In William Shakespeare’s “Macbeth,” a common theme is ambition; Macbeth ponders what is needed in order to achieve his goals. One frequent motif in the play is the natural world, and both the theme and motif are used in Mary Shelley’s “Frankenstein.” Even though the works were written more than a century apart, the literal elements that describe powerless men such as Victor and Macbeth are explained through their obsession of obtaining their personal goals.
In Act 1, Scene 7 of “Macbeth,” the king admits that if the plan was fool-proof, he would completely go forth with killing Banquo. Even though he doubts the plan, Lady Macbeth urges him to continue with the idea. Similar to the king, Victor Frankenstein has scientifically created a monster, and believes he should destroy it due to the chaos it causes to society. However, he is terrified to kill the monster in fear of his own life, even though society urges him to accomplish the task. It is Macbeth’s ambition to become the ultimate king and Victor’s ambition to live quietly with Elizabeth. However, their ambitions are blocked by society and pressure and both men listen to the forces around them, namely their wives.
One motif that is seen in both works frequently is nature and the natural world. Mary Shelley’s novel is a romantic and during this literary movement, nature played a crucial role in determining truth. For instance, the monster is misunderstood by everyone, yet he befriends plants because they have no judgment and are sacred. In Macbeth, the king contemplates that killing Banquo is unnatural; he believes that everyone should be respected because everyone is part of the larger picture of nature.
Both pieces of literature show that even though these two males are supposed to be represented as heroic and daring, they are both held back by society. The motif of nature emphasizes that their ambitions are not natural and therefore cannot be accomplished.
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