Hero and Monster- Macbeth Essay Example

Hero and Monster- Macbeth Essay The same qualities that make one a hero can also make one a monster. A perfect example of this is in the play Macbeth by William Shakespeare. In this play, Macbeth is a very ambitious man, however, by the end he is an absolute monster. In the beginning, Macbeth and his longtime companion, Banquo, come across three witches who give them a prophecy. The witches tell them that Macbeth will become Thane of Cawdor and later the King of Scotland. Banquo that his sons will be Scottish kings although he will never be king himself. They are both very skeptical about this prophecy until Macbeth becomes Thane of Cawdor soon after. When Lady Macbeth learns everything that has happened, she has absolutely no doubt that the prophecy is valid. Over the course of the play, both of them do everything in their power to make the witches’ prediction come true. Although the ambition that Macbeth and his wife possess is an ideal heroic quality, it also contributes to their monstrous behaviors. The first horrific act they perform is killing Duncan in order to gain kingship. Once Duncan is dead, Macbeth goes after Banquo and his son Fleance in order to avoid the second part of the witches’ prophecy. Later on, Macbeth visits the witches again and they tell him to beware of Macduff. Macbeth then commands that Macduff’s castle be seized and that his wife and children be killed. In order to be a hero it is necessary to be an ambitious person, in spite of this, a monster can be ambitious as well. A hero must be determined to achieve the things they want that may help other people. A monster may also be determined to obtain something, but with a cruel or damaging approach. We will write a custom essay sample on Hero and Monster- Macbeth specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Hero and Monster- Macbeth specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Hero and Monster- Macbeth specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Macbeth and his wife turn out to be utter fiends as a result of their ambitious ways. They easily could have used their ambition to obtain the things they wanted in a positive manner, but instead they chose to use their ambition in negative ways. Macbeth and Lady Macbeth prove that a monster and a hero can have the same quality. 2)Parents and environment impact a child’s development as a human being. In the novel Frankenstein by Mary Shelley, Victor Frankenstein brings to life a creation that he spent months working on. His automatic reaction to its appearance is pure disgust and he escapes its presence soon after it opens its eyes. When Victor and his friend, Henry, return back to where the creature would have been, they find that it he gone. Soon after, Victor receives a letter from his father telling him that his youngest brother had been killed. Before long he finds out that his monster is the murderer, although someone else was convicted for the crime. Victor feels an immense amount of guilt as a result of being responsible for the death of two loved ones, so he decides to go to the mountains in attempt to ease his pain. One day the monster approaches Victor to beg for forgiveness and asks him to create a mate similar to himself. Victor eventually agrees and begins working on his new creation, but he chooses to destroy his work. The monster is enraged by Victor’s act and chooses to retaliate by killing Henry. After Henry, Victor’s new bride, Elizabeth, falls victim to the monster. The reason Victor’s creation caused an immeasurable amount of pain and destruction is because he was never truly taught right from wrong, or anything for that matter. His â€Å"parent† never gave him a chance or showed him any form of love. If Victor didn’t immediately leave when his creation came to life, the monster may not have turned out the way he did. Also, society completely rejected him. The sight of the monster was terrifying and not one person even gave him a chance. He would have developed into a much better being if Victor and his environment influenced him differently. If his â€Å"parent† took the time to teach him basic human morals and society accepted him, he may not have made the same decisions he did. Without question, the monster’s parents and environment impacted his development as a human being.