Analysis Of Macbeth And Medea Essay - 1331 Words

Charlotte Joko Beck said, â€Å"We have self-centered minds which get us into plenty of trouble. If we do not come to understand the error in the way we think, our self-awareness, which is our greatest blessing, is also our downfall.† In this particular quotation, Beck explores the bias of the human psyche and its ability to favor personal hankerings over logic and morale. â€Å"Euripides introduced psychological realism into ancient Greek drama through characters like Medea, whose motives are confused, complex, and ultimately driven by passion† (Galens and Spampinato para. 1). This one-sided battle of wills is portrayed throughout the literary tragedies of history, and it is essential to the structure of both Shakespearean and Greek tragedy: namely, those of Macbeth and Medea. In the nature of literary tragedy, tragic flaw and downfall go hand in hand. Macbeth and Medea, although their circumstances differ in time and place, share more than one personality flaw; howeve r, one major factor sets them apart. While the curse of pride, ego, and an insatiable hunger for power all contribute to the mental or physical downfall of both Shakespeare’s Macbeth and Euripides’ Medea, Macbeth’s ultimate hamartia is knowledge: specifically, his discovery of the prophecy. Macbeth and Medea were prompted by their own pride to commit violent and treasonous acts. Upon hearing of Macbeth’s hesitance to murder King Duncan, Lady Macbeth points out that his internal conflict only confuses his intentions,Show MoreRelatedTragedy and Common Man by Arthur Miller1559 Words   |  7 Pagesnot made in so many words it is most often implied. I believe that the common man is as apt a subject for tragedy in its highest sense as kings were. On the face of it this ought to be obvious in the light of modern psychiatry, which bases its analysis upon classic formulations, such as the Oedipus and Orestes complexes, for instance, which were enacted by royal beings, but which apply to everyone in similar emotional situations. More simply, when the question of tragedy in art in not at issueRead MoreHumanities Test4641 Words   |  19 PagesShakespeares Falstaff questions the value of: honor 1.   ( T or F ) Aristotle considered plot more important than character or thought. True 2.   ( T or F ) Aristotle was both a theater critic and a philosopher. True 3.   Aristotles famous analysis of tragedy is found in a work called: The Poetics 4.   Aristotles work on comedy is how long? 5 acts long 5. What did the Commedia dellearte specialize in? 6.   What is satire? a literary genre or form, although in practice it is also foundRead MoreAnalysis Of Shakespeare s The Tempest 2603 Words   |  11 PagesMalouin Malouin 11 Measuring a Life in a Drama When many people think of William Shakespeare, they think of plays like Romeo and Juliet, Macbeth or Hamlet. One of the most influential plays written by Shakespeare is not one listed above. The play that reflects the life and all of Shakespeare?s plays is The Tempest. This work was and still is influential in both America, Britain and around the world. Although William Shakespeare was an influential writer in American and British literature,Read MoreEssay about Addie Bundren in William Faulkner’s As I Lay Dying2831 Words   |  12 Pageswicked woman, if you like (certainly a woman who has been warped and perverted), and she uses her energies for questionable purposes, but the lady Macbeths and Medeas—to name more celebrated and august members of Addie’s sisterhood—have all been such mixed cases . . .13 During the same time, Dorothy Tuck offered an analysis of Addie that provided a closer examination of her feminine identity in relation to various symbols in the text, vastly of a natural or animal variety