Harry Potter and Macbeth: two stories that have both made an incredible impact on the world. Ever since the books were published, the Harry Potter series has become quite the phenomenon. From selling out in stores worldwide, to making millions of dollars off the movies, the universe is no stranger to the wizarding world of Harry Potter. For Macbeth, the fame is just as strong. While Shakespeare wrote many amazing plays, Macbeth is one that has stood among one of the best. There have been movies, TV shows, books, commercials, art, and so much more that have been influenced by the incredible play. After doing some research and analyzing both the HP series and Macbeth, I discovered that a connection actually exists between the two. More specifically,
In the story of Harry Potter, the prophecy referred to a boy being born at the end of July, who will have the power to defeat Lord Voldemort. After hearing the prophecy, Voldemort immediately began seeking Harry out, and the rest is history. In the classic story of Macbeth, many different prophecies are mentioned throughout the story. One prophecy spoke of Macbeth becoming King, the next saying that Banquo will be the father to future generations of kings, another saying that no man of woman born would be able to kill Macbeth, and so many more. The number of prophecies in Macbeth is enormous so it would take too long to describe each in detail, but overall it’s very clear that prophecies play an eminent role, and the story definitely wouldn’t be the same without
From the prophecies, to their ambition, to their eventual deaths, the two characters share so much in common. JK Rowling has even mentioned using the influence of Macbeth in her famous novels. The real question though, is why use Macbeth as an influence? What’s the point in taking a play written by William Shakespeare and try to make it fit in the modern world? In response, there are so many characteristics of Macbeth that we as people today can still relate to. Sometimes we struggle with containing our ambition, occasionally letting things get out of hand. We may find ourselves greedy with power, and having a difficult time letting that go. There will also be times were someone gives us some pretty big advice (maybe not prophecy big but still big nonetheless), and we ignore them because we think we know what’s best. All in all, using Macbeth as an influence was one of the best things JK Rowling could have ever done. It gave Lord Voldemort a very human quality and gave us insight into his dark but calculated personality. It allowed the reader to try and understand the reasoning behind Voldemort’s decisions and maybe grasp a little more of his emotions. So even though the Harry Potter books and the story of Macbeth isn’t a word for word replication of each other, influence still
Imagining the similarities between one of the most famous Shakespearean plays and a new animated Disney movie is difficult, until you look deeply into the characters. From the Shakespearean play Macbeth, Lady Macbeth is extremely similar to Mother Gothel from the Disney movie Tangled. Lady Macbeth is Macbeth’s wife that has strong desires and personality. The movie Tangled created a similar character with Mother Gothel, she is Rapunzel's mother and believes in going after what you want. The two characters are not the exact same, they differ in their desires and in their ending demise. They are much more similar in their motives and their actions which reveal their shared character traits.
Since Shakespeare used beliefs of witchcraft that he had been exposed to, it is also very informational because it allows the reader to see insight on how people in the Renaissance era believed in witches. They believed that they could see into the future, create storms like when the witches stranded the sailor at sea, and make their selves invisible or disappear. It was also believed that witches could make potions and perform magic. The first lines of Macbeth are the witches having a conversation, so this automatically shows that witches and witchcraft are going to be a big focus of the tragedy. Witches and what they do are the main focus in Macbeth, and the theories of witches had a huge impact on this
A character is a person in a story that plays a particular role. Stories require characters so that it forms conflicts, tensions and resolutions. Characters also carry certain traits to make the story interesting and unique. Each character might have different attributes. Others could have similar and different qualities. Those who read many novels might notice that characters from various books are similar to each other to an extent, but are not completely the same. The old English poem, Beowulf, and Shakespeare's Macbeth contain characters with similar characteristics. Beowulf and Macbeth share similar traits, but do not have the same objective. Comparing and contrasting determine the similarities and differences of things. Comparing and contrasting is an excellent tool to determine what is right and wrong. When choosing the best car to drive, comparing and contrasting helps in the choice of the best vehicle. Macbeth and Beowulf demonstrate that a warrior's motivations matter for both soldiers and the people.
A quote which really defines Lady Macbeth and Macbeth’s ambition regarding power is “Power does not corrupt men; fools; however, if they get into a position of power, corrupt power” George Bernard Shaw. Lady Macbeth is more ambitious in terms of gaining power then Macbeth is and that Lady Macbeth will do almost anything to gain power, even evil things that she normally wouldn’t do. This is shown when Macbeth and Lady Macbeth learn about the witches’ predictions, then roles in the plans to murder king Duncan in order to gain power and then finally after the murder, Macbeth doesn’t want to finish the plan making Lady Macbeth angry and causing a chance they might get caught and gain no power at all.
William Shakespeare’s Macbeth is a play centred around opposing forces trying to gain power in the succession for the throne of Scotland. Macbeth, in the beginning, is known to be a noble and strong willed man, who is ready to fight for his country. However, one may see that Macbeth has a darker side to him, he is power hungry and blood thirsty, and will not stop until he has secured his spot as King of Scotland. Though Macbeth may be a tyrant, he is very nave, gullible, and vulnerable.
No society remains immobile, even if some human beings resist changes. The advances in technology and the emergence of new beliefs allow people to have a broader imagination. Thus, numerous new interpretations of ancient works, whether they are plays, folktales, or poems, permeate around the world. These renditions re-tell the original stories in contexts that adjust to modern world. What was regarded serious in the past becomes mockery nowadays. William Shakespeare, one of the greatest English play writers, has a profound influence upon different societies globally since the fifteenth century, for his plays inspire many contemporary artists to present new scopes reflecting their societies. Considered as one of Shakespeare’s greatest tragedies, Macbeth has a completely disparate interpretation in the movie Scotland, PA, which translates the original play into a black comedy. A Scottish royal and general, Macbeth the protagonist undergoes a demonic transformation in personality, in which he unethically takes the crown by murdering numerous characters. The director of the movie alters the plot while maintaining the basic semblance of power, ambition, and masculinity from Shakespeare’s work. In the movie, the alteration of the process Macbeth usurps the power of Duncan, including his internal and external incentives, gives the audience a fresh perspective on one of the English classical plays.
