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A Character Comparison between Shakespeare’s Macbeth to Brian De Palma’s Scarface
Power has the capability to corrupt the most notable of characters. It is able to make a person do things that they would generally not do, and motivate, depending on the source, for acts of good or evil. Macbeth is a tragic story written by William Shakespeare that shows how a notable Scotsman Macbeth gets power, and how he became person of dishonesty. This delusional sense of power enables Macbeth to commit various crimes in order to retain his false title of the King of Scotland. In Brian De Palma’s Scarface the character of Antonio 'Tony' Montana, in similar fashion, became the drug lord of Miami through equally questionable, immoral and corrupt deeds. Both characters undermine human morality by satisfying their blind ambition. In comparing both Macbeth to Montana, despite centuries of time passing between them both, each character uses their immeasurable greed, and their blind ambition to acquire their greatness, but, fall as a result of their conscience.
As any man can be potentially driven by immeasurable greed in order to satisfy their desires, in order to do so, they are deprived by means of morality and ethics. Macbeth realizes that in order to hold his position as a king, he has to continue eliminates people who may potentially stand in his way and claim the throne. By the end of play, Macbeth does not hesitate in taking the life of another to suit his purpose. Macbeth says, "Seize upon Fife; give to th' edge o' th' sword/His wife, his babes, and all unfortunate souls/That trace him in his line" (Macbeth Act IV,1.172-174). As well, Greed leads man aspects to madness. Greed in Scarface is what Tony exudes in order to satisfy his desire to rule the world. Antonio Montana was a criminal who came from Cuba to America and successfully became a drug lord. After murdering a man in camp as a favour to Mafia drug king Frank Lopez, Antonio and his...