compare & contrast, Macbeth and Something Wicked. (Essay Sample)

Name Instructor Course Due Date Compare and Contrast, Macbeth and Something Wicked Macbeth and Something Wicked are two works of literature that have many similarities and differences. The main characters in both stories are Macbeth and the Wicked Witch, respectively. Macbeth is a brave and ambitious general in Scotland's King Duncan's army, while the Wicked Witch is an evil and powerful witch who reigns over a magical kingdom. Both characters are driven by ambition, yet their goals and motivations differ. Macbeth is a tragic hero driven by ambition and ultimately comes to a tragic end due to his choices. In Something Wicked, the protagonist, Nia, is also a tragic hero, driven by ambition, but her ambitions lead her to a different outcome. While Macbeth is driven by ambition to become king, Nia is driven by her desire to find her mother and avenge her death. Both characters are faced with difficult choices and ultimately make decisions that lead to their downfall. Macbeth is driven by a desire to gain more power and prestige, while the Wicked Witch is driven to enslave and control all magical creatures living in her kingdom. Macbeth's ambition leads him to commit murder and other heinous acts to gain power, while the Wicked Witch's ambition drives her to use dark magic and manipulation to enslave her subjects. The assassination of King Duncan is a pivotal moment in the overall narrative of Macbeth. Macbeth's desire to rise to the position of king compels him to take things into his own hands and assassinate King Duncan. The theft of the book of spells serves as the primary plot point in Something Wicked. Nia is motivated by the need to exact revenge for the loss of her mother and take control of the path that her life would take. In each of these tales, the protagonists' desire to achieve their goals leads them to make decisions that ultimately have negative repercussions (Scott et al. 20:00-56:00). In the book and movie Something Wicked, the Wicked Witch also experiences a vision that compels her to subjugate the magical creatures who live in her realm. These visions lead to significant events in the story, yet the outcomes differ for each. Macbeth's vision leads to a brutal power struggle and a civil war, while the Wicked Witch's vision leads to a magical realm filled with dread and horror. Both of these events are brought about by Macbeth's vision (Shakespeare 100). A significant allusion between Macbeth and Something Wicked is the idea of fate and free will. In Macbeth, Macbeth's ambition leads him to make choices that ultimately lead to his downfall (Shakespeare 117). The author of Something Wicked uses a similar idea of fate and free will, but instead of Macbeth's ambition leading him to make choices that result in his downfall, it is the Wicked Witch's ambition that drives her to enslave her subjects and brings about her downfall. The author of Something Wicked changed Shakespeare's idea by making the main character's ambition the cause of their downfall instead of outside forces. The author may have done this to show that one's ambition can be their downfall and that one must be careful when making decisions based on ambition. Both works' themes are similar in exploring the nature of evil and its seductive power. In Macbeth, evil is personified in the three witches who manipulate Macbeth and tempt him to commit regicide to secure the throne for himself. The witches represent the power of temptation and the ease with which it can sway a person's moral compass. In Something Wicked, evil is personified in the mysterious carnival, which tempts its victims to surrender to their deepest desires and make a deal with Mr. Dark(Scott et al. 17:00-39:00). The carnival represents the power of temptation and how it can manipulate people into making choices that bring about their downfall. The author of Something Wicked alluded to fate to emphasize that Nia's choices will have consequences. Using this allusion, the author can create a sense of urgency and emphasize the importance of making the right choices in life. This creates a...