Scarface And Macbeth Comparison

Joe Schendl

Mrs. DePietro

British Literature - Green 1

9 March 2018

The popular legacy of ambition In 1606, William Shakespeare wrote a play that would be referenced and revangelized through modern culture 400 years later. Shakespeare’s Macbeth was so quintessential that movie directors would copy the underlying theme to create their own masterpieces. One of these masterpieces was Brian DePalma's Scarface. Arguably the greatest gangster movie of all time, Scarface incorporates themes and similarities that can easily be compared to Macbeth. In both instances the importance of the main character’s actions and how they inevitably depict his fate is of great importance to the overall mood of the work. Scarface, directed by Brian De Palma is a story of a cuban refugee and his journey from rags to riches. Often referred to as, “the American Dream told through a gangster saga” Scarface has not only made a lasting impact on the crime genre, but the cliche

He is a character who from the beginning wants the world and will stop at nothing to get it. Tony knows in order to work his way up and become rich he must get his hands dirty in the lucrative drug industry that is taking over Miami. Tony displays multiple characteristics some of which define who he is and how he acts. The characteristics of deceit and remorse shapes Tony into a criminal persona.Tony’s arrogance is weirdly viewed as likable by his boss and is quickly offered a new, important high paying job. Like Macbeth, Tony has a plan set in his mind and in order to achieve this goal, “you gotta make the money first. Then when you get the money, you get the power. Then when you get the power, you get the women”. Nikita Kazakov said it best, “He’s [Tony] a man with a thirst for power. He wants respect, and he feels a sense of entitlement” these descriptions can be seen throughout the film and even in Macbeth