Similarities Between Macbeth And The Great Gatsby

A tragic hero is a protagonist who makes a judgmental flaw which inevitably lead to their downfall. In William Shakespeare’s Macbeth and F.Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby, Macbeth and Jay Gatsby are both portrayed as tragic heroes through nobility, anagnorisis and tragic flaws which lead to their destruction. Gatsby are both portrayed as tragic heroes through their nobility, anagnorisis, and their tragic flaws which lead to their downfall.
Macbeth was the true definition of a nobleman when he was introduced. Macbeth was introduced by the captain as a brave and fearless warrior, who was once loyal to the king. “For brave Macbeth – well he deserves the name – Disdaining Fortune, with his brandish’d steel” (1.2.16-17). In their beginning

of the play, Macbeth had an evaluated stature as a good warrior and Macbeth was a loyal warrior to the king. Macbeth was a Nobel man before his evil side took over him. His evil side took over him when Duncan gives the position of the king to his older son Malcom. Even though Duncan did not give Macbeth the position of the king, Duncan still called him noble and said that he deserves a lot, and called him his worthy Cawdor. “But signs of nobleness like stars shall shine on all deserves …… My worthy Cawdor” (1.5.41-42, 48). Macbeth was portrayed as a loyal and noble warrior at the beginning of the play by Duncan. Duncan considered Macbeth as his worthy Cawdor which means his worthy warrior. Macbeth was considered as a brave and loyal warrior for the captain and Duncan just before his evil side took over him. Macbeth and Gatsby were only considered as the good gentleman at the beginning of the texts.
Macbeth and Gatsby both had an evaluated stature when they were introduced by the other characters, like Duncan, the Captain and Nick.

When Nick was describing his house, he included the description of Mr. Gatsby’s house. “It was a factual imitation of some Hotel de Ville in Normandy, with tower on one side, spanking new under a thin bread of raw ivy, and a marble swimming pool, and more than forty acres of lawn and garden. It was Gatsby’s mansion, or rather, as I didn’t know Mr. Gatsby; it was a mansion, in habited by a gentleman of the name” (Fitzgerald, 5). Gatsby was called a gentleman by Nick and he showed Gatsby’s stature by describing his enormous house. Gatsby and Macbeth both have evaluated stature with a high position in society. Macbeth had earned his position by being a brave and loyal warrior. On the other hand, Gatsby has his high position in society because of his money and his fame. Gatsby’s evaluated stature was also shown when his servants were getting ready for the party. “And on Mondays eight servants, including an extra gardener, toiled all day with mops and scrubbing – shears, repairing the night before” (Fitzgerald,39). Gatsby is affluent and throws a lot of parties as shown the servants are getting ready for the party, the night before. Gatsby’s evaluated stature was shown when Nick talked about his servants and his parties. Macbeth’s evaluated stature is showed by others talking about him being a brave and fearless warrior. Both Macbeth and Gatsby

are affluent people. Gatsby was a prosperous gentleman as shown with his glamorous house and his servants.
Macbeth had many self-realizations about his results because of his evil actions. Macbeth was feeling discouraged, fearful and lonely after hearing the number of thanes and troops after him.
“Take they face hence! Seyton!-I am sick at heart, When I behold-Seyton, I say!-this push Will cheer me ever or disseat me now. I have liv’d long enough. My way of life Is fall’n into the sere, the yellow leaf, And that which should accompany old age, As Honour, love, obedience, troops of friends, I must not look to have; but in their stead, Curses, not loud but deep, mouth-honour, breath Which the poor heart would fain deny, and dare not. Seyton! (5.3.20-29).
Macbeth finally acknowledges his actions and the cost of his actions.

Macbeth realizes that he is doomed spiritually as well because of his deeds. Moreover, after Lady Macbeth’s death, Macbeth realizes that he has no one with him. “Life’s but a walking shadow, a poor player that struts and frets his hour upon the stage and then is heard no more. It is a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury signifying nothing” (5.5.17-27). After the death of Lady Macbeth, he realized he had nothing and his time as king was nothing but bad. At this point Macbeth literally had no one by his side, his wife who was the only one who supported him was gone too. Macbeth and Gatsby both realized at one point that they are being left alone by their loved

