For the AP Literature and Composition Class of 2008-2009.
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
Or explore the Faustian anti-hero
Comparing him to Macbeth...
3 comments:
Anonymous
said...
Faust makes a contract with Mephisto who turns his desires into a bad effect. Faust meets a woman, Gretchen, who he begins a liaison. Yet Gretchen accidentally kills her mother by a sleeping potion from Faust. Faust tries to rescue Gretchen from her death sentence after she goes insane and drowning her child. At the end, Faust's deal with the devil gives him a limited sense of security and happiness. Macbeth is also an antihero because he listens to Lady Macbeth who is similar to the devil. Therefore, Lady Macbeth gains Macbeth's trust and helps him by any means necessary to get what she wants. Macbeth continually goes back to Lady Macbeth for guidance and acceptance and as a result, sacrifices himself to gain power. Even though he lives in the moment of pride and power, it does not last long. Macbeth and Lady Macbeth lose their sanity and as a result, Lady Macbeth commits suicide. Macbeth is left alone where he dies as a tragic hero.
Like the Faustian anti-hero, Macbeth gives his soul for something in life that the three witches, or in Faustian's case, Mephistopheles, imply will lead to happiness and satisfaction. Both Macbeth and Faust are so eager to gain power or something they are lacking. Because Macbeth's ILLUSION of power is just that, it is short lasting and quickly leads to his demise. He ultimately finds, as does Faust, that he initially withheld more power independent of the three witches (in Faust's case Mephistopheles). Essentially, Faust and Macbeth are both unable to realize their mistake in indulging in such evil promises, compacts, bargains, etc. prior to tragedy, leaving them alone and in despair, awaking them from their idea of a false sense of happiness/power.
3 comments:
Faust makes a contract with Mephisto who turns his desires into a bad effect. Faust meets a woman, Gretchen, who he begins a liaison. Yet Gretchen accidentally kills her mother by a sleeping potion from Faust. Faust tries to rescue Gretchen from her death sentence after she goes insane and drowning her child. At the end, Faust's deal with the devil gives him a limited sense of security and happiness. Macbeth is also an antihero because he listens to Lady Macbeth who is similar to the devil. Therefore, Lady Macbeth gains Macbeth's trust and helps him by any means necessary to get what she wants. Macbeth continually goes back to Lady Macbeth for guidance and acceptance and as a result, sacrifices himself to gain power. Even though he lives in the moment of pride and power, it does not last long. Macbeth and Lady Macbeth lose their sanity and as a result, Lady Macbeth commits suicide. Macbeth is left alone where he dies as a tragic hero.
Good. Make connections. How else might Macbeth be the proverbial Faustian anti-hero?
Are they both redeemable in the end?
Like the Faustian anti-hero, Macbeth gives his soul for something in life that the three witches, or in Faustian's case, Mephistopheles, imply will lead to happiness and satisfaction. Both Macbeth and Faust are so eager to gain power or something they are lacking. Because Macbeth's ILLUSION of power is just that, it is short lasting and quickly leads to his demise. He ultimately finds, as does Faust, that he initially withheld more power independent of the three witches (in Faust's case Mephistopheles). Essentially, Faust and Macbeth are both unable to realize their mistake in indulging in such evil promises, compacts, bargains, etc. prior to tragedy, leaving them alone and in despair, awaking them from their idea of a false sense of happiness/power.
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