Macbeth Vs Lord Of The Flies Essay

, Research Paper

Macbeth vs. Lord of the Flies

The human being, according to evolution, has evolved from animals to become a superior animal form that has the ability to decipher right and wrong, have recognizable feelings, and at the same time have that animalistic characteristics wild beasts have. The authors of Macbeth and Lord of the Flies attempt to exhibit the idea that human beings are totally capable of acting like wild beast. The authors explain to us that different factors bring out our animal, or beast, instincts. Envy, fear, and jealousy are factors, which contribute to our regression as savages. Human beings thrive on competition, so, such factors can change the way we think.

These authors use characters like Jack and Macbeth as examples of human being self corruption through letting our natural call of the wild come through. Leadership can never come in second place and is only held by the first. These characters, after realizing the idea of kill or be killed, will do anything, even acts of inhumanity, to advance and come out on top. This with the combination of other factors simply blind folds our minds into thinking that we must always come out victorious. All the values and mores that society has taught us have been wiped away simply with the illusion, internal animal characteristics, that we must strive, in any way we can, to be in the position of leadership.

Physical examples like Jack killing Piggy and the slaying of Banquo by Macbeth are models of how people can be temporarily blinded by jealousy, envy, and fear. Authors, trying to prove that human beings see their own eventual downfall by using such devices as apparitions and ghost to remind us we are human. Apparitions haunted Macbeth, in the same way our conscious come into play when we know we have violated the values set up by society. This realization of doing wrong only makes some humans to more unexpected things. In a way, they become frightened of returning to human values. This is actually the beast in us that does not want to be repressed.

In lord of the flies we see that this animal or if you want to call it savagery, in human beings, can be visible in even innocent children. Fear drives many of these children to act very different sometimes even aware that one would never do such things. This fear was brought on by the illusion that a stronger more dominant beast was on the island as well. Jacks animal instinct is brought out with the feeling of being second to Jack and most of the supposed beast. This is why he insists on hunting rather then working on a plan to be rescued. Jack will not tolerate being in second.

Sometimes these feeling can not be pushed away and only seem to worsen. This is seen by the fact that Jack is no longer hunting to survive but for the thrill of knowing he has the power to kill that which is less then him. His animalistic characteristics only seem to get worse. Going from killing to survive, killing to know you have the power, and finally the murder of human beings. We see that Jack is now making excuses for the quick high of know he is number one and in total control. He kills Simon claiming he thought it was the beastie. Truly the fact that they dance around like savages and never stop think is prove that the beast in Jack has finally taken over his mind.

The authors of Lord of the Flies and Macbeth attempt to show us that hope is not lost. Obvious devices as apparitions doubling as our conscience mind display that human beings can over come the regression to savagery and to face the fact that we all have a simple yet powerful dark side