Human Behavior In Macbeth

723 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: The influence of ancient greek mythology on Modern society

The history of human behavior can be traced back through literature where human behavior is preserved, and our evolution is observed. The great works of art preserved for entertainment do more than that as they resemble the human behavior that remains constant even though our time period may change; humanity remains the same as kept in ink on paper.

14th century: a morality play, Everyman, written by unknown demonstrates selfish human behavior who are dominated by goods and possessions rather than life’s purpose and meaning. Human desires show human flaws and greed. Since the church dominated the middle ages Everyman 's presents abstract qualities as characters and Everyman 's death is allegorically a Christians journey from earth to the afterlife.

17th century: the re-birth of the era brought new …show more content…

William Shakespeare is one of the most influential poets who composed the tragic play, Macbeth. In Macbeth, the main character is governed by selfishness to obtain more power and goods. Macbeth kills and destroys so he can rule Scotland. Another tragic play by Shakespeare, Othello, is governed by the theme of racism. During the 17th century, racism existed, and an outsider is living in Venice made Othello the Alien of Italy. Othello is governed by the theme of jealousy as well. Where the character of Iago manipulates Othello that his wife is cheating on him, so Iago feels superior to Othello as seen in Iago’s language and also his racism towards Othello.

18th century: Swift, one of the best satirist of his time composed Gulliver’s Travels. I

enjoyed Gulliver’s Travels because of the reversal of roles between horses as subservient to humans as opposed to the Houyhnhnms land where Houyhnhnms are superior to Yahoos. Yahoos are foul creatures representing humanity they are seen chained to a wall, surrounded by

Show More
Related

  • Civil Unrest in Othello

    1039 Words  | 3 Pages

    Arthur Shopenhauer once described a racist man as a “…miserable fool who has nothing at all of which he can be proud, adopts as a last resource pride in the nation to which he belongs; he is ready and happy to defend all its faults and follies tooth and nail, thus reimbursing himself for his own inferiority.” Without a doubt, racism is one of the key themes in Othello, which challenges the characters thoughts and actions throughout the play. One specific character, Iago, is driven by such racial distort, especially against Othello, that ultimately motivates his ingenious rampage of revenge and confusion. Hence, the characters racist attitudes, but mainly Iago’s, creates the momentum needed to spur the confusion and tension between the characters, resulting in the popular Shakespearean dramatic ending. Iago’s word choice describes very clearly his racial vision of Othello. He refers to Othello throughout the play by many racial slurs: “the moor”, “an erring barbarian”, and “black ram”. His attitude towards Othello implies certain personal characteristics: it shows that he is, jealous, hateful, and insecure “of his own inferiority.” From the beginning, Iago has been the “playmaker” of the play, always instigating the trouble and trying somehow to damage Othello.

    Read More

  • An Analysis of Macbeth

    1136 Words  | 3 Pages

    In Shakespeare’s play Macbeth, the protagonist, Macbeth, murders the king of Scotland and eventually murders several other people. In the end, Macbeth meets his tragic fate of being killed by the nobleman Macduff. Throughout the play, Macbeth makes decisions that affect his fate, but other characters manipulate his choices and his actions. Early in the play Macbeth, Macbeth has control over his actions, but due to the influence of other characters and his subsequent insanity, by the end of the play, Macbeth has no control over his fate.

    Read More

  • Macbeth: The True Nature of Man

    827 Words  | 2 Pages

    In the play Macbeth by William Shakespeare, the author tries to show the true nature of man by using the play’s main character, Macbeth, as an example. He is overly ambitious, courageous, and self-doubting. Throughout the play, Shakespeare displays these characteristics to the audience through Macbeth to show the true nature of man. At the end of the play, these characteristics ultimately lead to Macbeth’s downfall.

    Read More

  • Utopia In Gulliver's Travels

    771 Words  | 2 Pages

    Jonathan Swift wrote his book Gulliver’s Travels in the first half of the 1720’s. At the time he was writing much more of the “new world” had been explored and colonized, giving Swift with the ability to create a traveller to poke fun at and critique the men who had previously made themselves out to be heroes by creating a fiction often more believable than the supposed truths. Gulliver’s admiration for other societies resembles that of Hythloday and his experience in Utopia. Both of these book show how writers back in Europe wished the explorers would have been more earnest in their descriptions of societies in the new world. Swift especially used his book to comment on the current state of Europe and its politics in the new world.

    Read More

  • Blind Ambition in Macbeth

    855 Words  | 2 Pages

    Among the greatest gifts that the renaissance produced was the eloquent and incredible Shakespearean plays. Written mostly in the 1590s these plays have been performed and admired countless times; entertaining mass audiences by providing interesting tales that explore the depth of human insights and the different universal themes. Among the many Shakespearean plays Macbeth, written in 1606, stands out with its short composition but multiple themes. This tragedy narrates the tale of Macbeth and Lady Macbeth’s quest to grasp ultimate power by ignoring their morals and succumbing to their dark desires, which ultimately leads to their downfall. This tragic play portrays the desires, needs, and temptations that accompany ambition in men and women. However the ambition in Macbeth is blind, it does not abide to the morals, but it allows space for dark actions as means necessary for accomplishment. Blind ambition serves as the main driving force that drives Macbeth to subdue to his dark desires, defy his noble behavior, and ultimately his downfall.

