Discussion Topic

Comparing and contrasting the characters of Macbeth and Jay Gatsby

Summary:

Both Macbeth and Jay Gatsby are ambitious characters whose desires ultimately lead to their downfall. Macbeth's ambition is driven by a prophecy and his wife's encouragement, leading him to commit regicide and other atrocities. In contrast, Gatsby's ambition is fueled by his love for Daisy and his desire for wealth and status, resulting in his involvement in illegal activities. While Macbeth's downfall is marked by his increasing paranoia and tyranny, Gatsby's is characterized by his unyielding idealism and naivety.

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What are the similarities between Macbeth and Gatsby?

One of the similarities between Macbeth and Gatsby is that they both want to vault beyond their current social position. Macbeth, tiring of only being Thane of Cawdor, slays the king to become the ruler of Scotland. Similarly, Gatsby wants to go well beyond his humble midwestern origins to become not only wealthy but an admired member of the upper crust on Long Island. 

Both Gatsby and Macbeth hit roadblocks while climbing the social or political ladder. Macbeth becomes overcome with guilt, and he is eventually slain by his political opponents. Gatsby is unable to really gain access to the upper class, and he too dies in his quest for social betterment. 

Another similarity between Macbeth and Gatsby is that they have problematic relationships with the women they love. Lady Macbeth urges Macbeth to kill Duncan, the king, and she eventually kills herself out grief and guilt. Gatsby has amassed...

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wealth largely to please Daisy, but, even though she reunites with Gatsby, she has no intention of dedicating her life to him. In the end, even after Gatsby dies, she does not mourn him and resumes her life with her husband. 

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What are the differences between Jay Gatsby and Macbeth?

In many ways, the characters have far more differences than similarities. Macbeth is a character from a Shakespearean tragedy. He is a larger-than-life figure, descended from a noble lineage. He is an aristocratic warrior who, by nefarious means, becomes a king. Gatsby is a character in a realistic novel, who, although achieving a certain wealth and power, is far from being the equivalent of an absolute monarch. Instead, he is a clever Midwesterner from a poor family who gets rich by bootlegging. Gatsby reinvents himself, changing his name and backstory, while Macbeth remains relatively consistent.

Macbeth was born into the upper classes of his period. Although his abilities as a warrior gain him admiration, he is not trying to escape the ignominy of lower class or undistinguished origins with his actions, unlike Gatsby. Gatsby is never fully accepted in the society of East Egg; Gatsby's wealth comes from the illicit trade of bootlegging, and Gatsby himself is never quite respectable. Although Macbeth is violent and unscrupulous, and his tyrannical actions lead to rebellion, he is of the appropriate class for rulership.

Macbeth is superstitious, and much of the plot concerning the witches revolves around how they undermine his Christian faith and lead him to damnation. There are no religious themes in Gatsby's narrative arc.

Gatsby is led astray by sexual desire while Macbeth, despite his many other failings, is actually a good husband. On other criteria, though, Gatsby has a moral conscience which Macbeth lacks.

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