Macbeth And Victor Frankenstein Responsible For Their Own...

To what extent are the characters of Macbeth and Victor Frankenstein responsible for their own downfalls? Both Frankenstein and the Tragedy Of Macbeth are pieces of literature with very similar protagonists, whose downfalls are widely considered to be brought about by nobody but themselves. They have determination and chance of greatness, with a selfish side that shows till their end. Despite their selfish similarities and moments of madness, they were written both at very different times, by very different authors. One, a respected male playwright pandering to the monarch of the time, and the other a young female writer with a Gothic horror dà ©but that presents the fate of those gripped with excessive ambition. The texts use the usual†¦show more content†¦The actions of Macbeth might not have been the actions of Macbeth at all, but rather the actions of a puppet being played with by the witches. â€Å"Brave Macbeth† who â€Å"deserves this name† is obviously a highly regarded man by all. Macbeth embodies a feature of Aristotle’s tragic hero-that they must have a noble stature. At one point King Duncan goes so far as to say â€Å"Noble Macbeth hath won† directly. Laying the foundation for Macbeth’s character as a noble hero sets up the reader to experience a massive juxtaposition once they realise how far he has fallen, later on in the play. These subtle suggestions of nobility serve as a short cut for Shakespeare, not having to go into detail about what he has done to make him noble, just that that is what he is. Frankenstein is in the same boat as Macbeth when it comes to his nobility. He was certainly considered a genius by his peers â€Å"he is so gentle, yet so wise; his mind is so cultivated when he speaks.† Unlike Macbeth, Frankenstein’s journey isn’t hidden from the reader. It is detailed from the start of his life to help the reader witness his growing and learning possibly to a point where the reader is growing and learning themselves. The point of putting the two characters on pedestals is to better justify the character’s arrogance. Being told you’re excellent by almost everyone is enough to make anyone haughty. By giving them clear character flaws with a clear explanation, the reader can relate to the two men, more