How Is Metallica Song Related To Macbeth

Shakespeare has had many large effects on literary pieces including: poems, chants, and even in song. The song King Nothing by Metallica was written about a greedy king. It relates well to Shakespeare’s play Macbeth with the lyrics and relating characters, and the tone/sound of the song.

The story behind the lyrics of the song King Nothing is about a king who desires everything. Once the king eventually rises to power and gains everything he wanted, he then finds power in greed. The king proceeds to acquire what he asks for and then soon loses it in one foul swoop, due to the extent of his greed. The protagonist in Macbeth is, no surprise, Macbeth. During the play, Macbeth undergoes the exact same need for greed as the king from the Metallica song King Nothing. Macbeth starts out as a humble civilian, but quickly changes once he realises the power that he could have. Instead of being happy for what he already has, he murders the king to take his place on the throne and wrongfully earn the power he had wished to gain. …show more content…
Macbeth\s downfall comes soon after his reign of power. The two kings, both in the play and in the song, lose everything they have because of their need for more. Both kings could have avoided their downfalls if they had been more gracious with what life had already brought.

The sound and tone of King Nothing is dark and intense, which relates well to shakespeare’s play. The tone of Macbeth is also fairly dark and intense since there is an addition of witches and the act of calling upon evil spirits, along with the murders, it creates a negative atmosphere and outcome.

Although King Nothing was not written with Shakespeare’s Macbeth in mind, the tone, storyline, and characters portrayed in these pieces contain many