is made stronger because out of the three prophecies, "two truths are told" (1.5.3) (1.3.140). If it hadn’t been for the prophecy that the witches gives to Banquo and Macbeth, Lady Macbeth would never persuade Macbeth into killing Duncan to become King; and Macbeth never would plot to kill Banquo as a result of jealousy because of Banquo’s prophecy, and mistrust of Banquo after Macbeth kills Duncan. Macbeth relies on the witches throughout the play. Knowing that his sins are so large and he is "in blood / Stepp'd in so far that, should I wade no more," he knows that he must consult the witches again because he knows they will give him advice, and confidence for him to continue making poor decisions. (3.4.169) Again the witches manipulate Macbeth even more, by showing him three apparitions, that make him feel over confident about his bright future as king. These apparitions give Macbeth false confidence, and will result in him making a decision that leads him to failure. So when he finds out these predictions he damns "all those that trust them", ironically damning him, because he has trust in the witches up until this point. (4.1.158) The only reason why Macbeth ever trusts and wants the witches’ prophecies is so he can gain more confidence and feel more powerful.

William Shakespeare’s Macbeth is the tragic tale of a man corrupted by power and greed whose world comes falling down around him. At the beginning of the play, Macbeth is in the perfect position to become a great leader and an important man in Scotland. However, he is prevented from becoming such a leader because several internal and external influences on his life make him thirst for power. These forces include his wife, Lady Macbeth, the Weird Sisters, and his own conscience; all three share in process of corrupting Macbeth and leading him to his downfall.

Initially, Macbeth is introduced to the play as a noble war hero with endless talent as a tactician, a truly admirable character. In an early scene of the play, the sergeant speaks very highly of Macbeth despite not knowing him very well personally. Dying from a fatal wound and explaining what happened, he says “For brave Macbeth (well he deserves that name)/… fix’d [the enemy’s] head on our battlements!” (I.ii.15-23). This shows Macbeth has a strong following filled with admirers despite the fact many have probably not even met him. Demonstrating morality, innocence, and a lack of malicious intent, upon hearing the prophecy for the first time from the three witches, Macbeth questions it at first. Speaking aside to Banquo, Macbeth says “This supernatural soliciting/Cannot be ill; cannot be good: if ill/Why hath it given me earnest of success.../If good, why do I yield to that suggestion/Whose horrid image doth unfix my hair” (I.iii.130-135). By questioning the witches’ prophecy

After Macbeth and Banquo receive prophecies, the foil characters start to diverge as Banquo’s takes the moral path of goodness while Macbeth takes the immoral path towards his ultimate decline. Banquo and Macbeth have the opportunity to pursue the same path, but because of his unchecked ambition, Macbeth deviates from Banquo's path of good morals. Immediately after the witches tell their prophecies, Banquo’s mindset is wary and rational. He warns Macbeth that, “oftentimes, to win us to our harm, / the instruments of darkness tell us truths...” (1.3.125-126). Banquo is not obsessed with the prophecies and the idea that one day his ancestors will be kings. On the other hand, Macbeth speculates, “Two truths are told, / as happy prologues to the swelling act / of the imperial theme.” (1.3.130-132) Because two of the three prophecies have come true, Macbeth is blinded by his ambition and seems to fantasize about the idea of being king. These contrasting reactions show that Macbeth takes a

Though Animal Farm can be considered nothing more than a charming animal fable depicting a doomed rebellion, its origin is actually of a more serious and political nature. It is not only the tale of Napoleon and Animal Farm, but a satire and commentary on that of the Russian Revolution, Stalin and Communism. For a person to gain a true understanding of Orwell's meaning in Animal Farm, it is best that he or she has an understanding of the political parties and history surrounding Communism, Stalin, and the upheaval and fear that followed Stalin's rise to power.