    Read More

  • Perception of Death in the Play “Everyman"

    1112 Words  | 3 Pages

    Everyman is a classic play written in the 15th century whose subject is the struggle of the soul. This is a morality play and a good example of transition play linking liturgical drama and the secular drama that came at the end of English medieval period. In the play, death is perceived as tragic and is intensely feared. The protagonist; Everyman, is a person who enjoys the pleasures of life and good company. When he is unexpectedly called by death to account to God for his actions on earth, he is thunderstruck. He is filled with sorrow and self-pity. He pleads with death to give him more time, but death informs him it is impossible and that man cannot escape the reality of death. Faced with this eventuality, Everyman desperately turns to his friends for help. As Scott states, “Everyman’s friends in the play are personifications of his qualities and possessions” (Scott 15). He has friends like Fellowship, good deeds, knowledge, and later in the play he meets Beauty, Strength, Discretion and Five Wits.

    Read More

  • Racism in William Shakespeare's Othello

    1065 Words  | 3 Pages

    The play, Othello, is certainly, in part, the tragedy of racism. Examples of racism are common throughout the dialog. This racism is directed toward Othello, a brave soldier from Africa and currently supreme commander of the Venetian army. Nearly every character uses a racial slur to insult Othello at one point in the play. Even Emilia sinks to the level of insulting Othello based on the color of his skin. The character that most commonly makes racist remarks in Othello is Iago. It is very apparent that Iago uses racism as a scapegoat to hate and blame Othello. Societal racism takes its toll on its victims. The effect of racism on Othello is quite evident and is one of the main causes for his insecurity about his marriage. However, Othello is not wholly the tragedy of racism. The theme of jealousy is also extremely important in Othello. Racism may play a large part in the tragedy, Othello, but it certainly does not adequately explain the entire play.

    Read More

  • Analysis of the Play "EveryMan" by Anonymous Author

    1308 Words  | 3 Pages

    Everyman play originated in late 15th century, it was an English morality play by its anonymous author. It is one of the finest play and outside the circles of historical scholars. The emphasis of Everyman focuses on morality of the play which was used by its author so symbolically in its characterization. It is a tribute with the modern audiences on the success of this play with its dramatic structure. It became one of the great plays of all time to be written in its era (late 15th century).

    Read More

  • The Influence of Other Characters on Macbeth's Actions

    287 Words  | 1 Pages

    has sent to her, Lady Macbeth begins to plot and plan how Macbeth can become

    Read More

  • Essay On Human Nature In Macbeth

    857 Words  | 2 Pages

    In the early 1600’s, William Shakespeare penned an Aristotelian tragedy ‘Macbeth’ which provides his audiences both then and now with many valuable insights and perceptions into human nature. Shakespeare achieves this by cleverly employing many dramatic devices and themes within the character of ‘Macbeth’. Macbeth is depicted as an anti-hero; a noble protagonist with a tragic flaw that leads to his downfall. This tragic flaw of Macbeth’s, heavily laden with the themes of ‘fate or free will’, and ‘ambition’, is brought out by Shakespeare in his writing to present us with a character whose actions and final demise are, if not laudable, very recognisable as human failings.

    Read More

  • English Satire in Gulliver’s Travels

    940 Words  | 2 Pages

    Lilliput, Brombdinag, and the land of Houyhnhnms are the most relevant satire in Gulliver’s travels. Jonathan Swift uses these places to “roast” the European society. Swift desires for Europeans to realize their flaws and develop them. Jonathan Swift’s Gulliver’s Travels is a marvelous adaption of English society flawed.

    Read More

  • Macbeth: A Very Complex Character

    1982 Words  | 4 Pages

    Macbeth is a very complex character whom reflects man's thirst for power through the drastic changes of his personality; thus being one of the slightest reasons in which make this intriguing character, greatest of all Shakespearean’s well-known works.

    Read More

  • Changing Perspective in Gulliver’s Travels

    578 Words  | 2 Pages

    In Jonathan Swift’s Gulliver’s Travels, Gulliver learns that experiencing different lifestyles he thought were better than his own actually makes him appreciate his own life with a more meaningful disposition through his journeys to Lilliput, Brobdingnag, and the Country of the Houyhnhnms. Gulliver’s journey to Lilliput effectuated forlorn feelings of his home. Likewise, Gulliver’s trek to Brobdingnag assists in his realization that changing perspectives also alter his attitude towards his homeland. Finally, Gulliver’s expedition to the Country of Houyhnhnms, where horses act civilized on and people act like wild animals. Gulliver soon learns that through his mystical journeys that changing the perspective in which he views the world reverses feelings of gratefulness towards his home. Gulliver’s first journey set sail to the Lilliputians on May 4th, 1699.

    Read More

  • Abuse of power in Gulliver's travels

    1700 Words  | 4 Pages

    Jonathan Swift’s Gulliver’s Travels presents a narrator, Lemuel Gulliver, who recounts his various sea voyages to fantastical lands. During each voyage, Gulliver encounters different societies and customs to which Gulliver must adjust to. in order to be accepted into their society The entire novel serves as a commentary on how people everywhere have a tendency to abuse the power given to them.

    Read More

  • The Importance Of Experiences In Gulliver's Travels

    1835 Words  | 4 Pages

    Lemuel Gulliver recounts his findings over four of his most impactful voyages in Jonathan Swift’s Gulliver’s Travels. In Gulliver’s Travels, Gulliver gives his own candid account of all significant characters encountered and manages to fall into almost every influential person’s favor. Swift tactically shapes Gulliver’s encounters with characters from varying backgrounds to compare the behavior of the esteemed nobility with the behavior of commoners. Swift has Gulliver alter his demeanor based on his present surroundings to appeal to those around him and maintain his pride. By doing so, Swift intended to didactically explain his contempt for nobility, his misanthropy, and the dangers of pride.

    Read More

More about Human Behavior In Macbeth

Open Document