Macbeth And Hamlet Comparison Essay

William Shakespeare’s plays Hamlet and Macbeth have similarities and differences. These plays are both tragedies that use supernatural incidents, and consist of a hero that has a tragic flaw. One of Hamlet’s main problems is that he takes a long time to seek revenge that he promised his ghost father he would accomplish. Macbeth, on the other hand, tends to act quickly and effectively. In both plays there are characters that relate to one another. Such as, Lady Macbeth and Gertrude, Lady Macbeth and Ophelia, and Macbeth and Hamlet. Hamlet is a likeable character and dies a heroic death. Macbeth however, dies a far less noble death and he is considered a murderous tyrant. Ophelia committed suicide because Hamlet killed her father. Gertrude died
The first act of Hamlet the ghost of his father approaches Hamlet, “Where wilt thou lead me? Speak, I’ll go no further”(1.5.1). The opening of Macbeth involves three witches. The three witches praised Macbeth, “All hail, Macbeth! hail to thee, thane of Glamis!”(1.3.50) The ghost of King Hamlet can only be seen by Hamlet himself and the witches can be seen by anyone they approach. In both plays, the main characters are suspicious of the powers these supernatural figures have. The witches use their powers to tell Macbeth the future; the ghost of King Hamlet tells Hamlet what has happened. Hamlet has doubts about the supernatural creature he thinks it may be the devil. Macbeth also has his doubts because when the witches tell him he will be named the thane of Cawdor, Macbeth himself had not known. In both plays the supernatural beings are their downfall. In Macbeth, the three witches cause him to do evil deeds. In Hamlet had not seen the ghost of his father he would not have known that Claudius has killed his father to claim the
They are both married to a king, both have some influence over the king, and both are accountable for their final fate. Their differences can easily be seen since both of them are married to dishonorable men they are trapped by their position. Lady Macbeth creates monster in Macbeth and his ambition leads to their break-up of their marriage and her death. Gertrude is more passive than Lady Macbeth but she is torn between her love for her son and her love for Claudias, but after she realized what a monster she had married her will is little and dies as a result of her husbands deeds. Because they are both accountable for their own deaths. Lady Macbeth pushed Macbeth into his first murder. Macbeth thought he only had to kill one person but he failed to realize that one murder would lead to many more. Gertrude served as Claudius helper, helping him to spy on Hamlet, agreeing to plans to send Hamlet to England. Claudius and Macbeth seem not to be moved by their wives deaths. Claudius does little to prevent Gertrude from drinking the poison wine. Macbeth numbly responds to Lady Macbeth’s