Similarities Between The Truman Show And The Great Gatsby

How often are characters in novels or movies doomed because of their actions to get what they want? In F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby, William Shakespeare’s Macbeth, and the film The Truman Show, we see how the decisions of certain characters ultimately turn out to have a negative effect on their lives or on the lives of others, as well as the similarities and differences of the characters tragic flaws. How do the weaknesses of characters lead to their tragic downfalls?
In The Great Gatsby, Jay Gatsby’s tragic flaw is his desire to re-live the past as opposed to living in the present day. He is obsessed with trying to recreate the time he had with his former lover, Daisy Buchanan, who is now married to someone else. In an argument

with Daisy’s husband Tom Buchanan, Gatsby tells him: "She never loved you, do you hear?” he cried. “She only married you because I was poor and she was tired of waiting for me. It was a terrible mistake, but in her heart she never loved anyone except me..." Gatsby tries to justify that he should be the one that Daisy loves instead of Tom, because he loved her first. He cannot let go of the past and obsesses over her and the thought of her loving him. He even goes as far as buying a house and gaining wealth to win Daisy over. "It was a strange coincidence," I said. "But it wasn't a coincidence at all." "Why not?" "Gatsby bought that house so that Daisy would be just across the bay." During a conversation the Nick Carraway has with Jordan Baker, she mentions to him that it was not an accident, it was all part of Gatsby’s plan to win Daisy back over. Gatsby wanted Daisy back so badly that he went to any extreme to get her back, which eventually cost him his life. After Gatsby’s car fatally struck Myrtle Wilson, Tom Buchanan’s mistress, Nick goes over to Gatsby’s house. “’Was Daisy driving?’ ‘Yes,’ he said after a moment, ‘but of course I’ll say I was’ […]” Gatsby was willing to take the fall for Daisy, and Myrtle’s widower, George Wilson, kills Gatsby for it. Gatsby was so willing to try to win over Daisy that he did anything for her, including taking the punishment for her crime, which ultimately cost him his life.
In Macbeth, Macbeth is a thane in Scotland, he is highly recognized and King Duncan treats him like his own son.

After three witches prophesied that one day fate will make him king, Lady Macbeth urges him to kill the king in order to gain the crown. He does so, but once he killed King Duncan there were several more people that he had to kill in order to maintain the assurance of being king. After he has murderers kill Banquo, whose children are prophesied to be kings later, the ghost of Banquo visits him at his coronation banquet. “Which of you have done this? […] Thou canst not say I did it: never shake/Thy gory locks at me.” Macbeth cannot face the fact that Banquo has been murdered and does not want to be held responsible for his death. The more people that Macbeth kills, the more blood is on his hands, symbolizing guilt that cannot be washed away. After Macbeth succeeds in killing many people the three witches have three more prophecies for him. “Macbeth! Macbeth! Macbeth! Beware Macduff, beware the thane of Fife.” This prophecy states that Macduff is out to get Macbeth and that he must be prepared. After this prophecy he orders that Lady Macduff and the children be murdered. “Be bloody, bold, and resolute: laugh to scorn the power of man; for none of woman born shall harm Macbeth.” This prophecy comforts Macbeth in that only someone who was removed from their mother’s body could kill him. “Macbeth shall never vanquished be until great Birnam wood to high Dunsinane hill

shall come against him.” This third prophecy comforts Macbeth again because it says that no one can kill him until the forest moves. Macbeth puts much trust in these prophecies since they were right the first time, however, the witches trick Macbeth. The forest moves when English soldiers dressed as branches moves, signaling that Macbeth can now be killed. Macduff then reveals to Macbeth that he was “from his mother’s womb untimely ripped.” Macbeth was ultimately trying to fight fate, making him a tragic hero.
In The Truman Show, Christof is the director of a reality television show that broadcasts the life of Truman Burbank without his knowledge. Christof is in control of Truman’s every move and he is the dictator of Truman’s life. Christof keeps Truman in his utopia for 29 years until Truman finally realizes the reality of the situation, his life is not his and is under the control of a greater power, Christof. Once Truman tries to escape, Christof risks everything to save his dream of having the show. During Truman’s escape he is in an argument with President of Omnitech, "Godsake, Christof, the whole world is watching. We can't let him die in front of a live audience!" "He was born in front of a live audience." This quote displays Christof’s lack of care for Truman, only his desire for the show to be bigger, which is Christof’s tragic flaw. Once Truman was gone, all Christof had worked for was gone, leading to his downfall.
There are multiple similarities between, Jay Gatsby, Macbeth, and Christof.

The main similarity between these three characters is their ambition to accomplish their goals. They all had a purpose, whether it was Gatsby winning back Daisy, Macbeth becoming and remaining king, or Christof dictating Truman’s life. They all wanted their dreams to be a reality and did so in a negative way. Gatsby started working in the bootlegging business to earn money, Macbeth killed people to become king, and Christof isolated a man for the world’s entertainment. There are also differences between all of these characters. Macbeth and Gatsby both died in pursuit of their goals whilst Christof just failed, his life was not taken but 29 years of someone else’s life were for Christof’s popularity. They all qualify as tragic heroes in the eyes of Aristotle. All three came to a miserable end, Macbeth and Gatsby lost their lives in the fight for their missions and Christof lost over 30 years of preparation for a cause that could not be completed. All the characters were important people in society, Macbeth was a king, Gatsby was a wealthy bootlegger known by many, and Christof was the dictator of a utopia. They all used different methods to achieve their goals and they all ultimately

failed.
In conclusion, we see through all three characters that they are destined to fail because their actions are without good intentions. The Great Gatsby, Macbeth, and The Truman Show, all display how the tragic heroes never end up being heroes in the end, and that their intentions were driven by negative thoughts and ideas. They all have a tragic flaw that leads to their eventual undoing and the collapse of the tragic heroes.