Oedipus vs. Macbeth

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Oedipus vs. Macbeth A tragic hero is a great or virtuous character in a dramatic tragedy that is destined for downfall, suffering, or defeat (dictionary.com). Two famous works that contain a tragic hero are the plays Oedipus the King and Macbeth. There are many similarities and differences between Macbeth and Oedipus as tragic heroes. Oedipus the King is a Greek play written by Sophocles depicting the tragic hero, Oedipus. In this play, Oedipus unknowingly fulfilled a prophecy saying that he would kill his father and marry his mother, which also brought disaster on his city and triggered his downfall. Whereas Macbeth, was an Elizabethan play written by William Shakespeare and depicted the tragic hero, Macbeth. Throughout the play, Macbeth is also subjected to prophecies told to him by three ruthless witches. He, different from Oedipus, willingly fulfills his prophecies to obtain the power the witches foresee him earning. There are many similarities between Oedipus and Macbeth. They were both influenced by supernatural forces that introduced the prophesies to them. They were both destined for power and did ruthless and cruel things to obtain that power. Although Oedipus was unaware of his actions, they both killed the current king to gained control of their country. That event, for both men, was the start of their downfall. They both hurt their family and their country. Their wives committed suicide because they couldn’t deal with the grief and wrong doing of themselves and their spouses. Although there are many similarities between Oedipus and Macbeth, there are also many differences. Macbeth willingly fulfills his prophecies knowing that he will gain power and absolute control over Scotland. Oedipus, on the other hand, unconsciously performs his prophecies. Macbeth was more of an ambitious leader, who got what he wanted by performing selfish actions like

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