Frankenstein and Macbeth Essay

The novel Frankenstein by Mary Shelley and the play Macbeth by William Shakespeare, both adhere to the Shakespearean view of tragedy. They contain elements of the supernatural and use literary devices like Nemesis & Pathos. We see the passion & ambition of characters, ultimately leading to their tragic flaw. But in both cases, not every character is deserving of his/her fate. Frankenstein and Macbeth, both contain elements of the supernatural. In Macbeth there are witches and powers of witchcraft. On the other hand, the story of Frankenstein contains a so-called ‘devil’ in flesh – the Monster. Both Macbeth and Frankenstein are above-average human beings with exceptional qualities. In both cases, the tragic hero is a man of tremendous potential and capability. The Monster created by Frankenstein is totally supernatural. There are also supernatural occurrences in Macbeth, like for instance when King Duncan is murdered. The two stories have a main character, Frankenstein and Macbeth. They both have a hero and a heroine in them. In the story, Macbeth and Frankenstein suffer due to their simple mistake that led to serious consequences. Both the stories arise pity and fear in the audience or readers. Towards the end, we feel a need for these characters to be punished for their crime (Nemesis). The stories end with the death of Frankenstein and Macbeth. The tragedy lies in the fact that their greatness is being wasted. We see passion and ambition tempt an essentially good man to embark on a course of action that sends him on the downward path to destruction. Macbeth and Frankenstein are driven by passion, which ultimately become their tragic flaw. Frankenstein is not a villain. He is a tragic figure who was tempted and who fell. Macbeth on the other hand, is not merely a tyrant.