Discussion Topic
Comparative analysis of themes and motifs in 'Macbeth' and '1984'
Summary:
Both Macbeth and 1984 explore themes of power, corruption, and betrayal. In Macbeth, ambition leads to moral decay and political chaos, while in 1984, totalitarianism results in the loss of individuality and truth. Key motifs include visions and hallucinations in Macbeth, symbolizing guilt and paranoia, and surveillance in 1984, representing control and oppression.
What are three ways in which Macbeth relates to 1984?
1. Both are about men who become dissatisfied with their worlds and want to create a new reality. Macbeth sees himself as a better ruler than Duncan and sets out to claim the throne for himself. Convinced of this need for a leadership change, he is willing to commit murder to make the change happen. Winston grows to hate the Party and the oppression of Big Brother, and he tries to create a better life for himself, hoping to change his world as well. He aligns with Julia and thinks that Big Brother can never take love away from him. Both men develop lofty goals which stand in direct opposition to their initial realities.
2. Both men trust the wrong people. Macbeth is propelled into action by listening to the prophesies of three witches and the selfish desires of his wife. These sources don't prove to be his wisest sources...
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of counsel. While the witches' predictions do come true, they phrase Macbeth's outcome in a way that makes victory seem certain for him. Lady Macbeth insults her husband's sense of manly pride in order to convince him to do what she wants. And Macbeth listens to all of this as he makes one poor decision after another. Winston believes O'Brien to be an ally, but it is O'Brien who ends up torturing Winston for months to transform his way of thinking into what the Party desires. In both cases, misguided trust contributes to the downfall of the main characters.
3. Neither main character achieves the dream he's envisioned. Macbeth believes that it is his destiny to rule for an extended period of time; in the final scene, Macduff holds Macbeth's head and Malcolm is pronounced King. Winston Smith dreams of a world free of Big Brother's oppression, but in the end, he is forced to conform to exactly what the Party expects of him. He even turns against Julia, which he previously thought he could never do. Both men end their stories with unfulfilled dreams.
First, in both Macbeth and 1984, the main characters fall into the trap of believing information that aligns with their own desires. In Macbeth's case, the witches' prophecy leads the very ambitious Macbeth to murder Duncan. Likewise, Winston's enormous desire to believe that O'Brien is part of an underground movement intent on overthrowing the Party leads him to make damning statements about his willingness to kill in support of a revolution.
Second, in both works, at least one main character equates power with brutality and ruthlessness. In Macbeth, Lady Macbeth believes she must "unsex" herself and crush all compassion and mercy inside herself in order to work to achieve her ambitions for her husband. In 1984, O'Brien equates power with a boot stamping a human face. Both works mean us to question this narrow definition of power.
Third, in both works, at least one main character puts political ambitions ahead of human life. Both Macbeth and Lady Macbeth are willing to murder to achieve their political ambitions. O'Brien is also willing to sacrifice individual lives in order to maintain power. Not only is he part of the small group that benefits from the current order of society, he believes that perpetrating that order is far more important than any individual life.
What are the similarities between '1984' and 'Macbeth'?
Another similarity between 1984 and Macbeth relates to the use of violence against ordinary (and innocent) citizens. In 1984, this is shown clearly through the fates of Syme and Mr. Parsons. Both of these men are arrested and imprisoned in the Ministry of Love even though they have not actually broken any laws. (Remember that in Oceania, there are no laws, meaning that the Party can do whatever it chooses to Party members).
We see a similar situation in Macbeth. Macbeth tries to have Fleance killed and sends his henchmen after Macduff's family. Tragically, Macduff's wife and child are both murdered.
In both of these texts, it is paranoia combined with a desire for total control that contributes to the violent treatment of Syme, Mr. Parsons, Fleance, and the family of Macduff. Although Macbeth is just one man and the Party is a huge organization, they both abuse their power in order to dominate the people they rule and to make sure that nobody threatens their power.
Just to add to the other great ideas--you could compare the role of influential women in the two works (Lady Macbeth and Julia). Both women cause the men in their lives to rethink their previous positions on various topics, and both do an excellent job of pretending to be someone they are not.
Similarly, the themes of psychological torture and not knowing whom to trust play significant roles in both works.
Great topic! You may want to go with the idea of illusion versus reality. Macbeth features witches, ghosts, and apparitions, all of which can arguably be factors and determinants for how the plot moves along and why certain characters do the things they do. 1984, things are hardly as they seem -- one day Oceania is at war Eastasia, next it's Eurasia. Mr. Charrington seems helpful, but is actually Thought Police.
I'd go with the idea of paranoia. Clearly Macbeth is driven by guilt and his ambition to become and remain king; however, those two things also drive him to paranoia. He wants Macduff dead, of course, because he understands he's a threat to his reign. Killing Macduff's wife and children and servants is simply paranoia. Likewise, many of Big Brother's actions and reactions are rooted in paranoia and the hunger for complete control. Both are out of control and unreasonable in their reactions (or over-reactions, much of the time) to the people and events which they confront. Interesting comparison!
Building on the previous post, you could do a contrast part about the effect that advanced technology has on the issue in 1984. Both had governments that wanted to rule totally, but it was much easier for Big Brother to be successful because of the enhanced ability to see and control everything that was going on.
Interesting topic there! You might want to tackle it from the angle of despotism and how each work considers tyranny but from different angles. Clearly Macbeth is a prime example of a despotic leader who aims to have complete control of his people and kingdom. He kills who he wants to and crushes all opposition until all opponents are dead or flee. Of course, the central and crucial difference between the works under consideration is that the tyranny of 1984 is of a much more totalitarian and unstoppable kind. Macbeth gets his comeuppance by the end of the play but Winston Smith, the underdog whom we are all rooting for, is broken utterly and conforms to the world of 1984.