Similarities Between Macbeth And The Great Gatsby

Both William Shakespeare’s famous play ‘Macbeth’ and Baz Luhrmann’s adaptation of Scott Fitzgerald’s novel ‘The Great Gatsby,’ are centred on the theme of ambition. The protagonists in both of these works possess copious amounts of ambition, and several of the subordinate characters, notably Lady Macbeth and Daisy, share this trait. Through the actions and consequences of these characters, both Luhrmann and Shakespeare show their respective viewers that ambition, when followed ardently, results in ruin.

Macbeth’s act of regicide is the first manifestation of the ‘black and deep desires’ that lead him to ruin. His heinous crime starts him on an atrocious path, ending in his death. In his soliloquy before the murder, Macbeth confesses that, …show more content…
Despite being ‘his kinsman and his subject’ Macbeth’s decision to murder Duncan places him on an ambition-fuelled path leading to his demise.

The increasing intensity of Macbeth’s ambition is highlighted by the concomitantly increasing brutality of the murders he sanctions. After Duncan, his next victims are Banquo, and his son Fleance. This murder is even more brutal than the regicide, as Macbeth now decides to sanction the murder of two people, including a child, instead of one. Moreover he convinces himself that the hitherto dear Banquo is an …show more content…
Lady Macbeth’s ambition is for her husband to become King of Scotland, and the strength of her ambition is shown through her determination and resolution for this end. Her co-ordination of Duncan’s murder is impressive in its forethought and ingenuity. By arranging the guilt for the murder to be implanted on the guards, Lady Macbeth ensures no-one ‘dares receive it [news of Duncan’s death other.’ Her commitment to the task is firmly evident in her animadversion of her husband’s