Comparing Macbeth And Things Fall Apart

Have you ever heard the expression, “Actions speak louder than words”? This expression means that although someone might say one idea, if their actions do not correspond with that ideal then what they say does not mean anything. People like to express their opinions and views through their conversations with others. Ideally their actions would agree with their ideas and opinions about what they choose to do in different situations. However, this is not always the cause which can be observed in William Shakespeare’s, Macbeth, and in Chinua Achebe’s, Things Fall Apart. Although Macbeth and Okonkwo begin with honorable intentions, Macbeth degrades while Okonkwo keeps his honor and stays true to his ideals. In Shakespeare’s Macbeth the story

Achebe describes him saying, “His fame rested on solid personal achievements” (Achebe 1). From the very beginning, Okonkwo is introduced as an honorable man who works hard and achieves the results he wants, although he beats his wives and children. His honor stems from his goal, to be a leader in his village, and he does everything in his power to achieve it. Things Fall Apart is fictional, but is used as an example of the colonialism period of African in African literature. Emad Mirmotahari describes Okonkwo as, “Perhaps Okonkwo embodies the flaws of Ibo society, flaws that hasten their downfall when the British arrive” (Mirmotahari 378). The Ibo society was the society that existed in Nigeria before the British colonialism and it was what Okonkwo knew and grew up with so he lived by it and its codes. Macbeth on the other had lived in Scotland with a king and the kingdom and everyone in it, including Macbeth, followed and was supposed to be loyal to the king. Macbeth did not follow the code of his land and betrayed its very core aspect in his assassination of the

Both of them start off as being men of power and respect among their peers. However, Macbeth turns dark when his desires for the prophesy overpower his honor. Okonkwo keeps his honor by staying true to his beliefs and realizes that he cannot change for the changing times so he kills himself to maintain it. Not everyone is perfect, but like Okonkwo we can still live with honor and achieve our goals through hard work and