Compare and Contrast Brutus and Macbeth - 1485 Words

Brutus vs. Macbeth through Power, Ambition, and Honor â€Å"Absolute power corrupts absolutely,† unless one knows how to use it, it shall not corrupt. Everyone has ambitions, a strong desire of achieving great things, and some will do whatever it takes to achieve their goal. Honor is a title one receives through their noble acts; but some honorable and strongly ambitious people may go as far as to give up their noble title to accomplish their purpose. William Shakespeare is a well-known English poet and playwright, a big participant in creating the English language. Among his twelve tragedies, two has very similar plot and tragic heroes. The play Julius Caesar is about a noble, honorable, and trusted man named Brutus, who killed his friend and†¦show more content†¦Ã¢â‚¬Å"It must be by his death; and for my part,/ I know no personal cause to spurn at him,/ but for the general.† (Julius Caesar, II.i.10-12). Brutus has no other reason to kill Caesar than for the gr eater good of Rome, whereas Macbeth killed more than three people for his own benefit. Macbeth first kills Duncan to become king; then Banquo and his son to make sure that they shall not be kings, but unfortunately for him, Fleance escaped; and finally Macduff’s family, though he was mainly aiming for Macduff himself. The heroes’ ambitious deed also led them to lose everything. Aforementioned, Brutus only killed Caesar for the good of Rome. However, in allowing Mark Anthony to speak at Caesar’s funeral, Brutus made himself and the conspirators the most hated people in Rome. To have the citizens despise him was not what Brutus had planned, therefore he has lost half of what he had—admiration from the people, the meaning of his life. To make matters worse, Portia, Brutus’s noble wife, killed herself by swallowing coal. It is not known if Brutus had other family members, therefore it can safely be concluded that he had lost everything, his fame and wi fe. Macbeth falls in a similar matter, first losing his friend and relative Duncan; then his comrade in the field, Banquo; his wife; and most importantly himself. For killing countless people, Macbeth’s guilt slowly builds in him, and at his end, was exposed in theShow MoreRelatedCompare and Contrast Between Shakesperean Tragic Heroes1386 Words   |  6 PagesCompare and Contrast Essay Shakespeare Tragic Heroes: Macbeth and Brutus Kyla Yu English 11 August 4th, 2008 William Shakespeare is a world renowned English poet and playwright famous for many tragic plays such as Macbeth and Julius Caesar. These two plays both contain tragic heroes with Marcus Brutus from Julius Caesar, and Macbeth from Macbeth. A tragic hero is defined as a protagonist of high standing with heroic or potential heroic abilities who must oppose some external or internalRead MoreWilliam Shakespeare and Macbeth8813 Words   |  36 Pageshero was to be pitied in his fallen plight but not necessarily forgiven: Greek tragedy frequently has a bleak outcome. Christian drama, on the other hand, always offers a ray of hope; hence,  Macbeth  ends with the coronation of  Malcolm, a new leader who exhibits all the correct virtues for a king. Macbeth  exhibits elements that reflect the greatest Christian tragedy of all: the Fall of Man. In the Genesis story, it is the weakness of Adam, persuaded by his wife (who has in turn been seduced byRead MoreEssay Prompts4057 Words   |  17 PagesYou may choose a work from the list below or another novel or play of comparable quality. Avoid mere plot summary. An American Tragedy Light in August Anna Karenina Long Day’s Journey into the Night Antigone Lord Jim Beloved Macbeth Crime and Punishment Medea Death of a Salesman Moby-Dick Ethan Frome Oedipus Rex Faust Phedre Fences Ragtime For Whom the Bell Tolls Sent for You Yesterday Frankenstein Tess of the D’Urbervilles Hedda Gabler Read MoreStudy Guide Literary Terms7657 Words   |  31 Pagesthe dominant mood or emotional tone of a work of art, as of a play or novel: the chilly atmosphere of a ghost story. 13. antithesis- opposition, or contrast of ideas or words in a balanced or parallel construction. *Extremism in defense of liberty is no vice, moderation in the pursuit of justice is no virtue. Barry Goldwater *Brutus: Not that I loved Caesar less, but that I loved Rome more. Shakespeare, Julius Caesar 14. Anecdote A very short tale told by a character in a