Shakespeares Macbeth and Dr. Faustus Bargain - 788 Words

During Macbeths never-ending ambitious strive for power in Macbeth, by William Shakespeare, he makes his own Faustian Bargain similar to Dr. Faustus. The theme of ambition dominates both their stories. Even though he does not directly deal with the devil as Faustus does, the consequence of his bargain is greater. Not only does he loose his life, but his wife and everything he had risked for. The witches tempt Macbeth with their words of prophecy and fate. By listening and acting upon those words, he makes his Faustian Bargain. And as is known in literature, when a character acts upon fate or prophecy they fail. When the witches meet Macbeth, they greet him as Thane of Glamis, Thane of Cawdor, and king hereafter(Shakespeare 1.3.51-53). Macbeth instantly becomes intrigued with these three words that contain so much power. This is when he ignorantly makes his bargain, Stay you imperfect speakers. Tell me more...Say from whence/ You owe this strange intelligence or why...with such proph etic greeting (1.3.73-81). Unlike Banquo, who is undisturbed by this foretelling, Macbeth is captivated by his learned fate. Unconsciously, this bargain entails much more than what Macbeth expected. He loses possible salvation for his soul, sanity, and everything that makes his life living. There are two notable occasions when the readers can see Macbeth losing his sanity. At the end of act 3, scene 3, Macbeth is at the banquet with friends and his wife. During this dinner, he seesShow MoreRelatedThe Forces of Evil in The Tragical History of Doctor Faustus, by Christopher Marlowe and William Shakespeare’s Macbeth567 Words   |  2 PagesDr. Faustus in The Tragical History of Doctor Faustus, by Christopher Marlowe and William Shakespeare’s Macbeth have similar interactions with forces of evil. Both characters believe it is necessary to gain power by following the devil or witches. Macbeth follows the witches’ equivocal prophecy to have absolute control over Sc otland. He gives up his place in heaven to be king on earth. After Macbeth’s murder of Duncan, Macbeth has entered into a Faustian Bargain which he will never be able to