Shakespearean tragedies vs greek tragedies - Research Paper Example

This paper aims to show elements of Greek tragedy that are present in Shakespearean tragedy, even though differences between them also exist. Macbeth Crime and punishment are the themes in Shakespeare famous tragedy, Macbeth. The lead character Macbeth is the typical Greek tragic hero because he has a tragic character flaw. This is “hubris” which also means extreme arrogance or pride that exceeds what is realistic. More accurately in ancient Greek context, it is actually a legal term that refers to actions that not only physically hurt, but also humiliate the victim, for the personal enjoyment of the abuser (Cohen, 1991).

The crime therefore is not only in the harm caused but more in the pleasure taken by the abuser. In Greek tragedy, hubris, breach of hospitality, and murder are sins that are surely followed by punishment (Khare, 1998). In Greek tragedy, Paris displayed hubris when, despite the hospitality shown him by Menelaus of Sparta, he kidnapped Menelaus’ wife Helen, and because of this the city of Troy was destroyed. In comparison, Macbeth showed all three - hubris in his ambition to be king, murder in killing Duncan, Banquo, Lady Macduff and her children, and breach of hospitality when he murders King Duncan who was then a guest in his house.

Many have likened Macbeth to Oedipus in Greek tragedy, because Oedipus was likewise guilty of all three sins. Like Macbeth, Oedipus also meets a violent death as punishment, which may be seen as the embodiment of “Nemesis” (Greek goddess of revenge) from another world (Khare, 1998, p. 196). In Greek tragedy, the Fates act as prophetesses who predict the future. In Shakespeare, the predictions are made by the three witches “or weird sisters” (Coddon, 1989). Witches are more in line with English culture and tradition, thus combining an English element with a Greek tragic element.

In both instances, however, the predictions made by the Greek Fates and the Shakespearean witches are not straightforward and have a hidden meaning that leads the hero to greater trouble. Finally, for both heroes, there is a realization in the end as well as spiritual growth, although it may have come too late for redemption. There are differences in plot between Macbeth and Oedipus, however. Oedipus committed parricide unknowingly, but Macbeth was fully aware of the evil of his deed. Oedipus reflects the classical Greek tragic element of divine intervention, which is the “perfect embodiment” in classic Greek literature.

On the other hand, Macbeth is the “Renaissance” figure who “can be understood and ultimately criticised only by reference to defined standards of moral philosophy” (Sanders, 1968, p. 308). Macbeth also embodies elements of Western Christianity, whereas Oedipus reflects pre-Christian philosophy. Therefore, while Oedipus may be powerful in the ancient times because it conformed to the ethical standard of the day of Sophocles; likewise for Macbeth, which in its own style portrayed the ethical standard of Elizabethan England.

The tragedy of Oedipus was the working of the gods in a divine-centric era. In Macbeth, man was the center and cause of the tragic act which reflected the Renaissance philosophy. Julius Caesar Julius Caesar is seen as a colossal hero, like Oedipus, who “