Similarities Between Frankenstein And Macbeth

An evil lives, buried deeply or just below the surface, within us all, just waiting to emerge. In the books Frankenstein and Macbeth, the two main characters commence and conclude the story as two comprehensively disparate people, entirely transformed by their actions and encompassing environments. Ignorance and knowledge, two recurring themes in the book Frankenstein and the play Macbeth, are polar opposites, yet work effortlessly together when comparing and contrasting the two readings. The epitome of their downfall throughout the storylines, both characters suffer from either an abundance, or lack thereof, of knowledge. Both characters are monstrous in their own ways, while at the same time being far from similar in the respects of their

reactions and responses to the acquirement of both power and knowledge.
In both stories, the main characters’ hunger for both power and acceptance shades their moral senses and reasonable sanity. In the beginning of the play, Macbeth was nothing but an innocent, noble, and trustworthy character. After reaping specific knowledge of his future, his moral sense of value slowly began to deteriorate.

Immediately, his desire for his prophecy to come true clouded his sense of what is right. There was; however, a moment in which he no longer wanted to proceed with his murderous actions; when he knew that his intentions weren't right. He wished to, “proceed no further in this business. [The king] hath honored him of late, and he had bought golden opinions from all sorts of people, which would be worn now in their newest gloss, not cast aside so soon” (1.7). He realizes that if he went through with his intentions of murdering the king, his connections and relationships with valuable people, and their trustworthy opinions of him would be annihilated. Ambition was his fatal flaw, being that he craved power, and wouldn't stop until he climbed to the top. He, “[has] no spur to prick the sides of his intent, but only vaulting ambition, which o'erleaps itself and falls on th’ other” (1.7). He admits that ambition leads to a life of destruction, revealing that he is fully aware of just how dangerous it can be. Similarly, Frankenstein began the story as a naive, wide-eyed character, who'd freshly begun his life alone, in the real world. His thirst for assimilating knowledge, and passion for learning, led him to,

for 2 years, manually construct a living creature. In a way, ambition was also his fatal flaw, but primarily, it was ignorance. Frankenstein had put little to no thought into what would happen after this monster was created; his goal was solely to create it. It's clear that he started out as an incredibly naive, ignorant, and irresponsible person, which caused the deterioration of his character. When the monster, to his surprise, actually woke up, Victor “escaped and ran downstairs. [He] took refuge in the courtyard belonging to the house I which he inhabited, where he remained during the rest of the night, walking up and down in the greatest agitation, listening attentively, catching and fearing each sound as if it were to announce the approach of the demoniacal corpse to which I had so miserably given life” (46). Immediately following the awakening of this creature, Frankenstein runs away, and takes cover, hiding from it; clearly not knowing what to expect having given it no thought. When the monster first committed the unthinkable, murdering Victor's younger brother and framing an innocent citizen, he didn't know how to think or act. He knew it was his creation that had executed this horrifying crime, yet he also knew that he couldn't tell this to anyone. He believed that nobody would believe him, or they would think of him as crazy. He believed that he, “Not in deed, but in effect, was the true murderer. Elizabeth read [his] anguish in his countenance, and kindly taking my hand, said, ‘My dearest friend, you must calm yourself. These events have affected me, God knows how deeply; but I am not so wretched as you are. There is an expression of despair, and sometimes of revenge, in your countenance that makes me tremble. Dear Victor, banish these dark passions. Remember the friends around you, who centre all their hopes in you. Have we lost the power of rendering you happy? Ah! While we love, while we are true to each other, here in this land of peace and beauty, your native country, we may reap every tranquil blessing--what can disturb our peace?’” (67). Victor is extremely guilty as he admits that he really is the true murderer. Although he didn't commit the crime, he created, and abandoned, the being that did. He realizes that an innocent civilian is going to die because of his actions, just like his brother already did. Elizabeth writes him a letter expressing her concerns about his recent behavior. She worries that he isn't well, and attempts to give him strength through this difficult time of grief. Little does she know, his brothers death isn't the only thing Victor is sick about. This message from Elizabeth, though awfully encouraging and empowering, is, in actuality, extremely regretful and remorseful. Victor wishes that he could simply focus on grieving his brothers death, and not have to worry about anything else. In this way, both characters were ambitious, and ignorant, therefore causing their own downfall throughout the storylines.
Although the two characters have numerous similarities, Frankenstein, throughout the story, learns and gains knowledge from his mistakes, while Macbeth, instead, loses sense of himself and what is right. In the beginning, Macbeth has doubts about going through with his murderous plans, but eventually ignores his apprehensions. He completely transforms into a dishonorable, inhuman, and monstrous character almost immediately after that. He starts to find his best friend since childhood, Banquo, a threat to his power, and sends to have him murdered. He views Banquo from “such bloody distance that every minute of his being thrusts against my near’st of life... (To leave no rubs nor botches in the work) Fleance, his son, that keeps him company, whose a sense is no less material to me than of his father’s, must embrace the fate of that dark hour... It is concluded. Banquo, thy soul’s flight, if it find Heaven, must find it out tonight” (3.5). The thought of Macbeth actually murdering his best friend, who's been there with him through it all, is unfathomable. There is; however, the slightest trace of his old self in this action, because he sends people to do it for him; he couldn't stand the thought of murdering his best friend with his own hands. Shortly after the murder, Macbeth really begins to lose his mind. Referring to the angry dead, “It will have blood, they say. Blood will have blood. Stones have been known to move, and trees to speak. Augurs and understood relations have by magot pies and choughs and rooks brought forth the secret’st man of blood. —What is the night?” He states (3.4). The unknown of what Banquo's ghost is capable of is terrifying to Macbeth, since he's heard so many stories of the dead getting revenge. While Macbeth continues to regress throughout the play, Frankenstein, conversely, seems to rise above his mistakes. Although he was repressed by ignorance and irresponsibility, he learns from his mistakes, and attempts to better himself and those around him, rather than giving up completely, and continue to fall into despair. He advises the reader to, “learn from me, if not by my precepts, at least by my example, how dangerous is the acquirement of knowledge and how much happier that man is who believes his native town to be the world, than he who aspired to become greater than his nature will allow” (2). Frankenstein admits that he wishes he'd never had the knowledge to create something that nature doesn't allow. He's saying that the more knowledge one has, the more dangerous they become. This is a moment of realization and maturity for Victor, when he can admit to his faults, and even find the reason behind them. Later in the story, when the monster insists that, “[Frankenstein] must create a female for him with whom he can live in the interchange of those sympathies necessary for my being. This you alone can do; and I demand it of you as a right which you must not refuse to concede.” (99), Frankenstein strongly refuses this demand. He actually takes into account what happened the first time he created something out of his reach, and weighs the pros and cons of what could happen. There is so much unknown about this creature, and its capabilities, and because of this, Victor forbears the creation of another monster. This shows so much responsibility, and such growth, maturity, and depth in this character compared to how he began.
In both the book, Frankenstein, and the play, Macbeth, each character exhibits immense development throughout the plot, whether that be positive or negative. Macbeth begins as a dignified and benevolent individual, and quickly deteriorates as the story goes on, while on the other hand, Victor opens the story as a naive and ignorant individual, but grows and gains knowledge throughout the plot. The two characters learn an abundance about themselves, their morals and values, and their response to certain situations. The two readings show a great deal of both similarities and differences, even though at first glance, the characters may seem completely opposite.