Shakespearean Parallels:An In-depth Look at Similarities and Differences in The Tempest and Macbeth

Shakespeare incorporates similarities in his plays, specifically in the plays of The Tempest and Macbeth; the similarities are the betrayals of the rightful royals, the characteristics of the betrayers, the supernatural elements, and the soliloquies of the main characters. Both Prospero and Duncan are admirable men who are overthrown by someone close to them who covets power. Antonio and Macbeth are the two betrayers who were once praiseworthy men but have become dishonest and destructive. There are two different supernatural elements present in the plays. Prospero’s spirits are controlled by Prospero and are, for the most part, not harmful, whereas the weird sisters, in a sense, control Macbeth and intend to do much harm. Finally, the speeches of Prospero and Macbeth, specifically the “life” speech and the “bloody dagger” speech, are similar in that the mindset of the speakers is the finality of life. These parallels are the main comparisons between Macbeth and The Tem...