Theme Of Emotion In The Great Gatsby

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Self Destructive Emotions According to Duff Brenna, “All literature shows us the power of emotions. It is emotion, not reason, that motivates characters in literature. In other words, the strength of emotions is evident within all works. It is not common sense or rational thought but rather inner desire that motivates characters. This theme of the power of emotions emerges true in The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald and the tragedy Macbeth by William Shakespeare. Both Jay Gatsby and Macbeth are motivated by their emotions rather than reason. Jay Gatsby was overcome by his delusional love, which led to him doing whatever it took in order to achieve his goal. Jay Gatsby, characterized as a materialistic and persistent person, is obsessed…show more content…
In the exposition of the play, the witches told Macbeth that he will become the Thane of Cawdor and King of Scotland. They also warn him about what to look out for. Macbeth is characterized as a brave soldier and a powerful man who is rather easily tempted and convinced. After hearing about these wonderful things from the witches, Macbeth’s wife, Lady Macbeth, who lusts for power and position, manipulates Macbeth to achieve the prophecy and let nothing stand in his way. The first step was to kill King Duncan, who was the current King of Scotland. After he did this, the next step was to make sure that he wouldn’t get caught. Duncan’s guards had to be framed for this to happen, and later on in some emotional rage, Macbeth kills the guards. The witches’ prophecy coming true so fast led to Banquo, Macbeth’s good friend getting suspicious. Macbeth’s greedy emotions to achieve everything without letting anything get in the way would not let this happen. Ultimately, Macbeth orders people to kill Banquo because he fears as well as envies him. He envies him because Banquo has sons who can become future kings and Macbeth does not. So Macbeth would like to have sons. After killing Banquo, Macbeth starts to later see Banquo’s ghost. This symbolizes Macbeth’s guilty conscience. It is evident that Macbeth is a round/dynamic character because he changes from a war hero to a…show more content…
Gatsby’s delusional emotions of love for Daisy kept him doing whatever it took to fulfill his inner desires. Similarly, Macbeth’s inner desires to achieve what was stated in the witches’ prophecy and his severe feelings of greed led to him taking many harsh and unreasonable actions. It was these inner desires and strong passions that motivated the main characters, but they also ultimately led to their long-term down falls. That is why both protagonists can be considered tragic heroes. Emotions can overpower people and convince them to act in a certain way and those same intense emotions may prove to be self destructive in the

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