In both stories prophecies were told, but there were told in a malicious way. In the novel Macbeth the main character was told he would some day become king in an ill begotten fashion. It doesn’t seem possible to gain a crown in a bad way. There words are very deceitful. Then there prophecies turn to Macbeth’s friend Banquo, witches say “lesser than Macbeth, and greater,”(William Shakespeare act I scene III) and “not so happy, yet much happier”(W.S. act I scene III); then they tell him that he will never be king but that his children will sit upon the throne. After they say these things they simply disappear. This doesn’t show much free choice. When true meanings are hidden in lies and you become confused and no longer do you understand simple truths you have been manipulated.
who will become king, he will be the father to kings. This confuses them and they head back to the to meet with King Duncan. When they get there they find out that the Thane of Cawdor had sided with the enemy and was killed and that due to his great job in battle Macbeth would be named Thane of Cawdor. Macbeth then realized what the witches had said was true and he begins to think of ways to become king. In Throne of Blood, Washizu, and Miki, Washizu’s best friend that he later ends up killing, meet an evil spirit weaving silk like a spider. The spider-like spirit is singing a song before Washizu and Miki finally talk to him. The spirit tells Washizu that he will be given a section of the fortress for him to control and protect. The spirit also told him that he would soon become lord of the whole fortress. The spirit also told Miki that he would be assigned a section of the fortress to control and that his son will
The witches have a strong effect on Macbeth's character; they highly influence him in his accomplishments and awake his ambitions. They give Macbeth a false sense of security with their apparitions of truths. Instead they prove to be harmful for Macbeth who takes too much comfort and confidence in his interpretation of the truths. They are the ones who plant the actual idea of killing Duncan into Macbeth's mind. But if it were only the witches prophecies, then Macbeth surely would not have murdered the king. 'When you durst to do it, then you were a man,' (Macbeth, Shakespeare Act 1 Scene 7) Lady Macbeth's constant harassment pushed Macbeth and made him commit all this evil. When you reason things out by yourself you tend to now what is right and what is wrong, a conscience. But with the outside influence from the witches he thinks that that is his destiny and he must do everything to fulfill it. One can wonder if Macbeth ever had a chance of doing what was right after he met with the witches. He is overthrown and killed. Through his own ambitions, the ambition of his wife and the witches' prophesies, Macbeth has caused his own destruction and downfall. We can now clearly see that ambition not achieved through our own ability leads to destruction. 'Hail Thane of Glamis and of Cawdor and shalt be King hereafter'. (Act 1 Scene 3) These prophecies from three strangers are taken without question and probably without good judgment. Just the thought that he may be King clouds his thoughts and ambition takes over. The witches can predict the future, they can add temptation, and influence Macbeth, but they cannot control his destiny.
ShakespeaRe-told: Macbeth is a wonderfully written and directed film, with both James McAvoy and Keeley Hawes acting with mastery. The film is both entertaining to watch, detailed enough for discerning analysis, and connects with adolescents effectively. It is obvious that this is the best interpretation for English teachers across
There was a common saying, “Behind every great man there's a great woman”. The men, Macbeth and Winston Smith in Shakespeare’s Macbeth and George Orwell’s 1984 may not be considered as the “great man” however, both Lady Macbeth and Julia are good examples that can be presented as the “great woman” behind the men. Both Lady Macbeth and Julia do an excellent job of pretending to be someone who they are not, they are not only affecting the men in their lives to rethink their previous position but also have a bad ending accompanied with physical and psychological issues.
Shakespeare’s writing of Macbeth captivated his audience and kept them on the edge of their seats. Macbeth is a classic tale of greed and corruption. The more power a person has the more corrupted they become. They had to have what they did and more, it was never enough. They would do whatever it took to get what they wanted even if it meant killing the King of Scotland, just so they could have it all. Corruption controls and destroys lives and will turn you into a person that others don’t want to be around. It changed the lives of the people of Scotland and corruption still changes lives today. When a person is in power too long and the decisions they make directly conflict with others they don’t feel responsible for their actions. The facts remain, whether you prefer the truth or the captivating fiction, both stories of Macbeth will be remembered for years to
Both Hamlet and Macbeth fight for what they want and are eventually killed in the end. Something they have in common is that their journeys both start with something evil and spiritual. For example, Hamlet sees the ghost of his father in the beginning and Macbeth runs into the witches and their prophecies. These apparitions lead both of them to their horrible fates. They each have a relationship with supernatural occurrences. Macbeth acts upon the prophecies the witches give him and make him greedy for power. Hamlet feels obligated to follow the instructions of his father’s ghost. Hamlet and Macbeth both make choices that cause them to do evil and horrible things. They each end up killing a king. Macbeth seems to lose his morals because of the supernatural apparitions. Furthermore, both of their consciousness makes them second guess themselves and crazy. Their decisions make them and everyone around them mad. Lady Macbeth, for example, becomes mad because of her conscience and the evil deeds of her husband.
The witches influence Macbeth in his achievements and awaken his ambitions. They give him a false sense of security with their apportions of truths. The witches are the ones who made the idea of killing Duncan into Macbeth’s mind. They also told him that he would become thane of Cawdor and later would become king of Scotland. Macbeth wants to know more.
The witches’ prophecies tempt Macbeth to begin walking down the path of evil leading to his demise. They are the catalyst that