ones.
Macbeth and Gatsby both realized at one point that their loved ones have left them alone to suffer. Gatsby has loved Daisy with unconditional love, but at that point, Gatsby realized that Daisy also loved Tom, when she loved him. “I did love him once – but I loved you too” (Fitzgerald, 132). Gatsby had loved Daisy and when Daisy said this to Gatsby, he had a realization that Daisy did not only like him but also liked Tom. Both Macbeth and Gatsby had their loved ones taken away from them by the ones who they loved. Macbeth’s love one Lady Macbeth was taken away from him when she committed suicide. Gatsby’s love one was taken away from him by the love one itself. After Gatsby realizes that Daisy also loved Tom when she loved Gatsby; he also realizes that Daisy will not leave Tom for him. “She’s not leaving me!” Tom’s words suddenly leaned down over Gatsby” (Fitzgerald, 133). Gatsby thought his love one would leave everything behind and stay with him but at a point, he realizes she not going to do and in fact is going back to the person she loved while loving Gatsby. Gatsby and Macbeth had all their loved ones leave them. In fact, both Macbeth and Gatsby have become lonely and depressed after their loved ones living them. Macbeth had become lonely when the people in his kingdom are not there to support him and be on his side when he was king. On the other hand, Gatsby feels lonely and depressed when the love of his life leaves him for another guy. Macbeth and Gatsby have become lonely and depressed when their loved ones have left them.
Many acts of tragic fall had happened before the end of Macbeth. When Macbeth was not given the title of the king, his evil side was shown through his first soliloquy.” For in my way it lies, stars hide your fires, let not light see my black and deep desires, the eye wink at the hand. Yet let that be, which the eye fears when it is done to see” (1.5.50-53). This was the first time the audience sees a glimpse of Macbeth’s ambition take over him. This shows Macbeth evil side and foreshadows, him planning something evil. Macbeth also still believes that he can only be defended if the woods move physically; Macbeth thought it was impossible for that to happen. “What wood is this before us?”Said siward, “The wood of Birnam” said Meteitn (5.4.3-4). But when Malcolm’s army used the wood of Birnam to camouflage themselves; Macbeth realized the 3rd apparition of the witches is coming true and his downfall is approaching him. Gatsby and Macbeth’s had many fatal flaws that lead to their downfall.
Macbeth and Gatsby both had an obsession over something which leads to their downfall. Gatsby had an obsession over Daisy and wanted to do anything in order to get her to be with her. “I wouldn’t ask too much of her,” I ventured. “You can’t repeat the past.” “Can’t repeat the past?” he cried incredulously. “Why of course you can!” (Fitzgerald, 110) Nick tries to explain to Gatsby that he cannot repeat the past, but Gatsby does not listen and argues otherwise. Gatsby is so obsessed with Daisy that he wants to try to repeat the past so that he and Daisy could be together. Both Macbeth and Gatsby had something they were obsessed with and that was a big Factor that helped to lead them to their downfall. Macbeth had an obsession with power and he was ready to do anything to gain more power and Macbeth want to the extent of killing numerous amount of people. Gatsby had the obsession of getting Daisy to be his even if he would have to do the impossible and try to repeat the past. Gatsby has an obsession over Daisy and he is not ready to accept the fact that she also likes Tom. “Your wife doesn’t love you” said Gatsby.”She’s never loved you. She loves me” (Fitzgerald, 130). Gatsby was telling Tom that Daisy like him without even asking Daisy’s opinion on who she likes. Gatsby just thinks that Daisy only loves him and will continuing only love him, this is a factor that lead to Gatsby’s downfall. Macbeth and Gatsby had caused their own downfall because of their obsessions with things that were not actually meant for them. Macbeth wanted more and more power as you want alone in the play and that power became greed and eventually killed him. Gatsby, on the other hand had loved Daisy unconditionally but the love at one point had became an obsession over Daisy, and that obsession did lead to his downfall. Macbeth and Gatsby had both overly considered about their obsession and wanting more of it and eventually leads to their downfall.
Macbeth and Gatsby are displayed as tragic heroes because through the texts they have the elements that a tragic hero will have, which are nobility, anagnorisis and their fatal flaws which leads to their downfall. Both Macbeth and Gatsby have evaluated stature and high position in society; when they are introduced in the text. They both also have many realizations’ about their loved ones living them all alone, making their life lonely and depressed. Furthermore, Macbeth and Gatsby have their obsessions, which are the fatal flaws that contributed to their downfall. Macbeth and Gatsby had many tragic events happen to them which lead them to b what they were. “A tragedy is the moment where the hero comes face to face with his true identify” (Aristotle).