Temptation In Macbeth And Paradise Lost

In both Paradise Lost and Macbeth, characters are forced to face temptation. The temptation comes from some of the least expected circumstances leading the characters to give in, only to eventually regret their choice. Temptation is something that people face everyday in some form, making it something that will not go away anytime soon. While characters from both Paradise Lost and Macbeth are tempted to do exactly what they know they are not supposed to do, the characters are both affected differently in the long term after their decision to give in to temptation. There is a strong chance that if both Macbeth and Satan were not held to such a high standard, they would not have given into the temptation as easily as they did. In Macbeth, …show more content…
As mentioned earlier, the characters were affected differently by their choice to give into temptation. Macbeth was not punished in the sense that Adam and Eve were. Macbeth was confident that he would not be killed from what he was told by the witches, but that was not the case. Shakespeare writes, “They have tied me to a stake. I cannot fly, but, bear-like, I must fight the course. What’s he that was not born of woman? Such a one am I to fear, or none” (Shakespeare). Believing he would not be killed was what encouraged to fight in the battle. Macbeth was not kicked out of anything as his punishment, rather he lost his life in battle with Macduff. Adam and Eve were aware of their consequence from the beginning. They were forced to leave Eden and find their own place to stay along with many other consequences that are said to still affect mankind today. Milton describes the scene of them leaving the garden very vividly by writing, “They looking back, all th’ eastern side beheld of Paradise, so late their happy seat, waved over by that flaming brand, the gate with dreadful faces thronged and fiery arms: some natural tears they dropped, but wiped them soon; the was all before them, where to choose their place of rest and Providence their guide...” (Milton). Both Adam and Eve knew what there was to lose when they gave into the temptation. Author McColley confirms these …show more content…
Temptation is not an easy thing to avoid, especially when a character is held to a high standard or when someone they trusts pushes them towards the wrong thing. While both sides gave into the temptation, how they handled the consequences was different. Overall these stories are both closely related with themes and writing